Trainee solicitor — Catherine Hall

After completing the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), philosophy graduate Catherine studied the Legal Practice Course (LPC) with a part-time Master of Laws (LLM) before taking up a trainee solicitor role at Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD)

Why did you decide to study a career in law?

I have had an interest in law from a young age, but it's something I considered seriously when I was studying my A-levels at sixth form. During this time, I completed work experience in the Magistrates' courts in Newcastle, shadowing criminal lawyers.

I enjoyed the work experience, although I didn't know if criminal law would be for me and contemplated the idea of studying a law degree. I also found philosophy to be a very interesting subject and came to the conclusion that it was something that I was keen on studying. As well as this, I wasn't 100% sure I would enjoy a straight law degree, given that I hadn't studied it at school.

A family friend (who was training to be a barrister) advised me that it didn't matter what you did your undergraduate degree in, as there was always a possibility to convert this with the GDL further down the line. I found this to be an appealing route.

After giving it some thought during my degree, I still wanted to pursue a career in law. I had studied various modules on the origins of the legal system and their impact on society, and was fascinated by these topics.

I gained a great skillset from my philosophy degree, including an analytical and evaluative approach to work and strong written prose. I wanted to find a career that would align to this skillset and law seemed a perfect fit.

Why did you choose to train with WBD?

Growing up in the North East of England, WBD has always been a firm that has been on my radar. The firm's representatives often visited my school on career days, and then later at university, I attended their stalls at careers fairs to find out more information. When it came to applying for training contracts, I knew that I wanted to be within the realm of commercial law but still wasn't quite sure where I wanted to be based in the UK. I was keen on finding a firm with multiple locations that specialised in commercial law.

Following research, I found that WBD had a strong reputation across its departments and had an array of teams under its main business groups (Real Estate, Dispute Resolution, Private Wealth and Corporate & Commercial).

I therefore deduced that any seat I would undertake during a training contract would provide me with a great experience in the respective sector. By attending the careers fairs and speaking to WBDs' current trainees, I was able to gauge that WBD fostered a positive learning environment and all the trainees seemed to enjoy working there.

Further to this, I have always had a strong interest in community engagement, raising awareness about various DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiatives and volunteering and WBD takes its commitment to community engagement very seriously.

The firm gives each employee two volunteer days per year and employees are strongly encouraged to make use them. Additionally, each office has an office charity, whereby they aim to raise a certain amount of money per year.

We are recognised on a national level for our commitment to DEI and community engagement, and I quickly realised that WBD promoted a positive and inclusive culture that aligned to what I was looking for in a workplace.

Tell us about your training contract. What does this involve?

I am in the third seat of my training contract.

My first seat was with the Core Real Estate team, where I was working closely with the Developers & Investors team. I gained experience in the general workings of a commercial real estate transaction, as well as strategic land transactions, leases, licences and much more.

The second seat was with the Planning and Infrastructure team, where I was involved in some large energy projects and smaller transactions, allowing me to further enhance my transaction management skills.

I am currently with the Construction and Engineering team. This seat is split between contentious work and transactional work and I am looking forward to gaining experience in disputes work.

What kind of tasks do you complete on a typical day?

This depends on the team you are sat with. My daily tasks as a trainee are very broad and involve client meetings and calls, liaising with colleagues and solicitors at other law firms, drafting transaction documents, completing various matters or attending business development events.

As a trainee, you are tasked with a lot of proofreading activities, which is a great way to become accustomed to particular nuances of sector-specific documents, as well as researching a range of topics.

I feel as though all the tasks I have completed in each seat are helping me to develop a varied skillset. As mentioned, you are also encouraged to take an active role with the firm's DEI initiatives. Throughout my training contract so far, I have organised fundraising events and attended meetings with our Community Engagement committees.

How do you strike a healthy work/life balance?

It is very important to set personal boundaries in order to maintain a healthy work/life balance. In my experience, there is an expectation that you will put in the hours and hard work when this is necessary, but that you also shouldn't be working yourself to exhaustion.

I usually aim to get into the office for about 8.30am and aim to finish at 6pm, and I haven't had to work at weekends during my training contract. WBD definitely encourages a healthy work/life balance and as trainees, we are encouraged by our HR team to take a full lunch break and use a wellbeing day when necessary.

It is really important to factor in time to do things you enjoy and that will make you feel good. For example, I aim to go to the gym or go for a run before or after work a few days a week, play netball, and make time to meet my friends for dinner etc. These are all things that help me to keep a clear mind and remain in a happy headspace.

Can you debunk a myth about working in law?

One myth in the legal industry is that law firms are hierarchical and partners are unapproachable. Although there is a hierarchy in place at WBD, this is rarely felt. The supervisors and partners I have worked with have all been very approachable and friendly, and have taken a genuine interest in my learning and development as a fee earner. I have never felt intimidated or scared to ask a question - regardless of how silly I felt it was. This, in itself, speaks volumes about the culture that WBD fosters.

What advice can you give to other aspiring solicitors?

For those hoping to receive a training contract offer, keep being tenacious, strive to work hard and don't give up - but also recognise how far you have come to get to this stage, and give yourself credit. Rejections can be really tough to face when you want something so much, but they are also really useful in helping you to understand what you can, and should be doing differently in the next recruitment cycle. It is important to persevere, but also be realistic and streamline your applications to firms you can genuinely see yourself aligning with and working at, rather than just applying everywhere.

Once you start your legal career, remain open-minded and try not to have preconceptions about certain seat choices. There is a good chance you will do a seat in an area that you may not want to, but you might find that you really enjoy the work. Even if you don't enjoy it, you will still be able to draw some positives and learn a lot from every opportunity you are given.

Find out more

• Discover how to become a lawyer.
• Read more about the reality of working in law.
• Consider a career at Womble Bond Dickinson.