A Day in the Life of a Trainee Solicitor

We recently caught up with Bright Network member, Nii Lante, to chat about how his career is going. Nii Lante has been working as a trainee solicitor and told us about his personal experience of what a day in the life of a trainee solicitor is really like. Read on to learn what a trainee solicitor does and whether it’s the career path for you.

What does a trainee solicitor do?

Solicitors are a type of lawyer. Unlike barristers, solicitors typically don’t go to court and argue on behalf of their client there. Instead, they build up a case with their clients and speak on behalf of the client to an opposing legal team. Solicitors typically work on civil legal cases which vary from criminal legal cases where the client could be imprisoned. As a trainee solicitor, Nii Lante is learning what it’s like to be a solicitor and gaining the skills and experience needed to work in the profession.

We started by asking Nii Lante to reflect on working as a trainee solicitor.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned since starting?

You need to want the most for yourself. As soon as you do, you gain more opportunities and work harder for what you have. This makes everyone else happy too because you’re putting more effort in. That really changed things for me.

Is there a task or project that you’ve worked on that’s stood out to you?

Yes, but it’s confidential, so I can’t tell you!

The working conditions of a trainee solicitor

Trainee solicitors work within the legal team being mentored and trained by the qualified solicitors. The type of work they do depends on the firm or department they work in, as the speciality will vary between them. The amount of responsibility a trainee solicitor is given will increase as time passes and you prove that you’ve got the skills to handle what they’re giving you.

We asked Nii Lante about what it’s like working as a trainee solicitor.

What has been the highlight so far?

There’ve been quite a few! Usually, trainees don’t get to go to trial in my department, but I’ve been able to go to three which is very unusual. I’ve also been able to draft work that goes out directly to the clients from start to finish which is also quite rare. To get to these levels, you have to prove you’re good enough and it’s great to see that the progression is palpable within the six months I’ve been there.

What’s the culture like?

It’s really good. City law firms can be quite daunting because everyone there is successful and smart, and you want to be like those people. But I’ve found everyone’s really approachable and that’s what I like the most. I can ask questions and they don’t feel silly or like I’m bothering someone.

What was one thing that you didn’t expect when working at the company?

I didn’t expect there to be so many different personalities in the same firm. We all think there is an archetypal solicitor, but everyone is so different and from different backgrounds. It’s very diverse. This was the most surprising.

A typical day in the life of a trainee solicitor

The legal sector in general is known for being demanding, and working as a trainee solicitor is no different, especially in big law firms. You may have a large workload requiring long working hours and weeks to keep up with. This can be quite demanding, but you learn a lot in a short period of time because of it. We asked Nii Lante to take us through what a typical day in the life of a trainee solicitor is like, from the tasks he completes to the interactions he has with supervisors.

What is the first thing you do when you start working?

I check my emails to make sure I know what I’m getting myself into! Make sure I’m prepared for what I’m going to see!

What do you do throughout the morning?

I get my to-do list. I’ve got three to-do lists: my urgent one, my midweek one, and my long-term goals. I sort my tasks into these categories and then get working. There are quite a few tasks to do every day. My department is quite big and I’m working with several supervisors, so I have to be organised because they don’t know what I’ve got on.

As a trainee, your day is organised based on your supervisor. Recently, I haven’t been as involved with client meeting and doing more drafting. I like to do my drafting early in the day so my supervisor can check it. No one wants to receive work at the end of the day! That way I can get my feedback early before I go home.

How you could become a trainee solicitor

To reach the trainee solicitor position, you typically need a law degree, or legal training. This gives you a good baseline understanding of lots of areas of law so you can apply it to what you learn as a trainee. However, to become a qualified solicitor, you’ll need to get through more exams to prove that you’re ready. Therefore, the road to becoming a solicitor requires real dedication and persistence.

We asked Nii Lante for his advice on how you can become a trainee solicitor.

What top three tips would you give Bright Network members looking to follow in your footsteps?

Take every single opportunity you can! Before I started networking, I wasn’t getting replies to my applications and was getting a lot of rejections. When I started spending time at networking events and meeting people, I got more support and access to opportunities.

Speak to people. The people you work with have advice that they can give you and learn from it.

Want the most for yourself.

Have you been inspired by Nii Lante? Are you considering working life as a trainee solicitor? Explore the current jobs in law and read our solicitor job profile to find out more!