Training Contract

Background

I first studied History at the University of Nottingham as I had always thoroughly enjoyed the subject at school and it was, by far, my favourite A Level subject. Throughout my time at University, I attended a number of Law Fairs and was a keen member of the Pro Bono Society, taking part in numerous volunteer legal-based initiatives within the local community. I enjoyed attending the Law Fairs and hearing about the different types of work and firms available. This sparked my interest in Law and in my final year of university, I contacted local law firms to enquire about informal work experience placements. I was lucky to secure a weeklong placement in January 2019 where I spent time across a variety of departments, ranging from commercial and corporate to landed estates. I discovered very quickly that commercial work appealed to me far more than areas such as Family or Wills and Probate.

By the time I graduated in July 2019, I felt confident that a career in Law was for me, but I still wanted to gain further experience before embarking on the Graduate Diploma in Law (‘GDL’) and Legal Practice Course (‘LPC’). Therefore, I decided to take a Gap Year to travel, get further work experience placements and volunteer at my local Citizens Advice Bureau.

Secure in the knowledge that Law was the right career for me and with further experience on my CV, I began to apply for training contracts throughout Spring 2020 and was extremely lucky to be offered my training contract in August 2020, which would commence in September 2022 following my subsequent completion of the GDL and LPC.

Why did you apply to the firm?

I knew very early on that I wanted to apply to firms with a smaller trainee intake. I know that I thrive in smaller settings and felt that I would not only perform better but feel more appreciated in a firm with a smaller intake.

I was also drawn to the variety of seats offered at the firm and the opportunity to experience the key commercial areas of law I was interested in. From my research into the firm, I felt very confident that I would be a good fit.

Application Process

The application process was well organised and I felt very supported throughout the entire process.

After my application was successful, I was invited to an initial interview with a member of the HR team and a Senior Associate. Due to COVID, I was interviewed via Teams. I was asked a range of commercial awareness questions as well as questions about myself and my application. I remember feeling as though the interviewers were genuinely interested in what I had to say and seemed to want to get to know me, as well as assess me, which I found very refreshing.

I was successful at the initial interview and invited shortly thereafter to attend an assessment centre a couple weeks later, which was held entirely on Teams as it took place during the first lockdown. The assessment centre was naturally quite intense, but I enjoyed the range of tasks. There were a variety of individual, group, legal and non-legal tasks. As I had not yet begun my GDL studies at this point, I was reassured that being a non-law student would not hold me back and that I wouldn’t be expected to know key legal terms, which I found very reassuring.

The final stage of the process was an interview with two partners, where I also had to present on a topic I was given in advance. Again, as with every stage of the process, I felt that the partners interviewing me wanted me to do well and seemed genuinely interested in my opinions when asking questions about my presentation.

I came away from the process feeling very positive and was delighted when I was called two days later to be offered a Training Contract.

My Training Experience

My first seat was in Real Estate from September 2022 to March 2023. I felt I was eased into my responsibilities at the start and then gradually given more responsibility over time. By the end of my seat, I enjoyed the level of responsibility and client contact I was given and felt my skills and confidence had grown massively.

I am now in my second seat in Corporate and am enjoying the range of tasks I carry out including drafting legal documents and contracts, research, managing data rooms and running the initial Due Diligence process on new deals. I feel very valued as a trainee and as though my efforts are appreciated.

Background

My route into law was fairly linear, beginning with an LLB in Law at Leeds University. Before starting my degree, I spent time as an intern in various law firms in Nairobi, where I’m from. During these placements, I  was able to gain insight into the inner workings of Corporate and Family Law firms. I soon realised that I preferred contractual and commercial matters. Ultimately, I looked forward to the cross-jurisdictional work that I could be a part of with this type of law. I chose my university electives according to this but sought out new subjects such as Intellectual Property and Media Law. I developed an interest in the processes that took place when certain rights were infringed and began to think about a career in contentious work. Soon after, I completed my LPC followed by a Master’s in Law and then joined the firm as a Trainee in September 2022.

Why the firm

I was drawn to the firm because of its reputation for being a leader in litigation and the interesting and high-quality matters that it was a part of. I particularly liked the fact that despite being a smaller firm, some of the work undertaken extended beyond the United Kingdom’s borders. The smaller intake was equally appealing as I wanted to be more than a face amongst the masses. I have always wanted to work in an environment where I can get to know my colleagues and vice versa.

Application Process

The trainee application process began with an initial interview which felt more like a conversation than an interview per se. I was encouraged to ask as many questions as I wanted, which allowed me to learn more about the firm and beyond what was available online.

My assessment day involved a variety of exercises, which included a presentation on a topic of my choice. This allowed me to talk about something that I was passionate about and not necessarily legal. It was a great opportunity to demonstrate my research and presentation skills but also emphasised the firm’s commitment to try and get a well-rounded view of me as a candidate.

My final interview was held by two partners. I was asked a range of competency, commercial awareness and general questions. Small details of my application were referred to, which made the interview feel personalised. By the end, we were talking about the theatre and our personal best times for running 5 kilometres. Although a daunting experience, I was made to feel at ease and was excited about the prospect of joining the firm.

My Training Experience

I am now in my second seat in the Corporate department, having finished my seat in the Real Estate department a few weeks ago.  I have already worked on both M&A and ECM deals and had direct client contact. The work has been varied and despite being challenging at times, extremely interesting. Real estate was an altogether different pace, but equally enjoyable. I sat in on client meetings and took charge of several completions. Altogether, I have felt supported each step of the way, which has been instrumental in my development.