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Throughout a training contract, you undertake four six-month rotations (or ‘seats’) across the three practice areas: Business, Real Estate and Private Client. While you may think that these areas are very different, it’s surprising how much overlap there is between seats.
Skills I gained from my first seat
In my first seat, I was in the Private Property and Landed Estate’s team (PPLE) which is a non-contentious seat. During this seat I carried out a variety of tasks including drafting transfers, reviewing leases, preparing reports for clients and attending client meetings.
Being a first seat trainee, I had to learn how to use the IT systems, organise my workload and communicate with clients and colleagues. I got a broad exposure to the different types of property including high-value residential and agricultural land as well as restructuring and trust work. By the end of the 6 months, I felt like I had a good understanding of the processes and was able to show proactivity by predicting next steps.
How I have applied these to my current seat
My second seat has been in the Family team, where I have done a mix of contentious and non-contentious work. Moving teams, I wasn’t expecting there to be much crossover with the work I had just done and thought it would be something completely different to get my head around.
The legal framework did take some getting used to, but I was very surprised to find that many of the tasks between the two teams were similar, just within a different context. For example, in PPLE I was drafting pre-contract enquiries, and these are very similar to Form E questionnaires in Family. Both are drafted in a similar way and for a similar purpose – to obtain further evidence from the other side. Equally letters of advice on prenuptial agreements and financial consent orders are a very similar style and format to a report on title or a contract and transfer report.
It has been very useful to understand property law as much of the work in Family involves a family home and other assets which need dividing between parties on separation. Being able to read a title register and understand the implications of different entries and restrictions has been very beneficial. During my first few weeks in the Family team I was asked to find out if there was an overage (a provision allowing for a seller to benefit from any future uplift in the value of the land) on the title for the marital home. From my seat in PPLE I knew that this was not always stated on the title, and so I looked at the original transfer where I was able to find details of the agreement.
Aside from the technical skills that I gained in PPLE, I realised that I had also improved my soft skills such as communication, organisation and proactivity. I have found it much easier to predict how long tasks will take and I have improved my communication with my supervisor and other members of the team. I feel much more confident asking for help when needed and I can clearly communicate the things I am finding difficult, or where I need more support.
New skills I have gained in the Family team
Being in a contentious seat I have gained a greater understanding of strategy, and how you can adapt your approach based on the client’s aims. Different members of the team have different types of clients and so adopt different approaches. It has been beneficial to learn how to tailor my own style based on the context of the matter and that there is no ‘one size fits all’.
I have also had a lot of client contact through attending hearings, direct correspondence with clients via email and dealing with new enquiries. Given the nature of Family work, this often involves finding the right balance between offering emotional support and keeping the client focused on the task at hand. I have also greatly improved my ability to explain complex concepts, such as cross-jurisdictional enforcement, in client-friendly language which will be valuable in all my future seats.
Family is very fast paced, so I have developed my ability to switch between matters as priorities often shift throughout my day. Being a second seat trainee, I have also been given more responsibility in certain matters, often being asked to do the first draft of documents such as witness statements, lead communication with clients and consider and undertake next steps.
Looking ahead
My next seat will be in Transactional Real Estate (TRE) so I will be returning to property work. It will be interesting to see how the skills and knowledge I have gained in Family will apply to TRE and what new skills I can develop to take with me into my final seat.
Whether my final seat is within the business, real estate or private client sector, the legal knowledge I have gained, and will continue to gain in my next seat, will provide me with strong foundations to build upon.
Key takeaway
Each seat that you undertake helps you to build your knowledge and improve your soft skills. While you may not always be able to get your top choice, every seat is a learning opportunity and you may be surprised how much each seat builds on the last.
Now halfway through my training contract, I am looking forward to my final two seats and developing my skills even further ahead of qualification.