Time as a legal trainee has a paradoxical feeling; it is both fleeting and long, overwhelming yet rewarding, thrilling, and daunting. We asked a few of our legal trainees to think back and anonymously share their experiences and memories from their journey with law so far.
This is what they shared:
“…nothing was more difficult than having to draft letters using voice tapes and a foot pedal at the first firm I worked at. My boss would record her drafting notes using a Dictaphone and some cassette tapes, I would then receive the recorded tapes, pop them into the cassette, and use the foot pedals to go forward or rewind while listening to the recording. By the end of the day, my legs would shake on the drive home. As old school as it was, my typing speed improved tremendously.”
“When I started my first ever role as a paralegal, fresh out of university, it was during the Stamp Duty holiday. It certainly meant I was thrown into the deep end in the conveyancing world, but it made me realise how much I loved the fast-paced environment of the property department.”
“Pace as a Trainee Solicitor can be really varied. For example, when attending Court, you never know how long you might be there; some Judges really take their time to get to the bottom of a case and you will be taking notes for a lengthy period so as to not miss anything important. In contrast, I once attended Court for a Residential Possession action matter. Before we even had a chance to sit down in front of the Judge, he began firing questions at my boss. Within 5 sentences being uttered, and in under 2 minutes, Judgment was given in our favour with all costs being awarded to our client. We did not even get a chance to take note of the dates in which possession was ordered before the Judge bid us farewell and ushered us out of his Courtroom!”
“ In my first paralegal role, I worked for a small town firm and I was asked to draft and send letters to clients that hadn’t settled their legal fees, being new to the firm and the online filing system it took some getting used to but I soon got the hang of it, until my boss got a call saying ‘I’ve received a bill from your firm regarding my divorce but um…you represented my wife not me’ I was kindly asked to stop drafting the letter but did bring in three thousand five hundred pounds worth of outstanding legal fees for the firm.”
“Looking back there’s only one thing that I would have done differently, get involved in law sooner, don’t wait until you graduate. Navigate every opportunity to observe, participate, and be put in situations that will challenge you and your legal knowledge.”
At Lamb Brooks we have a motto of “Brightest Minds, Biggest Hearts” and our trainees are at the centre of this as they pave the way for change and growth at Lamb Brooks Solicitors. We always welcome CVs of candidates pursuing a career as a solicitor, if you are interested please email your CV to Clare Galvani at clare.galvani@lambbrooks.com