Nicola Edmondson Relates Her Experience As A Barlow Robbins LLP Trainee
“Endless photocopying, trial bundling, late nights and making the all-important tea”. This is what I could expect from life as a trainee, according to friends who were already trainees at mainly City firms. Needless to say, the prospect of this did not fill me with joy! However, I can honestly say that my experiences at Barlow Robbins LLP have proved that this could not be further from the truth.
Having done work experience in City, medium sized and high-street firms, I decided that whilst a City-firm salary sounded good, being a just another number in a huge entity did not appeal – I’d like people who I passed in the office corridor to know who I was. And whilst the intimacy of a high street firm appealed, I wanted a wider variety of work. So I decided a medium sized firm just outside London, with a wide range of expertise and high quality work would be the kind of firm for me. I also wanted the opportunity to get as much hands-on and varied experience as possible. So Barlow Robbins LLP fulfilled my ‘wish-list’ when I was applying for training contracts.
In the run-up to my training contract, Barlow Robbins LLP provided me with opportunities to get to know the firm before I started, by inviting me to the summer and trainee parties. Being able to have a glass of wine and a chat with my future colleagues definitely broke the ice - I discovered that one of the Partners had as much of a passion for motor sports as me and we spent the evening chatting about engines! Allowing future trainees to get to know people in advance made the first day of work a lot less daunting and reflects the firm’s friendly character.
I am currently in the first year of my training contract. If I had to characterise the Barlow Robbins LLP training experience in one phrase, it would be ‘learning by doing’. There is an expectation that trainees will get involved in every aspect of a deal. Yes, there is an element of the dreaded photocopying, but that is a very tiny part of what I do. Partners here do not just expect trainees to sit and watch and listen, they expect us to get our hands dirty as well. What all this means is that we get real experience in our training contract, which is extremely valuable in equipping us for qualification. Some people look at their training contract as something that needs to be completed before the business of being a ‘real’ lawyer can begin. At Barlow Robbins LLP you are treated as a ‘real’ lawyer from day one.
From the very beginning of my first seat, which was in the Commercial Property department, I got involved in the nitty-gritty of transactions. I drafted documents, had client meetings and saw several matters through to completion. I am now in the middle of my Company/Commercial seat, where I have been very involved in some high value acquisitions. In my first week I was given an entire business sale agreement to draft, which was challenging and rewarding. The assortment of seats on offer also means that trainees get to experience a wide range of work.
Lastly, and very importantly, I should mention the social side of being a Barlow Robbins LLP trainee! Because we are a relatively small trainee group, we are a tight-knit one, which is encouraged and supported. I am currently in the Guildford office, and it is not uncommon for us to have regular trainee lunches and Friday nights out. In addition, we have a trainee forum, which is a good opportunity to discuss all aspects of trainee life with the Training Partner, as well as a good get together for all the trainees spread over the different offices.
So, all in all, being a trainee at Barlow Robbins LLP has proved to be much more than photocopying….though take note - tea-making skills will make you very popular!
