My first week as a Trainee Solicitor
As I arrived at JMW's offices for my first day as a Trainee Solicitor, I was understandably both nervous and excited. As an external candidate, you would assume I would not know anyone within the firm. Fortunately, any concerns I may have had were alleviated as far back as the interview process. During the interviews, I had befriended another applicant who had also been successful in their application, and we remained in touch whilst we awaited the start of our training contract. It was reassuring to know that I already had a friendly face sharing my experience.
Our minds were also put at ease by James Povah, our committed and friendly Emerging Talent Lead, who had been in close contact with us in the months leading up to our start date. In addition, a couple of weeks before my start date, JMW arranged for me to meet with my Trainee Supervisor, Jonathon Enston, and his current Trainee, Mark Copparelli, for a coffee.
All of these exchanges put my mind at ease and assured me that I was about to join a law firm that cultivates and prioritises a welcoming and friendly environment for new starters.
Monday:
On our first day, we received a very warm welcome and induction from HR in the boardroom before being provided with our shiny, new IT equipment. We had lunch and were then introduced to our James Povah, Elspeth Kinder (Training Principal) and Amy Shaffron (London Training Partner). The afternoon was spent getting to know one another via a series of icebreaker activities and learning about Elspeth and Amy's own experiences as Trainee. After this, we were all taken to Australasia for food and drinks along with the Partners and Second Year Trainees. This was a great opportunity to get to know one another in an informal setting, and it really helped us get to know all the trainees and the senior management as people rather than just by job role.
Tuesday:
Upon arrival on our second day, we were greeted with a breakfast buffet. After this, we received some training from the marketing team about social media and personal branding. I found this workshop particularly insightful. Many law firms focus primarily on the business's branding; however, with JMW, the emphasis is on their people, clients, and the local communities within which we operate. This is something that has very much inspired me to think about the associations that come to mind when someone thinks of 'Lauren Deeley Risk' as a professional in law. One of the reasons I have decided to post this blog is that it details my first week as a trainee.
We then had a workshop with Newly Qualified solicitors about their training contract experience. Last but not least, we received a talk and Q&A session from Mark Yaffe, Elspeth Kinder and Chris Sutton. This talk really impressed upon me the extent of the open-door nature in the firm. Mark, Elspeth and Chris were all unbelievably friendly, approachable and most importantly, kind. (No, they've not bribed me to say that!)
Wednesday:
Wednesday was my first day with my department, Business Crime and Regulation. I must have had the most exciting first day in trainee history! It was all systems go and I attended Sheffield Crown Court to back our Kings Counsel and Junior with my supervisor, Jonathon during a very interesting trial. It was a learning curve for me to see the different advocacy style used in criminal law as opposed to family law, the sector within which I had been a paralegal for nearly 4 years.
Thursday:
On Thursday, I had my first office day working in the Business Crime and Regulation Department team. I attended client appointments with my supervisor, Jonathon, who has been incredibly supportive and thoughtful. The meeting that stood out to me the most was one where two partners with different specialisms cross-collaborated to provide the client with advice, working together with their individual expertise to leave no stone unturned for the client. In the afternoon, we attended Inquest Training with Lincoln House Chambers at Manchester Hall. This was followed by drinks and canapés at a bar right beside our office in Spinningfields.
Friday:
Friday arrived, and I couldn't believe how fast the week had flown. I began the day by attending a court hearing via video link to assist our instructed King's Counsel. At lunchtime, I met several other Trainees for a catch-up and even managed to bag some free ice cream that was being given out outside. The rest of the afternoon involved me drafting various documents and correspondence and getting organised for next week. The working week ended with a glass of celebratory prosecco with my fellow Trainees. After all, we are week 1/104 weeks down in our training contract!
Final thoughts and reflections:
Even though JMW had already left me with an exceptionally positive first impression, my first week affirmed my first beliefs about the firm's culture and how I would fit into it. I have felt incredibly supported by Jonathon, who has a genuine interest in my development as a trainee and ensured exposure to interesting and novel work from the get-go. I have only seen a fraction of the exciting and high-quality work the Business Crime Team at JMW are involved in daily.
I look forward to continuing to challenge myself and learning from such a talented group of people throughout the next six months.
Thank you JMW for such a warm welcome. I very much look forward to seeing what the rest of my training contract has in store!