Jonathan Andrews

Jonathan Andrews is a junior associate in the Entertainment and Media team at London law firm Reed Smith. Being neurodivergent, specifically autistic, has been a challenging and empowering journey.

‘My brain is wired in a different way to the majority of the population. This brings challenges, but it equally brings strengths such as determination and focus, as well as depth of knowledge and attention to detail in areas of special interest’.

Being neurodivergent means being different, but not less, and it certainly has not held him back from becoming a City Solicitor, a trustee of the UK’s young autistic people’s charity Ambitious about Autism and an Equality Improvement Leader at Mind. As an advocate for neurodiversity in business, and in particular in the legal profession, Jonathan shares his experience with Neurodiversity in Law.

Being diagnosed as autistic

Although his parents suspected he was different to other children at an earlier age, Jonathan was diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum aged nine. His parents shared the news with him straight away as they considered it was important for him to know. His diagnosis at an early age did not have a great impact on Jonathan, partly because at that age, it was hard for him to understand the full implications. This junior associate reflects on the impact of the diagnosis and how, from the beginning, his parents advocated for him when they were offered well-meaning but misguided condolences:

‘It did not change who I was, simply made it clearer to others as to how I was different and how I thought’.

His formal diagnosis enabled those around him, in particular teachers and students, to better understand him.

Autism did not negatively impact Jonathan’s learning and success at school. In fact, his strength of character and determination led him to become the highest-achieving boy in his A-levels and became the first person in his family to attend a Russell Group university. Autism did mean that Jonathan found socialising difficult, however, as he grew older he developed strategies to deal with it.

‘It was not necessarily entirely a detriment when younger, as I was able to study and work hard without social distractions when it mattered’.

Jonathan has been recognised as Junior Lawyer of the Year 2019 and the Open University’s youngest-ever honorary graduate.

To disclose or not to disclose

One of the great unknowns for neurodivergent law students is whether to disclose their neurodivergence on the application forms for jobs, and in particular, for training contracts. This City Solicitor has had a positive experience disclosing his neurodivergence and points out to two reasons why he has always done so. First, if you share with a potential employer your neurodivergence, you can request reasonable adjustments.

‘It is important to be open, as this allows you to request any adjustments, big or small, hard or soft, that you may require.’

Second, it allows you to take ownership of your neurodivergence, which for Jonathan means emphasise the strengths related to it.

‘For instance, problem solving skills due to having to deal with being wired differently at a young age, or the knowledge in an area that can ensue from having an autistic ‘special interest’.

Every employer will, of course, have a different process for hiring and offering training contracts. Jonathan can say with complete certainty that he was not negatively regarded by Reed Smith due to being open about autism.

‘Indeed, the firm recognised the benefits of hiring people who think differently, and not only did I get a training contract, but I qualified into the most in-demand department and never felt I was not on the same level as my non-autistic peers’.

Jonathan’s autism comes up with colleagues often through a conversation about a particular project or event he might be involved in or a news article, or an awareness day relating to neurodiversity and autism. Discussing neurodiversity in this way is constructive, necessary and helpful, as it ‘often prompts people to share their own experiences, more than many realise will have family members or friends who are neurodivergent, or will be themselves but may not feel comfortable being open about this until they see others who are able to see’.

Thriving at work

In order to thrive in his practice, Jonathan explains that it is essential for him to have clear instructions so that he understands what is being expected of him and what work to prioritise. As he points out, having clear instructions is in general also a good practice and helpful for team members whether they are neurodivergent or not. Therefore, every time he has any work briefing, Jonathan ensures this information is well-defined and unambiguous, ‘particularly as no two working days are the same’.

‘Work in media law is varied by nature and is full of peaks and troughs workwise, often changing daily rather than weekly or monthly’.

Being autistic has certainly allowed him to connect with clients on an additional level. It is not uncommon for Jonathan to come across clients with autistic family members such as children, and they will often request his advice once they have become aware that he is autistic. Jonathan shares with enthusiasm:

‘It is great to be able to assist on a personal as well as professional level.’

His knowledge and lived experience in the diversity and inclusion space has made possible for him to advise clients on their own D&I projects and obtain a seat on their senior advisory boards as a representative of Reed Smith. Jonathan’s holistic viewpoint has also led him to being appointed to the Law Society’s Equality Committee twice.

Awareness of neurodiversity in the legal profession

‘So neurodiversity has, is and will affect every business, firm and chambers whether they aware of it or not – and it’s important that the profession recognises that inclusion of people who think differently is not just a “nice thing to do”, but an imperative to make sure they are benefitting from as wide a talent pool, and the best talent, possible’.

The sad truth is that sometimes employers regard neurodivergent people as ‘weaker candidates’ because they consider there is ‘something wrong with the individual’. For Jonathan, employers should adopt a strength-based approach and recognise that ‘the multiple difficulties faced, at least by autistic people, are due to societal barriers, and that if these are removed, neurodivergent candidates can work on the same playing field as others and can often be stronger candidates due to the different perspectives we offer’. He further adds that this also rings true to many people with other disabilities.

As a member of the Law Society Equality Committee and the chair of the Commonwealth Children and Youth Disability Committee, Jonathan ponders on the awareness of what being a neurodivergent individual encompasses and the importance of early diagnosis.

‘Awareness of neurodiversity has been rising, and continues to rise, within the legal profession, but it’s important to remember that neurodivergent employees exist across businesses already– although many may not be comfortable sharing this openly, or be aware of their own differences’.

Awareness in this area is increasing and, at least from an autism perspective, is likely to continue to increase due to the amount of people being diagnosed at an earlier age from the 1990s onwards as well as those from Jonathan’s generation.

‘There is certainly more to be done to make clear what neurodiversity means to people, and to emphasise the importance of people finding out about their own neurodiversity, essentially how their brain works, as early as possible’.

When Jonathan is not advocating for neurodiversity in the legal profession, he goes for countryside walks and enjoys a good read.

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© Neurodiversity in Law & Jonathan Andrews

September 2020.

All opinions are of the individuals and not of Neurodiversity in Law.