Robert T.
About me
| Robert T. | |
| Mathematics | |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | |
| Undergraduate | |
| 2009 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Associate | |
| Clifford Chance | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Legal services | |
| 2013 | |
| £39000 | |
| £70000 |
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A day in the life of a Associate in the United Kingdom
Associate solicitor for Clifford Chance
My career history
Upon graduation I did the Teach First Leadership Development Programme and worked as a mathematics teacher in Leeds for two years. I was made acting Head of Department in my second year, and managed a team of around 10 people.
Courses taken since graduation
MA in Education, Graduate Diploma in Law, Legal Practice Course
Where I hope to be in 5 years
In August 2015 I will qualify as a solicitor. I am hoping to stay working for Clifford Chance for the foreseeable future and continue developing my skills.
My advice to students considering work
Attend as many recruitment fairs as possible and speak to employees of the company. Attend open days/insight days if they're offered. Focus your applications so you spend a lot of time on them and fully understand the firm to which you're applying.
Decide what area of law you are interested in, and then which firms practice it. Attend as many open days/insight days as you can to get a feel for each firm (they have quite distinct cultures). For corporate law, you need good business acumen and need to be up to date with business developments (read the FT or the Economist, for example).
Spend a lot of time on each training contract application, and do not give up if you get a few rejections!
What I do
The training contract ("TC") at Clifford Chance is broken down into two seats (or rotations), each of six months in length. At the beginning of the TC you elect which areas of the firm you hope to gain experience. The main practice areas are Finance, Corporate and Capital Markets, with other departments such as Litigation, Real Estate and Tax.
As a trainee solicitor my tasks are varied depending on the department in which I am working. Typical tasks can involve transaction management, such as maintaining a CP (conditions precedent) checklist, liaising with the various parties on a deal or managing the signing/closing of a transaction. Other tasks involve drafting (either adapting precedents or free-hand drafting) and legal research. On smaller transactions it is possible to have a more client facing leadership role, where you are responsible for moving the deal forward and liaising with all of the parties.
Skills I use and how I developed them
Extracurricular skills:
Communication - this is developed through constant contact with colleagues in the office, and client contact through emails, telephone calls and meetings in person.
Attention to detail - this is developed through drafting documents or emails, proofing the work of senior lawyers and reading through other documents to spot the important issues.
Legal knowledge - my legal knowledge increases each day through the work that I am doing and from being taught by senior lawyers.
What I like most
The work is very engaging and intellectually stimulating. There is a lot to learn and this involves a steep learning curve at the beginning of each seat (rotation). I enjoy working with my colleagues, as they are the best in the industry.
What I like least
The unpredictability of the hours can be frustrating at times, as it makes it difficult to make concrete plans during the week.
Next steps...
If you like the look of Robert’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Robert a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Robert to be your mentor.