Trainee solicitor — Rory Ibbotson

After achieving a BA in History at the University of Birmingham, Rory secured a training contract with Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD)

Why did you decide on a career in law?

At school, I found that my skills were in those subjects centred around written communication and making arguments. I followed my strengths into my degree in history but when it came to graduation, I knew I did not want to pursue a career in academia or research.

I had always imagined building a career in a reputable commercial profession and had family and family friends who had built strong legal careers.

With it being the year the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, I had plenty of time to consider my options and ultimately decided that law was what I wanted to go for, and my journey started from there.

Why did you choose to train with WBD?

I wanted to start my career at a reputable and established commercial firm, preferably in Leeds, with a range of teams and specialisms. It was important to feel like I had options to try out different sectors and disciplines and get the chance to take my career the way I wanted once I knew my preference.

I worked at WBD as a paralegal and liked the people, the work, and the culture. I felt very much at home here before I eventually got my in-house training contract. There is a healthy social side to the office and I also enjoy being part of its active CSR (corporate social responsibility) committee and initiatives.

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

I have just entered my third seat in the Intellectual Property team, having previously worked in the Public Law and Projects team and the Construction team.

My first two seats were more focused on transactions and completing deals and projects for infrastructure programmes and buildings, which required developing a good eye for detail, working on and negotiating commercial contracts, and an ability to understand clients and their commercial interests.

My Intellectual Property seat, by contrast, is focused on contentious work and requires more technical legal knowledge and an understanding of litigation strategy and discipline. I am looking forward to experiencing something different.

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

The kind of work I have done has varied from team-to-team and indeed from week-to-week. However, in general, I would expect to be assisting in drafting correspondence with clients and other parties, reviewing documents and providing analysis, and perhaps researching legal queries for clients and colleagues.

Despite what some people might imagine, working as a trainee solicitor is very collaborative and I would expect to be in contact with my supervisors and wider members of the team regularly to discuss any queries and matters. There is always support available should I need it.

How do you strike a healthy work/life balance?

By being super-organised and wary of my capacity and time management. It is a skill that has to be developed (and so I have sometimes got it wrong) but I try to remain hyper-aware of what matters I am working on and the outstanding actions I have (if any) on each.

This can take the form of a complicated spreadsheet or a rough written list but I have always found that tracking it all keeps me vigilant and realistic about my capacity and allows me to be more useful and clear with my team in turn.

I will also block out time in my diary to ensure I keep time free to complete things. If you look after and organise your time at work, I find the time outside of work is less effected.

What advice can you give to other aspiring solicitors?

Dispel any assumptions you have about what a solicitor should look, sound, and act like. There are obviously standards that must be met but in reality solicitors come in all shapes and sizes and everyone has their own styles, tastes, and ways of working. Don't worry too much about trying to fit a certain mould.

The same goes for any views or prejudices you may have on different sectors or areas of law. I had views on certain areas based on how much I did or didn't enjoy studying them. You find that in practice these things are completely different and the dynamic changes as soon as someone real is on the other end of the phone. You won't truly know what you do and don't like until you try it.

Find out more

• Discover how to become a solicitor.
• Explore the various areas of law.
• Read about law careers with Womble Bond Dickinson.