Trainee Solicitor

Description

The training programme is a seamless blend of formal classroom training and practical work experience. The first two weeks of the training contract covers general orientation of the firm’s work, familiarity with the systems and resources available for various activities, and general office and management skills. Seats in different practice areas can be for three or six months.

Trainees will definitely do a seat in corporate, commercial and finance, and one seat where they can gain contentious experience. Other seats are allocated by choice. These might include working in specialist practice areas, or returning to general practice units such as corporate law. The specialist areas where seats are available include: real estate, tax, intellectual property, environment, energy, employment and I.T.

There are very few openings for overseas placements since the firm has only three other offices outside the UK. However, a trainee could get seconded to one of Slaughter and May’s alliance partners in other countries.

In each seat, trainees will sit with an experienced solicitor or partner, actively working on tasks relating to the supervisors workload. Work can include drafting agreements, visiting courts for minor filings, attending meetings with clients or carrying out research. Progress is reviewed every month by a partner and a more formal appraisal is conducted at the end of the seat.

Other classroom training throughout the contract period will cover: legal and technical skills, developments and changes in law and commerce, negotiation & presentation skills, advocacy and client management. Trainees are required to complete their LPC at the BPP School of Law in London; and from now on, if you are being sponsored by the firm, you will even need to complete the GDL at BPP; but you can do this at any BPP branch in the UK.