James Roe

First year trainee, James Roe provides his top five tips for anyone starting their legal trainee contract.

• What attracted you to a career in law? A career in law is something I only considered after leaving University. I wanted to find a career that was both intellectually challenging and gave the opportunity to work with a variety of people. A career in law offered the chance to work on numerous problems in an interesting and constantly changing sector.
• How did you prepare yourself for starting your training contract? I worked as a Paralegal for about a year and a half before the start of my training contract. I found it useful gaining some experience working alongside lawyers and developing a better understanding of the legal sector before starting as a Trainee.
• Describe your experience of integrating into your first seat? We had a few days of inductions when we started at the firm and met our supervisors before beginning our first seats. The team has been supportive, and everyone is very approachable. There is an understanding that you are not an expert at the start and are encouraged to ask lots of questions to help you develop and learn. There were team events, such as the Annual Family Party, which helped me integrate into the team quickly.
• Since starting your training contact, what have been your highlights? I have already had the opportunity to work alongside my supervisor with a range of HNW clients. We also had the Annual Family Party and the Associate Drinks which were great fun!
• What would be your top five tips to anyone in their first week of their training contract?
  • Be confident;
  • Introduce yourself to people and meet as many people as possible;
  • Don’t be scared to ask for help;
  • Ask questions;
  • Think how you can add value to your team!