Few events in recent memory have shaken the global community as profoundly as the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022. As the conflict moves into its fourth year, the human impact continues to be felt well beyond Ukraine’s borders. For Interlaw, a global network built on trusted relationships and shared values, the crisis prompted not only concern but coordinated action.

In the early weeks, Interlaw worked closely with Arzinger, its partner firm in Ukraine, to support lawyers whose lives and careers had been abruptly disrupted. Interlaw mobilised its community of independent law firms to identify opportunities for temporary placements, enabling affected lawyers to continue their professional development in safety.

Among the firms that stepped forward was Morton Fraser MacRoberts in Scotland.

“At a time of profound uncertainty, Interlaw provided the framework that allowed firms like ours to respond quickly and meaningfully,” says Martin Glover, consultant at Morton Fraser MacRoberts. “This wasn’t just about offering roles, it was about standing alongside colleagues from another jurisdiction and living the values that bind our network together.”

Morton Fraser MacRoberts created paralegal roles specifically designed to support Ukrainian lawyers who held law degrees but had not completed their traineeships and were therefore unable to practice law in the United Kingdom. Practical challenges were met with equal commitment: both the chief executive and chair at the firm personally offered accommodation under the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme, demonstrating leadership through action and reinforcing the network’s culture of solidarity.

One of the Ukrainian lawyers supported through this initiative was Yana Dychakovska, who arrived in Scotland in May 2022 under the most difficult of circumstances. Assigned to the firm’s real estate team, Yana quickly distinguished herself through her professionalism, resilience and determination. The firm continued to support Yana beyond the office, by helping her to register with a local doctor, open a bank account and settle in to her new life in the Scottish capital. Yet for her, this opportunity was never only about temporary safety, it was about building a future.

“Interlaw and Morton Fraser MacRoberts opened a door for me at a moment when everything felt uncertain,” Yana reflects. “The support I received both professionally and personally gave me the confidence to keep moving forward and to believe that my career could continue, even far from home.”

With encouragement from colleagues across the firm and guidance from the Law Society of Scotland, Yana undertook the demanding process of requalifying in Scotland while working full-time. Over two and a half years, she passed all 13 required examinations at the first attempt, ultimately securing PEAT 1 status and a place on the Diploma in Professional Legal Practice. She has since successfully earned a place on Morton Fraser MacRoberts’s graduate trainee program, where she will begin her traineeship in 2027. 

Yana’s journey is a powerful example of what the Interlaw community can achieve when collaboration extends beyond legal services to genuine human support. It reflects a network where independent firms, united by shared values, can respond collectively to global challenges, not only offering refuge in moments of crisis, but enabling long-term growth, opportunity and belonging.

Read an in-depth InterView with Yana and Martin here.