Starting with Ashurst
The first two weeks of your training contract will be taken up with
the core modules of the Professional Skills Course (PSC) and the
firm's induction course. The induction course is designed to
introduce you to the firm, the partners, the current trainees and
the graduate recruitment and development team. You will also attend
IT and library training courses. From your first day in the office,
we will treat you as a full member of Ashurst and you will be
expected to make a full contribution to our success.
On-the-job learning
Your training contract will consist of four seats. For each, you
will sit with a partner or solicitor who will be the main source of
your work and your principal supervisor during that seat. You will,
however, be encouraged to work with a variety of solicitors during
the course of your training. Seats are generally for six months.
Anything less than that will not give you sufficient depth of
experience for the responsibility we expect you to take on. We ask
trainees to spend one seat in our corporate department and one seat
in our international finance department. Trainees spend their two
remaining seats in our other practice areas. There are also
opportunities of seats in one of our international offices or on
secondment to one of our major clients. A secondment enables you to
experience the client's business at first hand and to build
personal ties with that client. It also helps you to understand the
workings of a large commercial organisation.
What will the work be like?
The work you undertake will obviously vary from department to
department but, in all cases, our philosophy is to give trainees as
much responsibility as they can manage. That means you will meet
clients, write letters and draft agreements. As the training
contract progresses, you will increasingly conduct matters without
constant supervision.
Throughout your training contract, you will be treated as an
integral part of the team. So, we will expect you to play an active
and intelligent role. You will need to observe, listen to, and
learn from your principal supervisor. And you will need to show
initiative and make a real contribution to the successful
completion of transactions. Of course, an important part of your
training is learning to identify the limits of your abilities, and
knowing when you need to ask for assistance.
At Ashurst, we actively discuss problems and experiences. It is one
of our strengths. We will involve you in these discussions. So, you
will be encouraged to ask questions of partners and other members
of the firm in order to help solve a client's legal and commercial
problems.
Training programme
Ashurst provides a comprehensive training programme to support the
practical experience that you will gain during your training
contract. This programme has been specifically designed to meet
your training needs and satisfy the requirements of the PSC. The
PSC, along with the training contract, constitutes the final
elements of pre-admission training and must be undertaken during
the training contract and completed prior to your admission as a
solicitor.
During your training, you will attend courses, lectures and
workshops, and undertake a number of practical exercises. These
will give you an excellent insight into important and interesting
areas of law. At the start of each seat, each department holds an
induction course for trainees and publishes short guides and
checklists to ensure that you fully understand and experience the
work of that department.
You will also be given training in:
- IT;
- our knowhow systems;
- drafting skills;
- negotiating skills;
- corporate tax; and
- stress management.
You will be encouraged to attend regular departmental and group
update meetings, where topical developments in the law are
discussed by solicitors at all levels.
Performance review
Your principal supervisor will review your progress and development
during the course of your six-month seat, and again at the end of
it, identifying areas of your work which you need to focus on. Your
principal's report will form the basis of a more formal annual
review with a member of the trainee solicitors' committee and the
graduate recruitment and development manager. This is, of course, a
two-way process. You will have every opportunity to express your
own views and concerns.
Nearing qualification
Once you have completed the training contract, you will have a
thorough grounding in international commerce and industry, and in
the law relevant to those areas. You will have started to develop
the skills of accurate analysis and will be able to isolate the
essential elements of a matter. You will also have the ability to
take decisions and advise clients in a constructive and commercial
manner. You will understand the importance of client care and of
developing client relationships.