Finding a training contract that’s right for you is a critical step in anyone’s legal career, so when Bianca Jones and Olivia Stibbs were looking for a law firm that could offer a supportive, interesting and variable work experience, Battrick Clark delivered exactly what they wanted.
As trainees at Battrick Clark, time is spent working alongside qualified Solicitors in the three different areas of the firm; Family, Property and Wills and Probate. The rotational programme allows trainees to spend a couple of months in each area supporting the Solicitors and learning on the job and whilst Bianca admitted that “moving seats every couple of months can sometimes be challenging”, she finds it exciting getting to grips with new departments and dealing with different cases.
For Olivia even though she didn’t do law at A level, she decided to do a law degree as she enjoyed problem-solving, and finding solutions to challenging situations can be a regular occurrence in the day-to-day life of a Solicitor. As a graduate, she completed her Legal Practice Course and worked in insolvency for four years before taking up a trainee position with Battrick Clark. Private client work brings lots of variety and Olivia when asked about what she has enjoyed most during your traineeship stated, “having direct contact with clients is something that I thoroughly enjoy and working with them to deliver a solution provides me with great job satisfaction”.
For Bianca, Family Law is where her enthusiasm lies with “no two cases being the same and also having the opportunity to interact with people from all different walks of life”. She enjoys knowing that “she can provide part of the support system for someone going through what can be a very upsetting time in their lives”.
So, for these two trainees who are coming to the end of their training contracts, and about to start their lives as qualified Solicitors their futures look very positive – they’ve been exposed to a variety of different work across the three legal areas of service offered by Battrick Clark, they’ve been challenged and it’s been intellectually stimulating but they have found their niche’s. Having the opportunity to study new topics and actually make a positive impact on people’s lives has brought great satisfaction and when asked what they think they might be doing in ten years’ time they both responded by saying unsurprisingly, “law is for life”.
Good Luck to both Bianca and Olivia – soon to be qualified Solicitors!