Five Crucial Factors To Consider In Choosing A Training Contract Firm
Practice areas
This is certainly one of the most crucial issues for you to asses as part of the process in choosing a training contract firm.
There is a huge divergence between studying the law and practicing it. As a law student, it is simple to believe that what you learn at university will correspond to the workplace. You may not find the books and lectures of a particular subject particularly interesting, but the same subject may be much more lively and exciting when you are out in the field and working on real cases.
Where as firms may have departments that cover all practice areas, each department will be a different size and contain its own reputation within the industry. Whether you are finding to work in Corporate, Real Estate, Finance, Litigation, Employment, Incentives or Competition, doing your study about the different departments within your potential firms will help you decide the most excellent ones to apply to. It will also give you with priceless integrity when it comes to the interview stage. You will most likely not be certain the accurate combination of seats that you would like in your legal training contract. However, you can’t go too far wrong if you have chosen a firm whose major training areas match those that you are involved in.
Client base
The profile of a firm generally corresponds to the profile of its clients. Some people prefer to work with high profile organizations, but will usually have to contendwith [spin]commerce with people from [spin]altering levels within the organization. Smaller clients give you a chance to work more directly with the key people and your input will be more visible.
Size
The training areas and client base of a firm are very good predictors of its size. Firms range from commercial law practices working with major global corporations to high-street firms more accessible to the general public. Of course, there are many exceptions to the rule. Look closely so you won’t be surprised later on.
Large firms bring their own disadvantages as well benefits. The larger a firm is, the more likely it is to take on a huge number of trainees. A high profile firm can bring your CV strong brand value. On the other hand, if you are working for a smaller firm, there will probably be fewer trainees. This means that you will most likely have more interaction with skilled solicitors and various levels within the firm.
Place
For most training contract applicants, the chose boils down to the simple question: “Do I go to London, or do I work for a local regional firm?”
It is a little of a personal choice, with insinuations that will influence the quality of life and your work. The largest firms are based in London and the legal market which circles the capital’s financial services industry is one of the most profitable in the world. This translates into higher average pay packets for London solicitors. Aside from the careers benefits to choosing London, trainees can enjoy all social and cultural activities that the cosmopolitan city has to offer.
However, the cost of living is higher in London and you will have to content with the traffic and rush hour crushes in the tube. Working hours are often longer at London firms and you may find a more appealing work-life balance at firms outside of the capital. The choice is, as always, yours.
Training structure
Traditional law training contracts structures place trainees in fixed position times in different departments. But, there are variations in terms of the position time, number of departments to be rotated through and the amount and type of work completed in each department. If you are undecided about which training area you want to work in when you meet the criteria, you may want to apply to firms which will place you in many different departments during your training contracts in UK.
Filed under Legal Matters