StructureFlow’s Post

It’s autumn in Lincoln’s Inn Fields and that means mid-season review for our trainee solicitors - that’ll be me this time next year. It got me thinking about the last 3 months and what I’ve learnt and been doing. I think one of the daunting parts of being a late career changer is uncertainty about the nature of work in your new profession. So, I’ve given some thought to what I’ve been doing since I joined Farrer & Co in August. I know I’d have found this sort of thing useful when I was considering my career change and didn’t really have the contacts in the right roles to ask. I’ve been involved with: - Producing speaking notes for conferences - Writing case summaries and articles - Making knowledge bank resources for the team - Analysing and displaying data in Excel - Producing slide decks - Researching points of law and writing up - Document filing and management - Bundling (yay Bundledocs) - Searching for documents in various systems - Drafting client care letters - Attending Pro Bono Week events - Attending learning sessions delivered by counsel on trusts law - Drafting instructions for experts - Filing documents with the court - Investigating legal tech options for the team - Helping with the smooth running of events - Presenting to the team on aspects of the CPR - Creating mind maps for different matters (yay StructureFlow) - Reading disclosed material and producing notes - Document weeding to remove irrelevant documents - Going to the pub with colleagues* - Spreading the love for collecting Avios* *Just to prove there is a fun side! It’s been such a wonderfully eclectic mix of work. Everyone has been so supportive and interested in helping me develop the skills and knowledge I’ll need going forwards. I’ve learnt a massive amount already and it’s only been 3 months.

❗ CALLING ALL ASPIRING TRAINEES ❗ It's that time of year again where firms are opening their applications for training contracts and qualifying work experience. Having been through it all before (many times), I know how daunting it is to face the never-ending applications, and how deflating it can be when you get that dreaded “we’re sorry to inform you that you haven’t been successful on this occasion” email, or don't get a response at all! It can be tempting to send applications into every law firm you come across that has a vacancy, and whilst I encourage keeping your options open, it's important to make sure that you're only applying for the firms that you genuinely have an interest in working at. It’s just as important that the firm is the right fit for you, as it is that you are the right fit for the firm. I strongly encourage doing your research into firms, and if you can, reach out to some current employees (especially current trainees) for an informal chat about their experience to assist you. As a helpful guide, myself and the other second year trainees at Wake Smith Solicitors have recorded a webinar to talk all things Wake Smith and have answered some frequently asked questions which you may find useful. If you are interested in applying for Wake Smith (which I would strongly recommend), you can access the content through the link below. https://lnkd.in/eTqQZcEV I am always happy to speak with aspiring trainees to share my experience in more detail, and if anyone is local, a coffee over lunch is always a winner for me! #lawyer #traineesolicitor #sheffield #trainingcontract

Trainee seat handovers - what is your process? ♻️ Every six months, trainee solicitors in the UK change departments to gain valuable experience across practice areas. ❌ Most firms have no standard process for work handover. Things happen via email or Word tables. This is clunky, inconsistent, and there is a risk that things get missed. ✅ Sophie Wright at CMS identified a better way - building departmental handover checklists in Lupl. 💯 The result? 100% of trainees reported a more streamlined handover. Learn more and see how your firm can streamline the process in our latest customer story! Watch the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gmQT42-i #LegalTech #Innovation #Lupl #CMS #LegalWorkManagement #TaskManagement

As a lawyer, especially a junior lawyer, it can feel like you are juggling many spinning plates. When joining a new practice (moving seats for the trainees) or a new matter, there is often no easy way to do a handover, much less an effective one. Frequently changing plans are tracked in static systems - using Excel or Word tables. This means deadlines can be missed and, frankly, cause unnecessary stress and anxiety 🤯. One area where #legaltech can have a real impact is in solving these persistent and commonplace issues. I'm excited to see that Sophie Wright is able to leverage Lupl to provide a solution. The initial efficiency benefits are great. But there is an 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝-𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭 for the firm as well. It cements the positive impact of technology for these lawyers straight from the outset, meaning they are more receptive to leveraging tech in the future.

I had a beautiful weekend away with my work family a few weeks back& here is a quick picture🥹❤️🔥 I just wanted to use this opportunity to share some of my takeaways from my journey as a trainee solicitor so far. ~Let every application you make be intentional. As humans, when we want something and struggle to get it, we tend to apply for anything and everything. However, through this process, I’ve learned that one intentional application is better than several unintentional ones. ~ It’s okay not to know how to do something. That’s the whole purpose of training. You are being shaped and moulded into a solicitor. So, if you don’t know something, make it known; if you don’t understand, ask for clarification. This will help you on your learning journey. Silence will cost you at some point. ~Build healthy relationships with the people you work with. One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most on this journey is the people I work with. I feel like I’m part of a family—they show great care and concern. This reminds me how important it is to carefully choose where you work or pursue your career training. It can make or break you. ~Don’t shy away from who you are, and don’t be afraid. People are often more willing to listen and accept you for who you are than you think. ~You need capacity. Capacity to work, but also to be present as a person—present for your clients, your colleagues, and yourself. This will ultimately improve the quality of the work you produce. #lawstudents #motivation #encouragement #criminaldefence #aspiringsolicitor #aspiringlawyers #legaladvice #Legalmotivation #traineesolicitor

At Shoosmiths, we know that talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn’t always accessible—and we want to change that. That’s why we created the Discover Vacation Placement & Mentoring Programme—a paid, mentored, and career-boosting opportunity for aspiring solicitors from under-represented groups. If you’re an aspiring solicitor from an under-represented group in the profession, this is your chance to gain real experience, boost your confidence, and take a big step forward in your legal career. This isn't just work experience—it’s your first step towards a training contract. Here’s what makes this programme stand out: ✅ A real trainee experience – You’ll work on live case files, attend meetings, and gain hands-on exposure to life at a top UK law firm. ✅ Dedicated mentorship – Before your placement even begins, you’ll be matched with a mentor who will support you all the way through to the training contract assessment centre (and beyond!). ✅ Financial support – We know that gaining legal experience can come with costs, so we provide: 💷 £100 grant to help with attire or other placement-related expenses. 💰 We are a Living Wage Employer, offering £475 per week in regional offices and £525 per week in London. ✅ Upskilling in the future of law – Throughout the week, you’ll develop key professional skills, explore how legal tech and AI are shaping the industry, and learn more about our commitment to ESG and responsible business practices. ✅ Networking & insights – You’ll connect with our lawyers and trainees, both in the office and in social settings. ✅ Fast-track to a training contract – No need for a separate application—completing the placement means you’ll automatically be considered for a 2027 training contract assessment centre. 📍 Where & when? The placement runs 7-11 April 2025 across our Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, and London offices. 📅 Applications close at 11:59pm tonight 31 January 2025. We believe that talent comes from all backgrounds, and we’re committed to making the legal profession more accessible. 📢 Ready to apply? Click the link in the comments! #Shoosmiths #LegalWorkExperience #TraineeSolicitor #LawFirm

One of the most tricky-to-manage aspects of your time as a Trainee Solicitor is the fact that, across the two years, you will do work for supervisors who seemingly each want entirely different things. I have yet to meet the Trainee Solicitor who was the best trainee that each and every one of their supervisors had ever trained. In fact, very often, the Trainee Solicitors who were perfect for one supervisor were somewhat run-of-the-mill for another supervisor. Why? My view is that, the more experienced a lawyer becomes, the more specialised they become. Not just in terms of the work they develop an expertise in, but the ways in which they work, and the expectations they have for those they delegate work to. As such, to be the ‘𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦’ for one supervisor, it would follow that you need to be specialised - an approach that doesn’t lend itself to flexibility in working for various supervisors. That being said, before this becomes an ode to ‘𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦’ (which are vastly outweighed by the positives), where all else fails there is something I have noticed that all supervisors have in common - 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆. In the beginning, supervisors seem infinitely both terrifying and wise, but it doesn’t take very long to realise that they are just brilliant lawyers who gave the work their all for years, and are now faced with a new set of challenges. Where before their challenges were 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 (i.e. how do I improve 𝒎𝒚 performance, how do I get 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 promoted), the challenges of a Partner shift to the 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 (i.e. how does 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒎 become more profitable, how does 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎 grow and develop). All of this, while still keeping on top of the same problems they had before. Believe me when I say they need your help just as much as you need theirs. If you can look at your situation through your supervisor’s lens, it's pretty easy to see why a trainee who is one step ahead of the game might be so sought after across the board. This might sound somewhat nebulous at the beginning of a seat, but as you become familiar with your supervisor, it becomes easier and easier to become an asset in this sort of way. Let's say your supervisor gives you a deadline of Friday morning for a draft letter, but as you get into the week, her Friday morning starts filling up with meetings. You reprioritise and get the draft to her Thursday midday, so instead of being up against it Friday morning, she has Thursday afternoon to review it. The main target for any trainee that loves their current seat is to prove to the team that it needs them long term. If you’re the kind of trainee that just gets things done, it becomes pretty difficult for them not to see you as an asset, and makes the case for you sticking around far more convincingly than words ever could.

What’s something I’ve really noticed a difference in from being a trainee solicitor to becoming an NQ? Taking my work just that one step further 🏃♀️➡️ There’s one thing asking your client “would you like a rent review in this lease?” and reporting on the entries for a property title. There’s another thing taking it one step further and advising on the benefits and implications of a rent review, and explaining what the practicalities are for the title entries. For the trainees out there, it’s easy to forget that some clients don’t speak ‘lawyer language’, when we are surrounded by other lawyers! By shadowing Darrell Aldridge on calls and by having that supervision, I’ve gained experience in considering 1) what does this actually mean for the client and 2) what options are available for the client to make the best informed decision? Clients are paying for our advice - take the dive by considering your clients circumstances and take your work one step further! It’ll make you a better lawyer. #NQSolicitor #TraineeTips #TakeTheDive 🤿

Just had an interesting thought... Congratulations to those trainee solicitors today who lose the "trainee" moniker and gain the "solicitor" title instead. Well done; it's been a hard and long road. But, all of those I know feel terrified of the responsibility and carry a heavy self-worth burden already. What if they don't measure up? What about mistakes and making errors? In any normal profession this is easily batted aside as a part of the learning process. Our juniors are qualifying into an incredibly tough stressful environment already where the perception is mistakes are punished by the regulator, rather than learned from. From this viewpoint I can understand each new solicitor's fear. it takes a tough old boot to be able to face a career like this; especially when today should be pretty joyful and encouraging day for our newest members embarking on their careers. My advice? do the best you can, be honest and act and speak with integrity. Own your errors, communicate them quickly and seek more experienced counsel (find a mentor early in your career). Ensure you do not "bluff" a legal response. If you don't know the answer tell them it's a "complex area of law" even if you were taught it on day one of law school and forgot it since. These principles have done alright for me so far. I've made mistakes, but the sooner they're recognised and owned, the smaller they become, and no regulator gets involved. Am I wrong?

Trainee Advice: Practical tips 🤦♀️ I made a fatal error yesterday in not including the help that more senior solicitors provide during the early years of your career!  So they have a starring role today in terms of the huge amount of practical help they (hopefully!) give you during the early years of the job. 👯♀️ 👧 It’s amazing how little you know when you start a traineeship.  I am incredibly grateful to the solicitors who taught me everything I know… you know who you are. 💞 🕸 Today’s mindmap word vomit is some practical tips and pointers on how to actually do the job.  Let’s be honest - I have failed at doing a lot of these over the years, but we are all just doing our best! 🏺 Soft skills tomorrow because they are the secret sauce 😀 🔗 Please like, connect, follow or share… a rising tide lifts all boats! ⛵ #law #lawfirm #legalcareers #trainees #traineesolicitors #careeradvice #mentoring #solicitors #recruitment #Scotslaw