Taking Training to Hart
We all have preconceptions about what it means to be a trainee. Despite having some placement experience in a legal environment I have to admit I couldn't shake the stomach churning fear that I was about to spend two years making tea, taking notes, photocopying and never being allowed to sleep. By the time you have been training for a few months you will all have at least one friend with such a horror story, but I'm pleased to say I an not that person.
When I started I was given a few days to settle in, being taught the ropes with the computer systems and procedures, before being thrown into my cases. I started dealing with clients, solicitors and work on the day to day running of the cases. I immediately felt that I was part of a team working towards a goal, not just a mere onlooker expected to sit there and nod my head whilst the legal world passed me by. It was a bit like doing a bungee jump, but knowing that you were completely safe as experienced solicitors supported you, and when you had the odd hick-up, helped pick you up, dust you off and set you back on course.
My next seat was a different experience as rather than having supervised cases to work on I assisted the senior solicitors on theirs. I drafted and reviewed documents, researched and gained exposure to a massive variety of different legal disciplines. I learnt a great deal by listening and asking questions about the practical experiences of the solicitors in the department, suddenly being introduced into a real commercial context the things that I had only previously seen from an academic point of view.
My second year took me to a department that presented a mixture of approaches, assisting on some files, and taking responsibility for others on a day to day basis. Again, all under the watchful eye of the more senior solicitors who continued to teach me, and nudge me back on course when I took a wrong turn.
I had a pleasant surprise when I realised that the Partners were actually human beings (shocking!) They did not sit high in their ivory towers demanding the impossible from the little Trainees below. They are all approachable and friendly, taking the time to explain the work and discuss any problems or concerns that you have. They are also more than happy to listen to ideas, making you feel like an important part of the department.
It's not all about work though. There is a good chance that at the end of the day people will look at their watches and decide that its time for us all to head out for a quick drink after work to kick back and relax. There's also a Social Committee who give you the opportunity to do things from go-karting to the theatre.
Something I think that I really appreciate here is that if you do your work, and show you are throwing yourself into the job no one will tell you that you are not working hard enough because you're not there until 10 o'clock each night. It is fair to say that Hart Brown has a healthy attitude to the work/life balance and that makes the firm a great place to work.
In short, would I recommend coming to train at Hart Brown? Yes. If you are someone willing to work hard, who wants to experience real legal work whilst receiving strong training and still getting a brilliant social life, I think this could well be the right place for you.
Tracey Corney
