Diary of a Trainee Solicitor: One Month In

My Training Contract at a criminal defence firm in London

It is hard to believe that it has already been over a month since the commencement of my training contract at Hallinans Solicitors. Time has moved quickly, which is so often the case at a busy criminal defence law firm in central London.

It is so easy to spend time getting caught up in the route to obtaining a training contract; LPC or SQE? Do I try to secure a Vac Scheme? How do applications for a Training Contract Work? I know I was guilty of this. When you secure a training contract it feels as though you are finally there, and ever so briefly, as though you can relax. Then reality sets in that this is, in fact, just the very beginning of it all.

One of the most exciting parts of being a Trainee Solicitor to date is having such an active involvement in cases; instructing and briefing Counsel, instructing experts, attending Court, and regularly meeting with clients to take instructions and draft proofs, bail applications, mitigation statements, and applications to Court thereafter. I am immeasurably shocked by how much there is to learn, and how much I have learnt already.

Another, more trivial but nevertheless memorable moment of my training contract was when I arrived at the office on my first morning and did the long-awaited task of changing my email signature from Paralegal to Trainee Solicitor, which was of course mere moments before calling myself a paralegal on the phone.

No day is ever the same as a Trainee Solicitor

There is no possible way to give a succinct explanation as to how each and every one of my days will shape up to be. This is part of the reason why life at a criminal firm is so interesting. Someone can get arrested at any given moment, or something will arise which requires your attendance at Court. The phone could ring with something urgent, and these situations can shape your day, week, month, or sometimes your year.

What recently started off as a planned day reviewing papers and drafting letters in the office turned into a full day at the police station with my colleague assisting two clients who had been arrested and detained since the early hours of that day. On another occasion one of our cases was suddenly listed for an important Mention hearing to hear a long-awaited application in relation to an important EncroChat case which meant that half of my day was spent at Court with Counsel.

What I enjoy most is being a part of a team where everyone is expected to contribute something important to a case. Being unable to hide behind photocopying, printing, or filing means that the focus is on feedback, training and development. What I have learnt so far as a trainee is that there is no such thing as bad feedback. All of it will make you a better lawyer, and it is important to get comfortable with that quickly. There is a vast amount you cannot learn through the LBB, GDL, LPC or SQE. A lot of the role of a criminal defence solicitor involves more than legal knowledge alone, it requires judgment, confidence, and diplomacy. These are skills each and every one of my colleagues excel in which means that I am receiving invaluable training on a day-to-day basis.

There is also the human element of the profession. Our clients often do not spend their days immersed in criminal law like we do. They are often scared or angry. The work of a criminal defence solicitor requires a soft touch and a gentle hand, which is something you cannot be taught through books. The solicitors I am trained by have a vast range of experience in client care and each of them teach me something new every day.

Supervision and Training at Hallinans

My supervisor is the Managing Director of the firm, which means my training is exceptional and I get to oversee a vast range of high profile and important cases that are  endlessly interesting. It was not long ago that I was in Court for a murder case, and a trial in relation to the first prosecution under Russian Regulations where we secured an acquittal. I also work closely with the other solicitors in the firm, and I enjoy collaborating on cases and having the opportunity to lend my ideas for the progression of the cases I assist on.

This is not to say that cases have to be the first of their kind to be interesting. I recently assisted one of the solicitors at our firm in relation to a Magistrates’ Court matter where our firm were instructed shortly before an important hearing. I thoroughly enjoyed getting stuck in immediately, throwing my all into case preparation which resulted in a favourable outcome for our client.

As our firm assists in matters ranging from police station interviews, Magistrates’ Court cases, Crown Court cases, matters in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, I have experience doing something foreign to me on a near daily basis.

Reflections on being a Trainee Solicitor one month in

Criminal law is not a one-man band and I continue to be blown away by the overwhelming support around me from seasoned lawyers who breeze effortlessly through that which I am just starting to grasp. Each and every solicitor around me at Hallinans always have a moment to lend me their ear and give me some advice, or proof read something I have drafted.

There are plenty of opportunities for me to see my colleagues in social settings as there are regular office days out. I recently had the privilege of doing the London Legal Walk alongside my colleagues where we had a fun afternoon chatting and walking for a great cause which raised over £900,000.

Over the next few months of my training contract I am excited to embody my role fully and look forward to my increased responsibilities, and learning to call myself a Trainee Solicitor. I am excited to take more notes, to embrace my training contract and ask more questions.