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Three months into your training seat, the words mid-seat review (MSR) can sound intimidating. New trainees may worry that it will be a moment of intense scrutiny or unexpected criticism. In reality, the MSR is far more constructive, and any feedback you receive should never come as a surprise. It offers a rare chance to pause, reflect on your progress, and proactively shape the remainder of the seat.
Although every firm structures their trainee review process slightly differently, the purpose is broadly the same: to ensure that trainees are developing the core competencies required for qualification and are gaining the experiences they personally want from each seat. In many ways, the MSR meeting is as much trainee-led as supervisor-led: a reminder that the training contract is your learning journey. It is a process that works best when trainees take an active role, steering the conversation.
Preparing for your MSR
At Michelmores, trainees are asked to complete a form in advance of the MSR reflecting on their experience so far, by reference to a number of competency areas. With chargeable work taking priority, it can be tempting to treat this as a quick administrative task. However, approaching it thoughtfully will make the MSR more valuable. Starting your preparation two to three weeks in advance allows you to gather a fuller range of examples, rather than relying on whatever comes to mind in a hurry.
Keeping a running record of tasks, feedback, and reflections is invaluable here. Trainees at Michelmores maintain weekly training logs, but even personal notes or simple bullet points can serve the same purpose. These records enable you to track the full breadth of your work and spot patterns in the feedback you have received – something which is extremely difficult to do from memory alone.
Highlighting your experience and core competencies
A helpful way to prepare is to compile a list of matters that best demonstrate the range of work you have undertaken so far. The aim is not to catalogue every single task, but to show:
- the breadth of work you have undertaken
- the skills you have developed
- the colleagues you have worked with
- any emerging themes in your work or feedback
Doing this gives your supervisor a clear picture of how you have developed and prompts discussion around what you might focus on next, whether that is gaining exposure to particular specialisms within your team, building confidence in certain skills, or working more closely with different fee earners.
Just as important is being open about what you have not yet had the opportunity to do. Supervisors cannot offer opportunities they do not know you are looking for. The MSR is one of the best moments in the seat to discuss these gaps constructively and plan how the second half of the seat can fill them.
Setting your own goals
While supervisors will often raise areas for development, identifying goals yourself shows self-awareness and a proactive approach to learning. You might want to strengthen a particular skill, such as drafting, file management, or client communication. Alternatively, you might want exposure to a specific type of work you have encountered only briefly.
If there are particular areas of law or certain types of matters that interest you, the MSR is an ideal forum to raise them. Even where opportunities are limited, supervisors can often signpost you to colleagues who may be able to involve you in future work.
A helpful mindset is: If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Trainees who express their interest usually find that opportunities follow.
Final thoughts
The MSR is not about demonstrating perfection; it is about demonstrating progress. Trainees develop most quickly when they approach feedback with openness and curiosity. Where constructive feedback is limited, asking gentle questions such as “What could I do to take this further?” or “Are there areas where I could be stretching myself more?” can provide valuable insights.
Supervisors are there to guide, support and challenge trainees, not to criticise. Ultimately, the MSR is a chance to look back on your achievements, recalibrate, and ensure that the second half of your seat is as enriching and varied as it can be. This is your learning experience, and the MSR exists to help you make the most of it.