My training contract at Speechly Bircham

Laura studied Geography at Nottingham University before completing her GDL and LPC at College of Law, London. She attended the summer vacation scheme in 2006 before joining the firm as a trainee solicitor in September 2007. Laura completed seats in Real Estate Litigation, Construction & Engineering, Real Estate and Commercial Dispute Resolution and qualified into the Real Estate Litigation group in September 2009. Below is Laura's account of her first eight months at Speechly Bircham.

A summer student is currently sitting with me as I write this. She has commented on how friendly everyone is at Speechlys and how the working environment is both professional and at the same time relaxed. Being able to see my life through her eyes has made me sit back and reflect on my time here at Speechly Bircham, and do you know what? I have concluded that I am very lucky to be here.

I am not going to lie and tell you that I am filled with joy at the prospect of boarding the Central Line every morning or that everyday is a holiday, but I can genuinely say I enjoy my work and the people I work with.

I spent my first six months in the property litigation group. This is a relatively small group (two partners and four solicitors) and so I quickly felt like part of the team. My fears about feeling decidedly stupid or being chained to a photocopier were quickly put to rest, instead responsibility was awarded gradually and supervision was readily at hand. I was given a number of small files of my own to manage which meant daily telephone calls and correspondence with other solicitors, tenants and landlords. I also assisted others in the team with a wide range of more complex matters. Highlights include attending offices owned by our client with a High Court Sherriff in order to evict some trespassers and preparing for and attending a final charging order hearing on my own. Even as a trainee of barely a few months I was a trusted and respected.

I am now halfway through my second seat in construction and engineering which is a busy a vibrant group. The work is a fairly even mix of contentious and non-contentious matters, and the clients range from global engineering companies to private individuals. The team go out of their way to ensure that I am doing work which is interesting and fulfilling.

On the contentious side of things I am often asked to do discrete pieces of research and from there I often find myself drafting advice for the clients. It helps there are a wide range of matters, some of which are small and allow you to talk to the clients directly, and others which are bigger and you work as part of a team. I have learnt such a lot by observing and listening to others, especially in terms of client handling. The non-contentious work involves drafting documents and writing contract reports as well as assisting with the general administration of matters.

Here at Speechlys I feel like part of the furniture, I am already a fully fledged member of the sports and social committee and the netball team and I can greet most people by their first name. 

Looking back over the last ten months, I have had a range of good times at the firm both professionally and socially. I have had endless opportunities to get involved in interesting work and go out socially, to get to know both colleagues and clients. I am happy to say that if I were asked to make my choice again, I would not hesitate in choosing Speechly Bircham. The firm has given me the best possible training and exposure for my future career and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead.