Trainees
What we have to offer our trainee solicitors
A Unique Setting
As you will see from browsing our website, Russell Jones & Walker specialise in the rights of the individual. We have a long history of representing individuals rather than corporations and working with affinity groups. We are currently about 400 strong, including roughly 220 fee earners and due to everyone’s hard work we are the current National Law Firm of the Year (2009). We have also received Lexcel accreditation for our practice management standards. If you are interested in the rights of the individual and would like to work in an environment that is vibrant, stimulating and enjoyable, then this is the Firm for you.
A Supportive Environment
We offer a structured training programme consisting of 3 or 4 seats each lasting 6 months. Your supervisor will provide you with one-to-one guidance and support, allowing you the opportunity to learn from their many years of experience and expertise in their field. Regular reviews will ensure you’re on track and making progress in developing your skills. The supportive environment is complimented by a Trainee community which is close-knit, where Trainees work on joint projects and are always willing to help and share information and experiences. Claire Liosi, HR Advisor, is responsible for managing the Training Contracts and is always on hand to help and answer questions.
Immediate Responsibility
We are interested in the short-term in recruiting Trainees, but in the longer term we are looking for Partners of the future. From early on in your Training Contract you will have your own cases as well as assisting other members of your department with theirs. You will have the opportunity to participate in client meetings, so that you start to develop your skills in real life situations. Each cohort of Trainees is expected to research and present a business related project as a group task which develops your business awareness skills.
A Range of Locations and Seats
We offer seats in several of our regional offices as well as in London, so some Training Contracts will be centred on these and all Trainees may be required to complete a seat in a regional office. Although we are one of the most recognised names in Personal Injury work in the UK and have an award winning Employment department, we also have interesting and challenging seats in other departments such as Criminal, Private Client and Property, although availability of seats changes according to the needs of the business. We ensure that all our Trainees have the appropriate mixture of contentious and non-contentious work to provide thorough and rounded training and of course to meet the SRA’s requirements.
Benefits
In addition to your salary, our benefits include:
• 25 days annual leave
• Group personal pension scheme
• Private medical insurance
• Life Insurance
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Childcare vouchers
• Cycle 2 Work Scheme
What we’re looking for in return
We are looking for commercially aware candidates who are highly motivated and genuinely interested in a long-term career with us. You will have excellent communication skills, lots of common sense and the ability to think logically and analytically. You will also need to recognise the value of excellent client care.
We use a variety of selection criteria to assess candidates applying for Training Contracts. The following points are an indication of what we are looking for:
- Minimum of 300 UCAS points.
- A Level subjects to typically include English, Maths, History, social and natural Sciences.
- Minimum 2:1 degree (or predicted 2:1).
- Attendance at a good university (e.g. top 100 in the Complete University Guide).
- Completion of law degree/GDL within the last 3 years.
- To complete LPC with a provider who is rated commendable by the SRA across the 6 areas of provision. Go to http://www.sra.org.uk/ or http://www.lex100.com/ for a list of colleges and ratings.
- Relevant work experience (e.g. participation in a vacation scheme or volunteering at a Citizens Advice Bureau).
Selection process
The application process for our 2013 training contract closed on the 2nd December 2011. Information regarding future training contracts will be available from late Autumn 2012.
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