Industry Insight..


A Day in the Life of a Trainee Solicitor

I can honestly say that each day is eventful, and I never know quite what is round the corner. Take the last time I went to work as an example. I arrived at work at 8.30 – official office hours are 9.30 to 5.30 but I share my room with a paralegal and I like the uninterrupted hour before everyone else arrives. I closed and billed two files. This helps to bring money into the firm, and I think is just as important as getting new clients.

I then wrote a letter threatening court proceedings on behalf of a private client to a housing association landlord, who for over a year has failed to take responsibility for a faulty boiler system that has left my client without hot water and heating.

At 11am I had a client interview, who did not have English as a first language, so I employed an interpreter. She and her family had received notice from the court that they would be evicted from their property on the following day. This was not due to any fault of their own, but because their landlord had failed to make the mortgage repayments and the mortgage company was repossessing it. I decided to draft a quick letter for them which set out the relevant law that they could present to the local housing authority for assistance.

Lunch is usually quite hurried and, I am ashamed to say, eaten at my desk while working, and today was no different. I then received a call from my supervisor asking me to assist her in preparation for a two day trial at the Chancery Division of the High Court. I was to contact our client and her opponent’s solicitors, and inquire about the subject matter of several mysterious photographs in the opponent’s court papers. I relayed what information I had to our barrister.

I spent the rest of the afternoon chasing people for information. I contacted people including the court, police, medical staff, social workers and local housing authorities. This is mainly done over the telephone, or if I am not getting results that way, then I dictate a short letter.

The end of the day came quickly. I completed my time recording sheets for the week to show how long I had spent on each file. I tidied my desk, had a brief chat with my supervisor about our plans for the weekend, and I was out the door ready to enjoy my Friday night!

Erica Ffrench is a trainee in the housing law department of a busy private practice, which has both publicly and privately funded clients. Her training contract started in July 2007.