Trainee diary
July 2008
Alex Carty, 2nd Seat Trainee, Employment
I am almost halfway through my training contract.
I spent my first six months in a property seat in our Housing and Regeneration Department, where my work included acting on purchases and sales of property to individuals, property developers and housing associations. I was also involved in acting for housing associations on the negotiation of leases from both the landlord and tenant's point of view.
You are given a great deal of responsibility in Housing and Regeneration, where you may, for example, manage a lease negotiation or property purchase from start to finish. It was quite daunting to take full control of my files in my first seat, but it was also hugely satisfying. One early tip was to use automated reminders and maintain to do lists, as there are a series of inflexible deadlines to be met!
I am now in my second seat, which is in the Employment Department. I have been spending a lot of time at the Central London Employment Tribunal for a race discrimination case that has been allocated 18 days in the Tribunal. On this occasion we act for the employee but we do also represent a range of employers.
The nature of the work in the Employment Department is wide ranging. So far it has included attending meetings with clients and counsel, drafting ET1's and ET3's, letters of advice and the COT 3 ACAS Consiliation Form. For one particular case my work extended into the area of forensic pathology, disciplinary and potential criminal activity!
I have also attended seminars run by the Employment Department. For example a series of "Tackling Sickness Absence" seminars attended by Human Resources professionals. This gave me the the opportunity to observe the types of training we offer externally, as well as to network directly with our clients.
I attended the BPP Careers fair in April this year, this time on the law firm side of the stand, and the question asked by most potential trainees was; "Why Winckworth Sherwood?"
The answer, at least to my mind, lies in the nature of the work, that as a trainee you are able to become so involved from the very beginning, that the experience gained is invaluable both in terms of present immersion and benefits for the future. If you are not shy of getting involved this is an excellent opportunity for a comprehensive well-rounded training that will stand you in good stead on qualification.
February 2008
Anna Fremantle, 3rd Seat Trainee, Ecclesiastical and Education Department
My first experience with Winckworth Sherwood was when I arrived at the Westminster office with five other fresh-faced students for the summer vacation scheme. The scheme was two weeks long with each week spent in a different department; I spent a week with the Construction Litigation team and a week with the Housing team.
The two weeks were jam-packed with activities and gave me an excellent insight into working life at a medium-sized law firm. I worked alongside the trainees in my respective departments, and my experience included visiting a client to gather evidence relevant to a construction litigation case, and drafting a simple report on title.
Each head of department gave us a talk about their practice area, which gave us a good idea of what practice in each area of law involves on a day-to-day basis. We all achieved the sought after “Mars-Bar Prize” in the library research exercise (fantastic training for those like myself who had not done a law degree), and other activities included trips to the Royal Courts of Justice and the Houses of Parliament. A fun evening was spent in the longest bar in London getting to know the trainees and quizzing them about their training experiences.
Having very much enjoyed my vacation scheme at Winckworths, I applied for a training contract and two years later I started my first seat as a trainee in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department. The work was extremely interesting and varied, involving property, construction, family and employment work. One particular highlight was the huge team sense of achievement and satisfaction when a mediation ended successfully after a long day of hard discussion and negotiation.
My second seat was with the Private Client department where I very much enjoyed the more personal experience of working with clients as individuals; sometimes helping them to set themselves and their families up for the future, and sometimes dealing with difficult times such as bereavement and divorce. The seat was predominately non-contentious, however I was briefly involved in a matter concerning a contested will, and one of the divorce cases I was helping with settled at the doors of the Court!
I am now in my penultimate seat with the Ecclesiastical and Education department which is currently based at St Paul’s. This seat offers not just an insight into the ancient and fascinating realm of ecclesiastical law, but it has also exposed me to a broad range of areas such as property, employment, education, charity and trust law. In the past few months I have been involved in property transactions, school disciplinary issues, the incorporation of a charity and a trust dispute.
The firm offers a thorough training experience which balances responsibility with strong supervision and support. However it is not all work and no play. A fellow trainee and I are currently organising a firm quiz night and the social committee are, as usual, bound to surpass expectations with a fantastic year-end party!
November 2007
Barry Gilham, 1st Seat Trainee, Housing Department
Unlike the majority of the trainees who are new to the firm when starting a traineeship, I have been at Winckworth Sherwood for almost six years. I started in the firm as an assistant law costs draftsman in January 2002. After approximately two years, I moved into the Police and Contentious Employment department as a Paralegal. This position provided me with a vast amount of legal experience, dealing with employment tribunals, property litigation and applications under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Whilst working as a Paralegal, I was given the opportunity to complete the LPC on a part time basis by studying at weekends. I am pleased to say that all of the hard work paid off and I was delighted to be offered a traineeship with the firm.
Upon starting in October, I was concerned that I already knew a lot of people within the firm and that it may be difficult to settle into the traineeship. Fortunately, my first seat was in the Social Housing and Local Government Department. This is a department that I have had little interaction with over the years and it felt like a fresh start.
I have been surprised by the amount of freedom that a trainee in the department is given, although there is always a senior solicitor or Partner nearby to check on the work I have produced or to answer any questions that I have. I have been given about twelve live matters to deal with. These range from dealing with post completion registration to the drafting of a retrospective licence for alterations to a contract exchange for the purchase of a development site. As well my own matters, I am also assisting in larger projects run by various Partners in the department. These include the preparation of certificates of title and a housing transfer from a Council to a Housing Association.
Each of the tasks that I have been involved in have shown the variety of work that the department undertakes. I am finding that all of the tasks I am involved in are reinforcing the knowledge I have obtained from the LPC. I believe that it is much easier to understand the content of the LPC when actually dealing with a live matter. Although all potential trainees have to pass the exams, it is an entirely different concept when you start work in the ‘real world’!
The members of the department have all been very welcoming and it was refreshing to see that the recent departmental social event was well attended and that everyone had a good time. I am pleased to say that my initial concerns when starting in October have now been banished and I am looking forward to the remainder of my traineeship at Winckworth Sherwood.
October 2007
Sarah Willey, 1st Seat Trainee, Property Litigation
I have just completed the first two weeks of my training contract with Winckworth Sherwood in the litigation department.
Having spent the summer after the LPC relaxing in , I was nervous and excited as I walked into the office on my first day. Fortunately, my fellow trainees were already sitting in reception and so we were able to introduce ourselves before the day officially began.
On the first day we were told which departments we would be sitting in for the next 6 months. We were given a guided tour of the building which was slightly disorientating, but allowed us to be introduced to all members of the firm! We were given a further opportunity to meet and chat to everyone at a buffet lunch. I was left feeling that Winckworth Sherwood was a genuinely friendly place to work, even if, over the next few days, I did find it hard to remember everybody’s name!
The first week was split between induction workshops and spending time in our new departments. We were given guidance on how to use the IT systems and how to make the best use of the library. A library quiz was arranged to help us remember how to use legal resources effectively. I found this particularly helpful after my summer off from all things legal! On my third day I attended a licensing review and met Counsel at the train station before the hearing. I had been able to read-up on the case the day before. It was great to be given the opportunity to meet clients so early-on and to see the application of the law in real life as opposed to in text books.
In my second week I have attended a client meeting, drafted documents and letters, checked files and conducted further pieces of legal research, for example on the imminent introduction of Energy Performance Certificates. Everyone in the department has been extremely friendly; offering advice and answering any questions I wanted to ask. The second year trainees arranged some drinks after work so that all the trainees could get together on an informal basis. This was a good opportunity to catch-up on the new experiences of the past couple of weeks!
Two weeks on I am very much looking forward to learning from my time in the litigation department and to completing the rest of my training contract with Winckworth Sherwood.
June 2007
Will Rutter, 2nd Seat Trainee, Housing Department
June 2007 Will Rutter, 2nd Seat Trainee, Housing Department
I am currently enjoying my second seat as a Winckworth Sherwood trainee, in the Housing department.
Although only two months into this seat, I have already experienced a broad mix of property work and it still amazes me how steep the learning curve can be each time a new piece of work lands on my desk. I have always felt that the best way to learn is by doing, and as a trainee, you are given a real chance to be hands-on. In my current seat I have had a good deal of client contact and have a range of files that I am responsible for. But, you always have the safety net of a supervisor nearby so you don’t feel out of your depth.
The clients of the Housing department range from some of the largest housebuilder companies in the country to social housing charities. The work can range from large scale urban regeneration housing projects to commercial property transactions, such as the negotiation of a lease and specialist housing advice.
My first seat was with the Parliamentary department and that was an experience I feel extremely lucky to have had. There are very few firms that include Parliamentary Agents and Winckworth Sherwood is one of them. Typically, the work involves promoting a private bill through Parliament, or petitioning against a private bill. As a trainee I found myself many times in the corridors of the Houses of Parliament and even had the opportunity to draft parts of Acts and Statutory Instruments. Time will tell if any of my drafting makes it onto the statute book.
The work has been great, but there are other benefits of working here. I am currently a member of the social committee planning the big Winckworth Sherwood summer party, and the inter-law firm cricket matches will be starting soon, with games pencilled in against some of the other major firms in Central London. I look forward to what the future brings.
April 2007
Fiona Squires, 1st Seat Trainee, Commercial Department
I have just spent my first 6 months with the firm in the commercial department. I am now about to embark on my second seat in the social housing department.
Commercial provided me with an incredible experience, an off the scale learning curve, plenty of client contact, and exposure to a variety of deals I feel I have been lucky to get involved with from start to finish. Lately I have worked on, amongst plenty of other things, a joint venture transaction, setting up a company and a large contract between a police body and a commercial organisation. My work was varied. I would, for instance, do some research on topics ranging from queries relating to public bodies, to matters on corruption, performance bonds, the Companies Act 2006 or the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I would then write up a note on my findings that would be used as a basis to the advice being sent to the client. I reviewed contracts, such as business transfer agreements, shareholders’ agreements, memorandum and articles of association. I would also attend meetings following which I drafted meeting minutes, and action points.
The challenges of a new job entail learning to hone your professional abilities and most of all learning from the expertise that is on hand. My supervising partner guided me throughout, and the other members of the team were of great help. As a trainee you are of course there to learn but also to do some proper work! You start off with regular panic attacks at the request of the smallest job to slowly feel like you may be becoming useful!
Over the time, I have come to meet other trainees from some larger firms, and following various conversations I can confirm life here is altogether different from the city. It’s personal, the hours are decent, and the work is of wide spectrum.
I am now keen to move on and learn more about commercial property and social housing. After just a few months with Winckworth Sherwood I am already very much looking forward to what the future here will bring.
February 2007
Gita Vijeratnam, 3rd Seat Trainee, Housing Department
I am currently training in my third seat, in the housing department, over one year on from my last blog from the Private Client department.
I remember those days well…fresh faced, enthusiastic, excited and grateful for every opportunity. So what has changed? I am pleased to say that, while I am perhaps a little less fresh faced, the experience of training at Winckworth Sherwood has done little to diminish my initial optimism and has in many ways exceeded expectations.
In my current seat, I have been exposed to law which sits side by side with corporate business and seems a world away from the work of my first seat, which was tailored for the specific needs of private individuals. This is indicative of the broad spectrum of work that trainees at this firm enjoy. I have been involved in high value property portfolio transactions as well as residential house sales and purchases. Each day is different from the last and extremely challenging, as I am expected to manage more of my own case load while continuing to support fee earners with whom I work.
I have found the last 15 months to be varied, interesting and challenging. I have been given more and more responsibility and as a result, my technical ability, file management skills and confidence have grown.
As I expect with many law firms, training at Winckworth Sherwood has also been demanding. I appreciate that the firm has placed a great deal of confidence in me by taking me on and meeting those expectations has required genuine effort. However, I find that I am well supported in the work that I carry out, I am surrounded by people who make coming to work a joy and I am learning a lot.
When I started, I was simply happy to have obtained a training contract at this firm. Almost 3 seats of the way though my training I am now pleased because I am in a better position to commence my legal career and have enjoyed the process of arriving at this point. I look forward to what the remaining 9 months have to offer.
December 2006
Anna Fremantle, 1st Seat Trainee, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department
It’s a dark wintry Friday evening and a few emails are already circulating around the Litigation department and further a field, suggesting a wee dram in the local to celebrate the coming of the weekend.
As usual the week has flown by in a varied fashion involving trips to court, conferences with counsel and meetings with clients, as well as the more standard trainee tasks such as filing, undertaking various bits and pieces of research and attempting mental acrobatics over the filing of disclosure documents!
During my student days in Exeter and then Guildford, I found it difficult to believe that the time would come when I would have to wave goodbye to my student lie-ins and embrace consciousness at an hour before the local sparrows have even contemplated their morning ablutions. Then all of a sudden I had completed the exams, treated myself to a great summer holiday, and I was finally here.
Working at Winckworth Sherwood has been both rewarding and fun; there is a very friendly atmosphere within the firm, the hours are sociable and more importantly, I feel that I have had a greater degree of exposure to clients and matters than I believe I would have done within a larger city firm. The first-hand experience that this affords has meant that I have learnt a great deal in a very short space of time, helped by the encouragement and support of the whole litigation team.
I have already whistled up the firm to the dizzy heights of a position on the social committee and next week will involve deep consideration as to the venue and, more importantly, the selection for a firm wine tasting in the New Year!
Off now to the Marquis of Granby to celebrate the end of a good week of work, and get stuck into the weekend.
October 2006
Hannah Carter, 1st Seat Trainee, Private Client
October arrived and the summer holiday, which had once seemed endless, drew to a close. It was with mixed feelings that I walked into Winckworth Sherwood on my first day – keen to get started on my new career but regretting the loss of freedom.
A quick chat with the other trainees cheered me up considerably. The four of us were of different ages and had different kinds of work experience, and we were to form a supportive group over the next few days.
The first morning passed in something of a blur as we were shown around the offices and introduced to all the staff. A buffet lunch gave us the chance to meet some people properly, including the second year trainees whose enthusiasm for the firm was reassuring.
We then began a week-long, thoughtfully prepared induction programme. We were introduced to the complexities of the IT system, threatened with the consequences of failing to follow the Solicitors’ Account Rules and our legal research skills were put to the test in the library. Most importantly, we met the people who could help us when our training was forgotten.
We also had talks from members of different departments, showing us the variety of work carried out by the firm and giving us ideas for future seats. We began to get a sense of the firm’s ethos and to see that promises of interesting work and a work-life balance were not just recruitment propaganda.
Two weeks on and I am happy that I have been given tasks designed to give me a good overview of the work of the department and the guidance I need to begin more complex tasks. I am getting to grips with the office systems and I feel very optimistic about the next two years.
July 2006
Jane Lancaster, 4th Seat Trainee, Housing and Local Government
My day begins with a breakfast meeting at which a solicitor colleague is negotiating the terms of a lease for a large number of flats for social housing tenants that are to be built above a new supermarket in West London. The meeting is extremely cordial and all sides seem to be in agreement as to how the transaction will progress and the likely timescales involved. Final planning permission for the development has not yet been granted by the relevant authority, but everyone is confident that it will be granted in the very near future.
Aside from the lease, a number of other important documents need to be drafted but the developer’s solicitor will prepare the first drafts of these. It will then be my responsibility to examine them and highlight any discrepancies from what was decided in the meeting.
We return to the office mid-morning and my post is waiting for me. There are a number of letters from the same solicitors regarding an estate regeneration project I am working on. Our client, a large Registered Social Landlord ("RSL"), is demolishing an old estate so that it can replace the outdated flats with those of a contemporary design. This project has been ongoing for many months, as our client has had to consult all the current tenants and gain their agreement to being re-housed. Each tenant receives market value for their flat plus a number of compensatory payments that cover all their moving costs and more. Happily, most of the tenants are represented by the same firm of solicitors, so the actual purchases are now proceeding very smoothly.
After these purchase files are dealt with I start a first draft of a deed of variation for another of our RSL clients. The deed will vary the terms of a fairly old lease granted by the local council, to enable our client to be able to develop the land in a way not envisaged when it entered into the lease. I try to keep the deed as simple and straightforward as possible but there are still a couple of points that I need guidance on before it goes to the council. I arrange a time to speak to my supervisor.
The rest of the day is spent dealing with the registration of a number of properties that recently completed and updating various clients as to how their matters are progressing.
My last task is to examine the deeds and documents we hold for one of our client’s developments to find out if there are any wayleave agreements affecting the land. These are agreements, usually with electricity or water companies, allowing pipes, cables or drains to cross under or over private land. This has become necessary because our client has recently started to develop a piece of land and has come across a drain running across it, which it was unaware of previously!! There is, however, nothing on the title or in the deeds to suggest that any agreement has been entered into and so I write with confirmation of this.
April 2006
Arthur Nelson, 1st Seat Trainee, Police and Contentious Employment
You are probably thinking: what is the firm like? What shall I put in my application form? How do I answer that question? And perhaps most importantly of all, is this the sort of firm I would like to join?
With this in mind I thought that, rather than give you a "typical day", you might be interested in finding out the sort of things that might be covered in a six month stint at Winckworth Sherwood.
My first seat was in a department that did police, commercial and employment work. The department has developed over time to be able to cater to the requirements of its clients, these being for the most part law enforcement agencies. This means many different disciplines are covered; property issues, commercial work, employment matters.
Most of my work has been in employment. One of the first projects in which I was involved (and one I enjoyed tremendously) was a litigious matter regarding restrictive covenants in an employment contract. This proved to be an excellent experience as I attended client meetings and was privy to tactical discussions and to the delicate process of formulating an argument with Counsel. It was good to feel, and actually be, involved!
Besides the employment work I did I also sought out work from around the department. This seems to be common to most of the trainees to whom I have spoken. We are encouraged to learn from others in the department and to have as broad an experience as possible. I have had the opportunity to work on a diverse range of cases from personal injury claims involving employer liability issues to claims for false imprisonment, cash seizures and money laundering. I was also involved in some property work looking at leases for a series of proposed new police stations.
The firm does have some very unusual clients and this means that it is a very interesting place to train. Trainee solicitors have the opportunity, as we change seats, to experience the diversity of the services the firm offers. It is this interesting mix of work, together with its civilised surroundings and our supervisors' genuine interest in our development that has made it, thus far, a wonderful place to train.
March 2006
Katherine Fleay, 2nd Seat Trainee, Ecclesiastical and Education
My day starts with a journey on an overcrowded train to London Bridge station, which is hot, dirty and noisy. The compensation is a wonderful walk along Bankside with its rich historical associations and then across the Millennium Bridge, over the Thames and up the hill to St Paul's - a magnificent sight to rival Westminster. Having reached the Old Deanery, I feel extraordinarily fortunate to be working in such a peaceful haven in the City - with a large plane tree outside my window, paeonies blooming in the garden and blackbirds digging for worms.
I start work by preparing the first draft of a report to a client - a head teacher who is seeking advice about the legal position of an off-site unit set up to provide vocational education for some pupils. The draft has to take into account matters discussed at a meeting the previous week. I also need to check various points of education law, including that relating to governing bodies, the national curriculum, qualifications and school companies, as well as points relating to charities and trading. As I am based away from the firm's library at the Westminster office, legal resources on the internet provide a invaluable source of information - though I know that the librarians will be ever helpful if I need access to hard copies or more general assistance. Fortunately, we have just received training on the new Butterworths on-line system, and on this occasion I can find the statutes I need.
Mid-morning I check whether any post has been sent to me from Westminster. Today this includes copies of transfers of title of land executed by tenants who have exercised the right to freehold enfranchisement. This is the first completion that I have been involved in. I arrange for copies to go to the head leaseholder's solicitor as well as the client, a diocesan body in this case, and ensure that the file is complete and in order.
At midday I accompany one of the experienced solicitors to a client meeting. The clients own an agency providing foreign-language tuition and want advice on how to respond to a claim that a teacher formerly on their books has made to an Employment Tribunal. My role is to take a note of the meeting, most of which is conducted in English though the clients break into their mother-tongue from time to time.
Having prepared a draft note for the solicitor who led the meeting, I turn my attention to a task that my supervising partner has left me. The client is the dean and chapter of a cathedral. The task involves preparing a first draft of a model agreement which would allow organisations such as charities or local festivals to put on concerts and other events in the cathedral. I spend some time browsing the Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents for licences and hiring agreements that might furnish suitable precedents, though none offers precisely what is needed. I also check my understanding of cathedral governance by researching appropriate Church of England Measures (the equivalent of statutes). Having compared the precedents with notes of what the client actually wants, I prepare a list of points that I need to discuss with my supervising partner.
Having reached the end of the working day and recorded my time, I make my way towards the front door of the Deanery only to encounter Archie tearing down the stairs with a bone in his mouth. Archie is the terrier who resides upstairs, and his young owner is in hot pursuit, trying to prevent Archie from running amok through the WS offices. Having helped to persuade Archie that no one is trying to deprive him of his prize bone but that he would be better gnawing it upstairs, I leave the Deanery and head for the Millennium Bridge to weave my way through the throngs heading for the Globe Theatre on Bankside and back to London Bridge.
February 2006
Adrian Thompson, 1st Seat Trainee
Unlike most of the bloggers on this site, I had already been with the firm for three years before becoming a trainee. During that time, I became aware of the impressive range of work dealt with by people in this office - major property development deals, clergy discipline cases, church faculties, education and employment disputes, shared ownership housing, wills and probate, and charitable trusts being just a few examples - and did not hesitate to apply for a training contract here when the time came.
At the moment, one of my regular tasks is to assist a senior solicitor with his work for a residents' management company which owns the headlease of a large block of flats. This means that the first part of the day is typically spent dealing with various landlord and tenant issues from licences for the assignment of flats to rent arrears. Although most of this work is relatively straightforward, some unusual situations can arise. When they do I call the client for further instructions or, if appropriate, seek the opinion of a more experienced colleague.
After typing up any attendance notes and relevant letters, I begin preparing a report for a meeting of charity trustees that my supervising partner will be attending later in the day. When I am satisfied that all the information in the report is accurate, I email a copy across so that he can make any stylistic amendments before he goes into the meeting.
From then until lunch, I find my time being taken up with various bits of administration, including billing matters that have recently completed.
It is now early afternoon and I am asked by my supervising partner to draft instructions to counsel on the occupation of trust property. I am briefed on the task and left with the file. The first stage is to piece together a comprehensive narrative of events from the assorted documents and correspondence and this takes some time to do. After identifying what I think are the relevant facts, I consult a couple of authors on the subject - Woodfall's Landlord and Tenant and Picarda on the Law and Practice relating to Charities - to be sure that I have a good grasp of the background law. It is then down to the business of writing. Because there are some complex areas of law involved, it is initially heavy going. However, a little perseverance pays dividends and by late afternoon I have produced a respectable first draft.
The final job of the day involves reading through some papers that relate to an appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury in his capacity as the Visitor of a higher education institution. Our role in this case is to act as a kind of court office and, once I am sure that I have received all the information that has been requested, I send these papers off to an eminent QC so that she can prepare her recommendation to the Archbishop.
January 2006
Andrew Brockett, 1st Seat Trainee, Property and Licensing
Monday morning for most in the world of work paints a picture of gloomy skies and a long day ahead of them. However, I find Monday the best day of the working week. It provides the perfect opportunity to see precisely what needs to be done and what deadlines I have to meet. I can then spend the rest of the day ensuring that vital work is completed with plenty of time to spare, and that I have a good grasp of the other pending jobs.
I am now four months into my seat in the Property and Licensing department. The workload is so varied that I may be applying to Land Registry for first registration one minute, and the next I am researching into licensing laws for bingo halls, or the law relating to dealing in game.
It is precisely this variation that keeps this seat interesting. I can vividly recall sitting in a tutorial room at University around a punch bag hanging from the rafters (to this day I never did find out whether it was merely for show or for use when dealing with substandard essays and disobedient students) learning about rights in land before 1926, and thinking that property/land law was just not for me. Then there came the stories and general opinions from people about property law and how repetitive it could be. However the LPC began to convert the devilish image I had in my mind, and I actually found myself enrolling in advanced property as an elective!
Each week I am presented with the opportunity to sink my teeth into an entirely new project. At first, I was nervous to bite into the tasks set before me as little guidance was offered and I seemed unable to read the menu in front of me. However I now appreciate that there is no better preparation for this seat than being thrown straight into the kitchen and expected to cook up something worthy of a meal. Being able to cope when others are busy is essential, as is organising yourself so that when you receive a phone call regarding a property you know exactly what is going on. It may appear daunting at times, and believe me it does, but that feeling of satisfaction, utter triumph, and that voice inside of you when you leave the office, is so overpowering that when the next Monday comes around you're almost willing the work to come rolling in, so that you can accept the challenge and come out the victor. After all, only practice makes perfect.
December 2005
Sarah Coburn, 2nd Seat Trainee, Housing and Local Government
My work is a mixture of property purchases and sales, charging exercises and advisory work. The majority of the department's clients are Registered Social Landlords and many of them are charitable. This means that they have very specific requirements in many different areas.
In the morning there are usually a couple of faxes that have arrived after I left the night before that need to be dealt with. I locate the files and see what needs to be done, either to update the client of the position or to respond to the solicitors acting on the other side.
I then start my main task of the day, which is to sort through a property list provided by a client in relation to a charging exercise that they are about to carry out. My job is to obtain title numbers for all of the properties and, where possible, make sure that we have a copy of the title on our file. I then check the titles to see whether they are going to be straightforward to charge or not.
The client telephones me mid-morning to advise me that they need to put the charge in place much sooner than they originally anticipated. I pass this information on to my supervising partner who asks if I think that the new deadline can be met. I think that it can and telephone the solicitors acting for the lender to discuss this with them. Once all have agreed that the new deadline is achievable, I telephone the client to let them know.
The next step is to identify exactly what is needed from the client: section 9 consent from the Housing Corporation; and a valuation of the properties for example. Some of our clients have not done much financing work in the past and very often I have to be able to lead them through the procedure step by step so that they understand what is required of them.
My post will have arrived during the course of the morning and I stop to check what has arrived and put things with the correct files. This way anyone who picks up the file will have the up to date position. I deal with any quick correspondence that is needed following the post and then return to the charging exercise to make sure that we are going to be able to meet the client's deadline.
By the end of the day, I am happy that the work that needs to be done to meet the deadline is well under way and I have a clear picture of how I want the transaction to proceed. I telephone the valuer to ensure that he is aware of the deadline and to check that this is ok from his perspective.
This evening I have been asked to attend a client function as the partner is unable to make it. It is an annual lecture series that the client holds after their annual general meeting and gives me a chance to meet members of their Board and staff, together with some of their tenants.
November 2005
Gitanjali Vijeratnam, 1st Seat Trainee, Private Client
I am writing this, mid-way through my seventh week of being a trainee at Winckworth Sherwood. I sit in the Private Client Department.
It hasn't been long since the first week of induction training. My fellow trainees and I had a week of training sessions and introductory talks from most of the departments. They did a good job because we left each talk wanting to try a seat in that department!
By the end of that first week, my supervising partner had taken me to a client meeting and I had been given my first piece of work, which was drafting two new wills.
I have been given varied work from different people in the department including preparing trust accounts, research and drafting. I have attended a case management conference as well as several meetings with clients. I am still learning about the administrative procedures of the department but thankfully the other staff understand that this is a steep learning curve. The secretaries in particular are really helpful. The librarian and the IT staff are also fonts of knowledge and always willing to assist.
If I'm not learning by actually attempting something new (or having another attempt at something I didn't manage to complete correctly the first time!), I am learning by observing how those around me carry out their work. In a short space of time I've realised how important it is to know your client and tailor your work to them appropriately. I'm learning about law as a business as well as a discipline. I have the opportunity to see how different people draft letters and documents and am encouraged to attempt work on my own and in my own style, which I am still developing.
I have heard a lot about the training procedure being just a means to an end, but I never wanted that from my training contract. I always wanted a firm where I could learn a lot and have room to develop and so far that has been my experience of Winckworth Sherwood.
My confidence has grown already, but there is still always room for improvement.
It is still early enough for me to be a bit dizzy with the heady success of finding a training contract that I want at a firm that suits me. However, I have no reason to doubt that the experience will continue. Not everyone is able to start their day walking past the Houses of Parliament. In fact, not everyone goes to work knowing that they are going to enjoy their day and learn something new.
October 2005
Jane Kenny, 2nd Seat Trainee, Police & Contentious Employment
I arrive at work around 8:45 and check the emails that have arrived during the course of the previous evening. I incorporate them into my To Do list and start working my way through. My first is to find a company's Memorandum of Association and check that it has the power to enter into a Shareholders' Agreement. The company's objects are very wide and allow the company both to enter into the contract and also acquire shares, lend money and do everything else required of it under the Agreement. I type my findings, mark up the Memorandum and pass both on to my supervising partner.
Next I head to the library to start a number of pieces of research. I've been asked to look into issues relating to waiving the VAT exemption in a commercial lease, employer liability in relation to an injury sustained by an employee whilst away from the employer's property and the Telecommunications Act 1984. The librarian helps me find a number of useful textbooks, statutory provisions and articles and I spend the next hour or so typing my findings.
Whilst in the library, one of the several solicitors who I assist has left me copies of two articles I had previously written for him: one on the recent changes regarding jury service and the other regarding the European Commission's proposed changes to the Working Time Directive. He has suggested some amendments and additions and I incorporate them into the draft articles.
After a late lunch I call Maidstone Crown Court to check how a case is proceeding. We represent an interested party rather than either the Applicant or Defendant so have not been as involved in the case as usual. Our client though is keen to find out how things are progressing so I call them straight afterwards with the news that the case has been adjourned for almost 5 months.
I then draft an Acknowledgement of Service on a different matter before starting another piece of research, this time on the potential problems with employees sharing rooms whilst on training courses. There isn't an awful lot published on this area so I gather what I can before emailing the solicitor involved with my conclusions.
My last task of the day is to complete an application for a Stopping-Up order. This is so a multi-million pound housing development can begin construction. Before we send off the application to the local authority, we need to provide a list of all the statutory undertakers who have equipment in and around the highway being stopped up and the land being developed. The last of these was confirmed over lunchtime, so I add their name to the application and pass the form, covering letter and all the supporting documentation over to my supervisor for a final check before sending it out. Once the form is safely in the post, I record time spent on this matter and check that my other time recording entries for the day are correct, before heading home.
September 2005
Kate New, 4th seat trainee, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department
I arrive at the office, and as usual the first thing I do is check my diary entries for the day. In Litigation, organisation is critical and missing deadlines can prove to be more trouble than it is worth.
Following the memos in my diary, I send some reminding emails to a particular client whom I urgently need instructions from regarding a Part 36 Offer that he only has 4 days to accept or reject. I chase another client regarding a payment in relation to a Consent Order which is now becoming urgent. Otherwise, my day is fairly clear so I set to work on some new instructions.
We have recently been instructed by a housing association in relation to a dilapidations claim whereby the previous tenants of some of their premises have gone missing owing them substantial amounts of money. I start working through the provisions of the lease and familiarise myself with the situation generally. It is useful to have a good understanding of all the issues, rights, covenants and so forth under the lease before tackling the statements of case so that all the information is to hand. As the matter is complex, it takes me some time to complete the Particulars of Claim, and I decide that it is best to leave them aside for me to review later before submitting them for approval to my Supervisor.
In the meantime, my client has reverted to me regarding the Part 36 Offer and consequently I must prepare a Part 36 Counter Offer to the other side. I consult the Civil Procedure Rules to ensure that everything I include in my Offer complies to avoid wasting time later on. Our Court date is looming, and it is commercially sensible for a settlement to be reached rather than proceed with the hearing. I submit the draft counter offer to the client for his approval.
Just before lunch one of the assistant fee earners comes in to see me to check how busy I am. He has been called away on an urgent matter and needs me to attend Court this afternoon on his behalf. He assures me that it is a relatively simple procedure, because most of the directions have been agreed in advance, and I agree to go for him. I prep my secretary regarding the incoming offer from the client that will need to go out when I return, and head off to Court.
The train journey out to Court provides me with an opportunity to review the file and jot down some thoughts. Although directions have been agreed between the parties in advance, it is necessary for me to be properly prepared in case the Judge does not approve the Directions. I arrive at Court, introduce myself to Counsel and the other side and we have a brief chat. We both hope that the Judge will agree the Directions. A painless 15 minutes later, the Directions are approved and I head back to the office to check on my Part 36 Counter offer.
I arrive back at the office, my secretary has organised everything I need, I sign the Offer letter and send it off to the other side. I quickly record my time on the system and head off to meet the other trainees for a quick post-work drink.
August 2005
Lien Wang, Trainee, Private Client Department
My day at work begins predictably enough. I take the same beautiful route from my tube stop at Westminster to the office - past the majestic Houses of Parliament, the towering old trees of Millbank and on to Great Peter Street. On my way to work I reflect upon what I must do today.
Once work starts, though, little is predictable. Often I need to "multi-task" - to do one task, to keep in mind tasks that I will need to deal with next and to record time for tasks I have already completed.
Today is no different. My supervising partner asks me to attend a meeting with him this afternoon. A client wants us to draw up his will. I review the completed Will Questionnaire we sent to the client earlier. The Questionnaire aims to extract as much information relating to the will as possible. My task before the meeting is to consolidate all the information the client has sent us in a client summary and to draw up a family tree, documents the department updates religiously for all clients so that it can keep an accurate record of their affairs.
As soon as I feel I have a handle on this matter, I turn to another - helping with completing annual trust accounts for trusts the firm manages for clients. I need to do three a week. I have about forty-five accounts to complete before the end of my training seat in this department, so timing is tight. I finish one set of accounts I started yesterday and begin another.
After my very quick lunch, my supervising partner asks me to see him so that he can brief me for the afternoon meeting. He tells me the client's history. We then meet with the client at our reception. After introductions, we head to the meeting room. During the meeting, my supervising partner goes over with the client the issues and advises him on what should be done. The client seems happy with our proposals.
After the meeting my supervising partner sets me new tasks. He asks me to prepare meeting minutes, draft the will and send them to the client as soon as possible.
I return immediately to my desk to prepare these documents. It is always best to do follow-up work from meetings as soon as possible, while my memory is at its freshest. Finishing the work take me well into the evening. After quick tidy-up, I am ready to leave and to enjoy a quiet evening walk back to Westminster station.
July 2005
Geoffrey Harrington, Trainee, Ecclesiastical and Education Department.
During the course of the morning, whilst drafting a sub-lease for a children's nursery, I am asked to attend a conference with Counsel at 11.00 am with a colleague.
We walk to Counsel's chambers where we meet with our client and discuss the case. Our client is a school that has had a disability claim lodged against it by the parents of a child. The case requires applying disability legislation to education law and school discipline procedures. My role during the course of the conference is to take notes (as well as to pour the coffee) whilst my colleague and the barrister prepare the client for the hearing later that week. On some occasions I attend tribunal and court hearings with Counsel.
When I return, I check to see whether there have been any messages left which I need to deal with. After speaking with a client on the telephone, I spend the rest of the afternoon finalising the drafting of the sub-lease that I began earlier. Later in the afternoon, one of the partners has made time to check through the drafting of the sub-lease with me.
Throughout the day any letters and documents that I have had typed are checked with the fee earners supervising me before they are sent out. I also record my time for the work done on various files throughout the day.
June 2005
Eleanor Kilminster, 4th seat trainee, Parliamentary department.
I arrive at the office slightly earlier than usual in order to prepare for a meeting. After checking for any urgent emails, I start my preparation.
The meeting has been arranged with a harbour authority, which is seeking to amend the byelaws under which they operate. They have provided basic details of some of the proposed changes in advance of the meeting, and the Partner dealing with the matter has prepared draft byelaws. My task is to conduct a preliminary review of the legislation to establish whether it permits each of the changes.
I prepare a short summary of my findings and discuss them briefly with the Partner before we enter the meeting. Whilst as a trainee, my job will be to take minutes, it is useful to have a good understanding of all of the issues in advance of the meeting, in order to ensure that the minutes are accurate. A number of officials from the harbour authority attend, which enables us to fully discuss each of the proposed changes. Following the meeting the Partner asks me to amend the draft byelaws. I head back to my desk to write up the minutes before lunch.
I am keen to proceed with amending the byelaws whilst the morning's discussions are fresh in my mind but I must first attend to another task. The department is in the process of finalising Parliamentary plans to accompany a Bill which it is promoting in respect of a large rail scheme. The plans show the works to be authorised by the Bill. My task is to check that each of the plots of land shown on the plans is listed in one of the various schedules to the Bill. The Bill will confer specified rights over each of the individual plots of land and I must check that the type of right shown on the plans corresponds with that shown in the schedules to the Bill. It is a time-consuming task that will undoubtedly be repeated a number of times, as alterations are made to the scheme, before the Bill is finally lodged at Parliament. I prepare a list of the inaccuracies shown on the plans to be forwarded on to the agent who prepared the plans.
I can now amend the draft byelaws. Where new provisions need to be included, I try to use provisions from existing byelaws as far as possible, making any necessary amendments. After completing my revised draft, I quickly record my time on the system and leave for the evening.