The book opens with a heart-to-heart with a trainee.
I was in my early years as a supervisor. Surprised by the deeply inelegant presentation of some research – strange, non-standard fonts, bits cobbled together from online legal resources and no sub-headings (gasp!) – I was trying to understand why this might be, for the benefit of both of us.
Trainees are bright, ambitious, ready to get stuck in. I was puzzled by what I perceived to be a lack of professionalism.
The answer was obvious, once said out loud.
“At law school we had examples of every form you could ever want to fill in, but working with people and working out how it’s actually done in practice is…it’s a learning curve. I’m trying to find out what different people like, how they want the work done, and to put those messages together.”
Absolutely, I thought to myself; I wonder if I can help? And the seed was sown.
I spoke to many trainees during the writing of the book. Unanimously, they agreed that in advance of turning up on their first day, what’s lacking is information about the training period itself.
Firms are good at describing the work they do and the sectors they specialise in, major firms are generous with their vacation schemes which provide a snapshot of a legal life, and many firms provide financial support for the academic stages of training. Yet there is little to no up-front discussion about how the on-the-job training – such an important part of the route to qualification in the UK – is intended to pan out.
This book goes some way to filling that gap.
Setting out advice based on almost 20 years of experience in supervision of trainee solicitors, paralegals and other staff, it’s also a work of imagination. It invites anyone considering or embarking on a career as a solicitor to imagine themselves in that role, informed by a description of what training typically involves and brought to life through Alex, a fictional trainee, as she navigates her four seats of training.
Like top-level athletes, current and would-be trainees having read the book will be in a position to visualise their early career trajectory, to their advantage. More comfortable with what’s coming, they will perform better with increased confidence and focus.
The book looks at the first day, induction, the role (and importance) of the trainee in the legal hierarchy before moving on to explore how to approach work, colleagues, clients, and what to consider when approaching qualification. While it takes its cue from the structures found in a commercial firm, the advice readily translates between firms and experiences of training. Whatever the practice, my intention is that readers gain a valuable understanding of the expectations on entering professional legal life.
At its heart, the book is written to be an extended chat over coffee. The kind you might have with a supervisor or fellow trainee, asking: “How did you do it?”
Tom Proverbs-Garbett is a solicitor and management consultant who has spent many years working with trainees and, of course, was once a trainee too.
