Client SecondmentsHow to make the most of your in-house

experience

Alternative Routes into LawMore than one way of become a lawyer

Interview with Weightmans LLP

Contents

Summer 2016 Edition

Welcome

Get to know the LJLD Vice-President

Alternative Routes into Law

Interview with Weightmans L&D

Client Secondments

LJLD Great Gatsby Ball

LJLD Annual Charity Quiz

Welcome to Issue 6 of the

LJLD Magazine

A belated welcome to Issue 6 of the LJLD magazine for 2016,

a place where you will see updates and reminders about our

numerous events throughout the year, as well as the thoughts

of our Committee members about life as a junior lawyer and

the profession in general.

A farewell to 2015

We had many successes in 2015 and ended it on a high note

with our Great Gatsby Ball! It was fantastic to see so many of

you there at our events.

However, I have some goodbyes to say. I would like to say

goodbye and a huge thank you to those committee members

that left us this year: Fiona, Delcinea, Andrew, you will all be

missed and we hope to see you our events this year. We

would not have achieved everything that we did in 2015

without the hard work, time and effort expended by the

Committee.

I would also like to thank all those who sponsored us throughout 2015;

all sponsorship is greatly appreciated and helped us massively in

putting on the many successful events last year.

A brand new committee

A new year also welcomes new members to our committee and we

are pleased to welcome six new members to our committee this

year: Luiza, Stacey, Vicki, Raman, Terri-Sian and Shaziya. You can

read more about our committee and their legal backgrounds on our

committee page on our website.

Also, keep an eye out on our blog where our new committee members

will be posting regularly to allow you to find out more about them and

their work.

A successful 2016 so far

Hopefully some of you reading this blog will have already attended

one of our events this year.

Our first event was a “welcome” drinks evening at the Exchange Bar in

January 2016, which was hosted by SaccoMann. We had a great

attendance at this event, which was enjoyed by all and it was good to

introduce a new sponsor to our members. We look forward to working

with SaccoMann going forward. We should have some photos of that

event on this website very shortly, but please let us know if you took

any photographs of the event that you would be willing to share with

us.

We have also held talks from Bygott Biggs and Blusource aimed at

helping trainees secure positions as Newly Qualified solicitors over the

summer and attendees at both events found the talks very helpful.

Our most recent event was a cocktail night at 33 Cank Street in April,

kindly sponsored by Bygott Biggs, where we had some lovely cocktails

and nibbles as well as a cocktail making demonstration by Kal from

Cank Street.

By the time you are reading this post, we will also have held our

Annual Charity Quiz. This year, all profits from the event will be going

to Wishes4Kids. It is a wonderful local charity that grants wishes for

children and young people in Leicestershire who are life limited,

terminally ill, have experienced life-changing physical or emotional

traumas, have suffered major abuse or are diagnosed as HIV

Positive. We hope to see many of you there and hope that you will be

generous in purchasing raffle tickets to support the charity and win

some great prizes.

Future Events

Our next event will be a Summer Drinks Party/BBQ at Hotel

Maiyango on 1 July 2016 so please contact Sarah Herbert to book

your space at what promises to be a great event.

Our Annual Ball is taking place this year at St Martins House on

Friday 18 November 2016 and we are very excited to announce that

the theme this year will be Bollywood. So save the date and further

details will follow shortly.

We are also planning a few more events later in the year, including a

Careers Talk from Blusource on 12 October 2016 which will be aimed

at those looking to progress in their career. More details on this

event will follow soon.

However, please do let me or any of the Committee know if there are

any events you would particularly like us to put on and we will take

this into consideration when planning our next events.

How to keep up to date

In general, however, don’t forget to check our website, Facebook and

Twitter to keep up to date with what we are doing and any events that

we have planned. You can also keep up to date by joining our mailing

list by emailing membership@ljld.co.uk, which will allow us to send

event information straight to your inbox!

The 2016 Committee look forward to seeing you at one of our

events soon!

Gail

Get to know LJLD Vice President, Sanjit Atkar

Hi Sanjit, can you give us a summary of your legal career?

I studied LLB Law with Criminology at Nottingham Trent

University and by the end of my degree I knew I wanted to

continue my career within the legal professional. I completed the

Legal Practice Course at Nottingham Law School. I then spent

two years working in house as a Legal Assistant before joining

BDLS Solicitors as a Paralegal which lead to me training with the

firm. During my training contract I did seats in Private Client,

Litigation, Employment and Family. I qualified as a Solicitor in

September 2015 in the Litigation department.

What attracted you to a career in law?

I wanted a career that I would find interesting and give me loads

of opportunity for learning and progression, as well as something

that would make me think outside the box. I really enjoyed

studying the law modules on the degree and developing my

practical skills on the LPC. Gaining experience at firms confirmed

that a career in the law was a good fit for me.

What do you most/least enjoy about your career and why?

I most like the variety of work I undertake as it keeps me on my

toes and there are situations when you really don't know what's

coming next. The least enjoyable parts are the tight Court

deadlines, they’re never fun- especially when they involve

evenings spent in the office!

What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue a

career in the law?

Gain as much experience as you can! Becoming a solicitor can

be an expensive and lengthy process and you need to be sure

that this career path is right for you.

Non-legal experience can be just as invaluable as it can

demonstrate you practical abilities such as time-keeping,

organisational skills and communication skills. I have found that

firms like to take on individuals who have wider skill sets and are

generally well rounded.

How important is business development?

When I was a student I used to hear the phrase ‘commercial

awareness’ being thrown about a lot when making training

contract applications. It wasn't until I joined private practice that I

truly appreciated and understood the real importance on it. At

BDLS, due to the fact that it's a new firm, we are generally

encouraged to promote the business and develop brand

awareness. We regularly attend networking events and hold

client seminars which gives me a chance to meet other local

professions and make contacts.

What is the best thing about being on the LJLD Committee?

I initially joined the junior lawyers division because I wanted to

meet other young lawyers who were at the same stage of their

career as I was. I found it comforting talking to others who are

going through the same things as me. Being on the Committee I

enjoy organising socials and giving young professionals in

Leicester a chance to meet each other, discuss current affairs

and some aspects of networking too!

What would you do if you did not do law?

I think I may have been a journalist as I am told that I talk a lot!

Alternative Routes into LawVictoria Teece

I am a solicitor at Charnwood Borough Council with just over 1year PQE.

My route to qualification was not conventional. I never wanted towork in private practice and had aimed to complete my LPCthen train as a Legal Advisor to the Magistrates’ Court which is acombination of a training contract and on the job training.

However, as life never turns out as planned when it came tocompleting the LPC the Country was going through therecession and recruitment to the civil servant sector was shutdown. I had to explore what other options were available to me.

At the time I was volunteering at my local Citizen’s AdviceBureau in Staffordshire as a generalist adviser. My bureaumanager advised me about Law Centres and that theysometimes offer training contracts.

Given that I really enjoyed my work at the CAB and the fact thatI found it frustrating that I never got to fully progress the cases Idecided to look into Law Centres and the work that they do assecond tier advice centres.

I got in touch with Coventry Law Centre and applied for theirvacancy.

I was offered the full time position and moved to Coventry. I

worked as a Housing Caseworker for 2 and half years. I joined

the Monday after my last LPC exam, having never studied

housing law.

Whilst at the law centre I was offered training and support and

came to be a knowledgeable and respected person in my field. I

represented clients at the County Court, ran my own case load of

80 or more files and operated the duty solicitor scheme 2 to 3

times a week for rent and mortgage possessions. I also worked

with the local CAB, providing training on housing updates and

operating a weekly advice surgery.

The hours were long but the work was very rewarding. My day

consisted of client meetings, taking instructions, drafting;

pleadings, defences, counter claims and appeals, liaising with;

the Council, private registered providers and private landlords

and representing mine and my colleagues’ clients at Court. I

worked on possession matters, disrepair matters, housing benefit

matters, anti-social behaviour matters, homelessness/housing

options matters, unlawful eviction matters and harassment cases.

After 2 and a half years the Law Centre were not in a positon to

offer me a training contract, following the changes to legal aid.

Again I had to look at my options, I still didn’t want to work in

private practice and considered whether I would want to work in

local government.

Whilst I felt bad that I was switching sides, I believed that by working

at the Council I would be able to make a difference in a different way.

I already knew how to defend matters and thought that it would be an

advantage to have someone who thinks like that on the other side.

The training contract came up at Charnwood Borough Council and I

applied. Given all of my experience at the Law Centre I felt confident

that I met all the criteria in the personal specification.

My excitement at being invited for interview and later being offered

the job was off the charts!

Generally the Council only advertise training contract vacancies as

and when they have the budget and a need for it. Therefore they do

not always start at the beginning of September to coincide with

completion of the LPC.

My training contract at the Council was extremely well planned. I

completed 3 seats of 6 months. I applied for time to count so that I

could qualify in 18 months instead of 24 months due to my previous

experience at the Law Centre.

I completed a litigation seat first, then property and planning and

finally I was seconded to Weightmans to the Corporate Team. The

whole training contract was underpinned by Local Government Law.

The Council has over 500 employees and any of the employees up to

and including the Chief Exec can request legal advice on any issue

affecting the council. Among these issues is the interplay of politics,

reputation and doing the best for the local community.

During my litigation seat I was able to represent the Council in the

Magistrates’ Court. This is unique to Council Trainees as the rights of

audience are different for officer of a local authority, meaning that I

could prosecute on the Council’s behalf.

Whilst I was at Weightmans I learned about contracts and

procurement. The range of mattters I was involved with ranges from

acquisitions and mergers to advising charities, schools and local

authorities on setting up or altering company structures. I had the

opportunity to cover all aspects of corporate work that enabled me to

develop a number of skills.

My time at Weightmans has altered my perception of private practice.The breadth of the areas and the circumstances of each matter arewide reaching, interesting and occasionally surprising. Thesecondment allowed me to experience a different work environmentand make a lot of professional connections. I could not think of abetter opportunity to have had in the lead-up to qualification.

Since qualifying I have built on the areas I covered in my trainingcontract but have also had the opportunity to cover new areas. I havebeen seconded back to Weightmans, to the employment team to trainin settlement agreements, I also take on some licensing matters andhave taken up the role as data protection officer.

The Council is a completely different environment to Private Practiceand this is something I am keen to share, especially with ourupcoming work experience placements. The Council has provided mewith so many opportunities to grow and expand my knowledge andskills. I have been able to take on many new and exciting projectsboth within and outside the Charnwood Borough Council with otherCouncils, firms and partners.

Interview with Denise Wright, Learning & Development Manager at Weightmans LLP

What is your job role and how long have you been with Weightmans?

I have worked within the firm’s Learning & Development team for nearly

seven years. I am an early careers specialist, so a large part of my role is

working closely with our trainee solicitors and apprentices from recruitment

through to qualification.

How is the trainee recruitment process structured?

We run an annual recruitment programme with applications opening in

December each year.

You can apply for a trainee solicitor role directly; if successful, you will be

invited to a half day assessment in August. However, you can also apply via the

summer vacation scheme, and if you are successful you will complete a week

of paid work experience with the firm. This is a great way to get to know

Weightmans and also for us to get to know you, as you will be placed within a

team for a week to experience real work and what life as a trainee with the firm

is like. If you impress during the week, you will be invited to attend the trainee

solicitor assessment centre at the start of August. Successful candidates from

the assessment centre are offered a position as a trainee solicitor starting in in

2018.

For either route you can go to our website and fill out an online application

form; following this you will be invited to complete a preference questionnaire

and situational judgement tests, which take around one hour to complete. The

applications for this year’s summer vacation scheme closed at the end of

February; however, the direct applications are open until 17 July.

How many training contract vacancies do you have and howmany applications do you normally receive?We recruit 18 trainee solicitors each year, and we recruit two years inadvance. This time allows for the future trainee solicitors to completetheir studies and LPC, (if they need to), so we accept applicationsfrom students who are in the second year of their law degree, or thirdyear of a non-law degree, onwards. We usually receive in excess of1200 applications each year. Do not allow the high numbers to put youoff though! If your application is well written and you have spent a lotof time and thought on it, you stand a good chance of standing out.

What tips would you give to students who want to break into thelegal profession?Do some work experience so that you can get a feel for differentworking environments and the type work you would be doing. If youare interested in becoming a solicitor, summer vacation schemes arean excellent way of doing this. Spend a good period of timeresearching what different firms have to offer and decide on a fewfirms where you think you would enjoy working the most. Then submita good quality, well thought-out application, rather than simplyapplying to as many as you can. Do not undervalue your transferableskills from any jobs you have held and responsibilities you have heldas a student. The ability to work well with others and offer excellentcustomer service are invaluable skills to a trainee solicitor, so makeconsider this when completing any applications.

What do you look for in a potential trainee?All of our trainee solicitors are different and bring their own uniquestrengths and experience to the role; however, there are a number ofshared characteristics which they hold which we look for in theapplication and assessment process. They have a good level ofcommercial awareness, a strong client focus and are academicallystrong. We are very proud of our retention rates, and they areprobably high partly because we recruit people who are committed toour firm and want to stay and develop their career with us.

Any tips for the assessment centre?Do your research on the firm and prepare for your interview bygetting familiar with your CV. Try to remain calm and be yourself.People often get nervous and try to race through their interview whichcan lead to silly mistakes or rushed answers. Use the day to find outabout the firm, their culture and the trainee process, so prepare a listof questions which you would like to ask.

What are the most common mistakes you have seen candidates making?At the application stage we receive a very high number ofapplications which lose marks for spelling mistakes, grammaticalerrors and going over the word count! Spend a good amount of timeon the application and make sure you check over it. We only ask oneopen question, so we expect the answer to be of a high standard andcontain some original thought.

Are there any opportunities at Weightmans in terms of alternative routes into the legal profession?We are flexible in accommodating different pathways to qualification to ensure that the talent within our business can be developed. We have an established further education programme to support those working towards CILEx qualifications and in 2013 we introduced legal apprenticeships into the business. We are proud to have been the first law firm to employ a level 4 legal services apprentice and are looking at ways to expand the programme in 2016. We are currently reviewing our trainee process in preparation for the proposed changes by the SRA in 2018.

Client Secondments

Sarah is a trainee with Spearing Waite LLP currently onsecondment in-house with a large FTSE 100 company.

How is working on a client secondment different to working in private practice?

It’s really good experience as a trainee because you basicallyhave direct contact with the client at all times. As a trainee inprivate practice, depending on whom you’re working with,what department you’re in and what kind of firm you’re at, youmay not have very much contact with clients, particularly atthe beginning of your training contract. When you’re on clientsecondment, you have direct contact with the client the wholetime and you have responsibility for particular matters.

How is the work different?

Working in-house is completely different to working in privatepractice. In private practice, there is a danger of giving the‘legal’ answer to a problem rather than appreciating what thebusiness needs. In-house, the legal position rarely comes intoplay. The commercial position takes a much greaterprecedence on decision-making, so I am often giving practicaladvice with a legal background in mind.I have no billing targets or time recording targets, there is a much greater emphasis on just getting the job done!

What are the most important skills you’ve gained from thisexperience so far?

Prioritisation and staying calm. Sometimes it feels like your to-dolist is getting far too long and it can feel overwhelming. Managingmy own workload is one of the most valuable things I’ve learnt;another is the value of keeping advice to clients brief.

Do you feel your client secondment has enhanced yourcommercial awareness?

Definitely. Commercial awareness is a pretty broad term, but whenyou’re working for a particular business, you get to learn thecommercial issues surrounding those processes.When you’re providing legal advice in-house, it’s generally moreimportant to provide a speedy, commercially sensible answer thana lengthy academic one. The person you’re providing it to probablyisn’t a lawyer and doesn’t really care about the case law behind theanswer you’re giving. You just need to provide a response in plainEnglish that protects the business’ best interests and points them inthe right direction.

Would you recommend that other trainees take advantage ofclient secondment opportunities?

If one’s on offer, then it’s definitely worth doing. The main reason fordoing a client secondment, from a trainee’s point of view, is theincreased responsibility that you will be given and the direct contactyou will have with the client.

LDLD Great Gatsby Ball 2015

The LJLD Annual Ball 2015 went back to the 1920′s

with a Great Gatsby theme sponsored by Bygott

Biggs, Wesleyan, PSG, Cambridge & Counties

Bank and RSM.

Annual Charity Quiz

On Thursday 26th May the LJLD annual quiz took place atChutney Ivy restaurant in the hub of the cultural quarter. Theevent was sponsored by Sacco Mann, Property Search Groupand Wesleyan who were in attendance on the night.Professionals from around the city came together to raisemoney for local Leicester charity, Wishes4Kids.

The evening started with a welcome drink for each attendeewhich consisted of the Chutney Ivy signature drink ‘blue-ini’(ablue Bellini!) in honour of City’s recent title win! Once all teamswere seated, the starters were served to ensure that all teamswer e recharged and raring to go!

The quiz was kicked off by the Quizmaster for the night whichwas former LJLD President James Popplewell. The nightcertainly put everyone to the test with questions on currentaffairs, general knowledge, sports, music and even a round onhow well do you know Leicester!

After everyone had enjoyed the delicious curry, Sacco Mann andWesleyan announced the winners from their prize draws kindlydonating a bottle of fizz and shopping vouchers. In addition to this,local businesses had been donating prizes for the LJLD raffle. Luckyattendees won Sister Act tickets at the Curve, vouchers for TheExchange, David Lloyd passes, plenty of restaurant vouchers andmuch more!

A massive thank you to everyone who attended and generouslydonated, we managed to raise over £500 for Wishes4Kids! This isour best year yet! We know the money will go a long way for thechosen charity.