What our clients are saying:

"Fantastic service!"

Careers in Law

Solicitor

My name is Tracey Wright and I am a solicitor with Nash & Co.

I work in the private client department dealing with Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney, Probate and assisting people with their general affairs.

Days are always busy for me. I arrive in the morning to see what the post has brought in. I then go through anything which I am not sure about with my head of department and discuss any concerns that I have over any of my files generally. The rest of the day is spent seeing clients, both in the office and out of the office, dealing with my post, preparing documents, writing letters, dealing with enquiries from clients over the telephone and so forth.

My route to qualification was not an easy one and I think that it is increasingly common that people are qualifying by taking advantage of the various routes into the profession.

It used to be the case that you would generally do your degree followed by your common professional exams if you did a non-law degree. You would then go on to the legal practice course (LPC) and subsequently start your two year training contract with a firm of solicitors. However, the competition for training contracts has increased considerably. This was the case for me following my LPC and I started working for a local firm of solicitors as a legal assistant but with no promise of a training contract. However, the experience that I gained helped me get a job with Nash & Co who subsequently offered me the training that I needed to qualify. I was then able to get some of this time counted towards my two year training contract.

Whilst studying for my degree I did work experience with local firms during the summer and worked once a week on a voluntary basis during term time for a charity which provided legal advice for people with both mental and physical disabilities. I believe that these all assisted me in finding my initial position within a law firm.

From the start of my degree it took 7 years to qualify as I was unable to find a training contract to start straight after my LPC.

As far as enjoyment in my chosen career, it is the client contact that I particularly like. I enjoy being able to get out of the office to see clients and being able to meet people from all walks of life and at different stages of their lives. Knowing that a client is happy that their affairs are all in order towards the end of their life can also be very satisfying. I also enjoy having to think along different lines. By this I mean advising clients of the implications of certain actions from a legal, commercial, practical and tactical point of view.

The aspect that I find least enjoyable is the administration that is now required which has nothing to do with the job that you are doing for your client. These include file opening and closing procedures and risk assessments to name but a few.

If I’d had my time again I would have preferred being able to go straight into a training contract after my LPC. However, that didn’t happen. Apart from that I would have achieved my career in exactly the way that I did.

If you are thinking of becoming a solicitor I would recommend trying to do some work experience whilst studying. Don’t get down if you can’t find a training contract straight away. Persevere and it will happen. Keep an open mind about the type of work you want to do. The areas of law you think are dry when studying are not always dry in practice.