I want a career that is intellectually stimulating, involves working in a team and has practical application. Law emphatically ticks all of those boxes!
Why did you choose to train with Travers Smith?
There are three main reasons I chose to train at Travers Smith. The first is the calibre of the work. Simply put, Travers Smith is a law firm that wins great clients and wins awards. For example, my current department is Pensions and the team advises some instantly recognisable brands as well as playing a role in shaping new developments across the industry. The team is one of the best in the city - in fact, the week before I joined, the team won the Pensions Age Awards Pensions Law Firm of the Year!
The second is Travers Smith's reputation for high quality training. It is all very well having great clients and interesting work, but if all you are trusted to do is print documents then you don't have the opportunity to be involved with those clients and that work. Thankfully, trainees at Travers are not treated like Victorian children, who should be seen and not heard, but share rooms with senior lawyers and are given responsibility and trusted to help with exciting work from the beginning (with appropriate supervision, of course!). In fact, on just my third day, I found myself at a client's office with their in-house counsel helping them with a signing process for valuation documents.
Third, whilst there are other law firms that do high quality work and maybe even a few that give trainees as much responsibility from day one, I don't think any combine this with the environment at Travers Smith. The firm goes out of its way to make sure that everyone - lawyer and non-lawyer alike - feels like a valued part of a wider team and able to bring their authentic selves to work. Whilst some firms may hire a hundred trainees, my intake was around fifteen and, instead of candidates being a number on a spreadsheet, that means there is real thought put into not just who would make a good technical lawyer but who would make a good team lawyer – helping to preserve that culture.
Tell us about your training contract. What did/does this involve?
I am currently in the first seat of my training contract in the Pension's department (although I will soon be off to the Real Estate team). I will do four different rotations ('seats') over two years, gaining a range of experience in advisory, transactional and contentious work across a variety of practice areas.
What kind of tasks do you complete on a typical day?
Whilst it may seem like something of a cliché, it is definitely true that there is no such thing as one "typical" day. Tasks vary across departments, and in Pensions I have had the opportunity to be involved in advisory, transactional and contentious work. This has involved some deep-dive research into developing areas of law, drafting County Court documents and helping examine pensions aspects of corporate deals. I have also become involved in interesting Pro Bono work, looking into areas of law that I didn't at all expect. One case in particular hinged on who could give permission to exhume a body, and whether land was consecrated ground or not. Not something I had seen in Suits, but all part of life at Travers Smith!
What do you enjoy about being a solicitor?
I find my job very intellectually stimulating and highly satisfying. I love navigating intricate, often complicated, problems that have real world applicability, and being given the time and opportunity to discuss these problems with more experienced lawyers in my room is great!
What are the challenges?
When you start as a trainee it can be difficult navigating expectations. There are a lot of stories around long hours and high expectations, to the point that I'd almost begun to think lawyers worked 24/7 and never make mistakes. Obviously that is not the case, but it can take a while to sink in that as a trainee you are not expected to be the finished article, that there is a learning curve involved and that your work is reviewed by supervisors who are eager to help you along that curve.
How do you strike a healthy work/life balance?
It is important to have some time when you can switch off each day, even if you are really busy and it is something as simple as going for a short walk, run or calling a friend! Whilst sometimes a late night or weekend work will be unavoidable, the firm is also conscious of making sure lawyers work in a sustainable way and I haven't had to work over weekends so far in my training contract.
What three qualities are important for a career in law?
I think the most important quality is intellectual curiosity. Asking questions and being genuinely enthusiastic and interested is a great way of learning and getting ahead.
Emotional intelligence is also vital. All clients are different and whilst the quality of the advice we give doesn't change, the tone and phrasing when talking to an experienced executive on a commercial matter may not be appropriate when talking to a pro bono client about a personal one. It also helps when liaising with colleagues to be able to read the room; it sounds obvious but if someone is busy preparing for a long call with a key client, it probably isn't the time to ask what their weekend is looking like!
Lastly, I think resilience is important. The solutions to problems are often not obvious, which is why the client has asked us for advice, and I have found myself doing things outside of my comfort zone, including presenting. I have also definitely made mistakes! Ultimately, part of what makes a career in law so rewarding is that it is difficult, and part of what makes it so exciting is that it can be scary and resilience is important in turning difficulties into development.
Can you debunk a myth about working as a solicitor?
That a law firm is a place of rigid hierarchy, where one wrong look will get you banished forever! Whilst there are obviously different levels of seniority, I genuinely feel that all of the senior lawyers I have met want to help me succeed and are happy to answer questions and provide meaningful feedback.
What are your views on diversity in the legal sector. How can it better reflect the society it serves?
I think it is about not standing still and not seeing diversity as a box to tick but as a process that is deeply beneficial for all. Law firms are ultimately people businesses and, in a wider context where the benefits of D&I and CSR are under fire, I think that makes us well placed to make the point that diversity is not a privilege that only successful businesses can afford but is a key driver behind success and innovation in the first place. Diverse workplaces are better workplaces in every way and we all have a stake in a more diverse society. I hope, and believe, that the legal sector can be at the vanguard of that.
Tell us about an issue that is currently affecting the law sector/your firm.
I think it is hard to ignore the impact that AI could have on almost every sector, including the legal one. It is not an "issue" per se, but it certainly poses an interesting set of challenges and opportunities for the sector. The firms that successfully integrate AI into their business could gain an advantage and it will become a very important tool, but clearly there are risks involved and especially in the legal sector. Travers is definitely keen to utilize AI and to do so responsibly.
What are your career ambitions?
I wanted a career in law because I thought it would give me exposure to interesting work and interesting people and that's definitely the case and keeping that enjoyment of my work is probably my top career ambition.
What advice can you give to other aspiring solicitors?
In terms of applications, I would say make sure you understand why you are applying to a specific firm. Whilst law firms may seem similar from a distance, there are a lot of law firms with very different offerings and specialisms and taking the time to properly chart the landscape will help you hugely. Knowing why a particular firm is the right one for you is halfway to convincing that firm that you are right for them.
More generally, throw your hat in the ring! I cannot think of any other profession that offers such a wide range of exciting opportunities to be involved in stimulating work.
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