Bonding

It's that time of year when law firms are hiring new trainees, paralegals and law graduates. I've always been one for socialising, and I believe that it's vital to get to know those that you will spend approx 40 hours a week with, properly.

At my firm, sometimes it can be difficult to speak to everyone.  The office consists of four converted historic buildings, and therefore our individual offices can be hiding down separate hall ways or in areas that you wouldn't need to access. 

I decided to hold a bonding session for those ranging from Paralegal/Legal Assistant up to newly qualified Solicitor.  After a long week at work we went for burger and chips at a local bar & grill to get to know one another outside of the office. The evening was a success and it was great to speak to my colleagues outside of the working environment, particularly those that I don't get to see much. Everyone talked about what stage they were currently at in their careers and where they would like to be in the future.  There were a lot of 'I have no idea what I want do's, but that's all part of workingup the legal ladder!  There are so many areas to qualify in, sometimes it seems impossible finding one area to work in upon qualification.

I have been with my firm since May, and within these six months the firm has hired a handful of law graduates for a variety of positions, I almost feel like part of the furniture already! We have already taken on our Trainee Solicitor for September 2016 who is currently a Paralegal whilst completing the Legal Practice Course.  We have also hired other legal assistants which hold law degrees.

It's great that there is a group of us that are currently going through the same process but at different stages.  This way we are able to ask each other any questions we may have and seek advice from each other.  The aim of the bonding evening was to make everyone feel comfortable enough to ask questions and seek advice, no matter how simple it may be.

As the evening was a success, I will definitely be organising another evening together. Plus, as you can see by the photo, the burger was delicious!

"Would you like a chocolate?"

It's always hard trying to make the law sound cool to students who are not sure what they want to do in the future.  I found myself in this situation when representing my firm at the Suffolk Skills Show this morning.

Students upon students  between the ages of 12 and 18 attended the careers event and I, being a law enthusiast really enjoyed talking to the students about the journey towards being a Solicitor.  I also, however, saw the students' faces drop with boredom the longer I spoke.

Some of the students were certain that they were going to be criminal lawyers and stand in front of a judge, screaming across a courtroom. I felt somewhat cruel crushing their dreams by telling them that everything they see on the television isn't always true.

With most of the students, it was easier to start with the question "do you enjoy reading?". I felt it was extremely important to let them know that if they were to pursue a career in law, they would have their head in the books for the rest of their career.

Another question I would ask was "do you know how long it takes to qualify as a Solicitor?". I decided that before pursuing a career in law the students needed to be made aware of this, the legal journey is a long one!  A lot of the students were unaware that it takes 6 years to qualify and once I had made them aware of this, they started to consider alternative careers.

As talking about the law can be extremely boring to some, what could I do to make the conversation better? Chocolate, it's always a winner. I even found myself eating a few too many!  Some took the chocolate as we engaged in conversation, others took the chocolate and ran. You can't win them all!

Today was extremely beneficial, it was like looking at myself 7 years ago when I attended similar events.  I was as helpful as I could be, particularly to those who were seriously considering a career in law. I know exactly how they felt, hundreds of companies talking at you for the day can make the whole day seem a blur.

It was hard to make the law sound cool, however it was great to use my social skills and be able to talk in front of a group of people confidently.  I hope that I was able to encourage students to pursue a career in law and let them know that it's a hard, long journey but an enjoyable one at the same time.