Find out more about Sophie’s experience with qualification and how she is finding life after her training contract. Finding the right firm, which compliments you as a person and as a future lawyer can make those Monday mornings worth getting up for! After completing my summer vacation scheme with DWF the decision was a simple one – I left itching to get started and knew this was where I needed to be to get my career off to the best possible start. It was the people which attracted me to DWF, it was obvious to me that people enjoyed their jobs; felt supported as well as challenged and had fun whilst doing it. My expectations were not disappointed once I started my training contract and I soon felt right at home. I completed seats in Corporate, Commercial, Employment, Litigation as well as a commercial secondment at a large UK retailer. Within the two years I received a wealth of knowledge and experience from my supervisors and was encouraged to become involved with all aspects of the firm; this included running the netball team, taking part in CSR initiatives and mentoring programmes and organising firm events including the firm Christmas party and client seminars and training. Experience on qualification At the end of my training contract I was fortunate enough to be offered an NQ position in the Employment team. As the team partner gave me the good news I was over the moon and I felt that the whole firm was behind me which was such welcome support. The transition from trainee to qualification can often be quite daunting but DWF manages this process so it is seamless. I was lucky enough to be selected to go on a second secondment soon after qualification, which offered be invaluable ‘client side’ experience and allowed me to have a high level of responsibility and to be a representative of the firm. On return from secondment I was able to start developing my own case load within the employment team. The level of supervision I receive within the team is second to none, and you never feel unsupported or out of your depth. My supervisor is conscious to keep pushing and challenging me, which has allowed me to develop my technical ability as well as my own personal confidence. I now have responsibility for my own files, which include tribunal matters and I have recently completed a two day hearing for one of our largest retail clients in which I provided the advocacy. Typical day I usually get into the office around 8:30am depending on how busy the team are – this gives me enough time to get a cup of tea and complete the day’s to do list. I check my diary to see what the day has in store and catch up with my supervisor on my current work load. A large proportion of our job is dealing with tribunal claims on behalf of our clients. Preparing for a tribunal case demands a high level of organisation as your work is structured by tribunal deadlines. It is important to 1 structure your case clearly from the beginning which involves organising the bundle of documents, arranging meetings with witnesses and discussing strategy and tactics with the client. A lot of clients make the most of our employment helpline service, which can mean that you are dealing with a variety of queries on a daily basis. Even after qualification there is no such thing as a stupid question, and the team often all turn our chairs around to discuss together a particularly complex or unusual issue – which is often where I learn the most. As well as chargeable work, a proportion of my time is spent on non-chargeable matters. Most recently this has included running DWF’s netball team, launching lunch time yoga sessions as part of our health and wellbeing programme and preparing lunch and learn sessions within the practice group. What the future holds As I approach being one year qualified my focus is now on improving my technical ability within the practice group. I hope to use the opportunities available to me to raise my internal profile within the firm and develop my advocacy skills at Tribunal. I am already looking forward to the next stage in my career and feel comforted knowing that my team are behind me every step of the way. Tips for students Don’t ever under estimate the importance of being yourself. Developing the technical ability of being a solicitor is often learnt on the job, but being able to get on with people, being comfortable with clients and working as part of a wider team are skills that are highly valued at DWF and it is these attributes you need to show off. Good luck, Sophie… 2