What do our existing trainees think?

Napthens is committed to recruiting a Trainee Solicitor every six months to sustain the development of our firm. Here is what our existing trainees have to say:

Kate Moss
Experience as a Trainee at Napthens

Napthens have a reputation for offering high quality training to graduates and I felt privileged to join them as a Trainee Solicitor in October 2007.

Being someone who has always lived, worked and studied in the local community, I had little desire to train with a large city firm. That said I felt that smaller high street firms would simply not be able to offer me the opportunity to deal with a broad range of clients and gain experience in a diverse range of legal matters.

Napthens strikes the perfect balance. The culture of the firm is that of a city firm. Due to its expansion in recent years the firm undertakes a wide variety of commercial and private client matters, spread across its various offices in the Northwest. However the firm still manages to retain a high street character which exudes personality and approachability – a quality which I believe is attractive to both its prospective employees and its clients.

Since commencing my training contract I have completed seats in both Residential Conveyancing and Personal Injury Litigation. Whilst giving me experience in two very distinct areas of law, the experience has also affirmed my desire to work in the private client sector upon qualification. Dealing with real people, who come to you for a solution to their problems is incredibly satisfying.

The firm demonstrates a real willingness to accommodate its trainees and their personal interests. At the start of my training contract I was asked to identify those departments in which I would like to complete a seat. I feel my training contract has been tailored to suit my individual preferences whilst balancing the needs and resources of the firm.

Napthens adopt a very ‘hands on’ approach to training. From the very start you’re treated as a member of the team, and are given a variety of work and responsibilities enabling you to play an active role in the departments work. Initiative and independence is encouraged however there is a strong sense of support. Help is always at hand and I have found all of the partners and support staff alike to be patient and generous with their time and expertise.

As well as learning practical skills such as drafting, case management, negotiation and research you are encouraged to develop professional conduct including communication with clients and colleagues. There is a real emphasis on teamwork across the firm and the plentiful ‘out of office’ activities enable you to develop real and meaningful relationships with your colleagues and the wider profession.

The training contract marks the start of a young solicitor’s career. A thorough and varied training enables trainees to make informed career decisions regarding their choice of practice area upon qualification. Napthens’ investment and commitment to training year after year is evidence of their belief that trainees and the quality of their training is key to the future success of the firm.

But perhaps the aspect I like and respect most about Napthens is that many of the Solicitors and partners have spent most of their careers here, which says far more about the firm than I ever could.

Benjamin Dredge
Experience as a Trainee at Napthens

I applied to Napthens in early 2007, having completed my law degree at the University of Central Lancashire and following this, my Legal Practice Course at Lancashire Law School. Having moved to the area and studied for several years I was familiar with the North West and in particularly those law firms which could offer a training contract.

In drawing up my CV and covering letters I carefully considered what, in an ideal world, I wanted in the law firm I would train with. From friends and colleagues at the time I was well aware of nightmare Training Contracts, spent pouring over documents, endless photocopying, and gaining nothing in experience necessary to practice the law. Others had spoken of a small firm experience, unable to gain specialised knowledge or understanding in any one field whilst working as a fee earner in an often unsupported and untutored environment.

Therefore did I want the big city firm experience with long hours and little hands on experience or what might be offered in a small high street practice, with heavy but unstructured work loads and little reward? Could I not have what I wanted from a law firm, a balance between responsibility, experience and client contact, against a background of support, training and the protection of being a Trainee? With this significant consideration in mind my sizeable list, which had included multi-national city based firms, together with the small high street practices was now reduced to just a handful of firms offering me as a trainee, what I wanted. Napthens was one of those firms.

Napthens exists with the motivations and aspirations of a city firm several times its size. During my time here I have seen it grow further and have begun to feel part of this growth and with that in some small part responsible for its future.

With the numbers of staff reaching almost 200, you would have thought a large city firm ethos would mean that, other than those around me in my workplace, I would not be able to name or recall who existed further than my office walls. Since working at Napthens I realise that whilst we bear a city firm’s outlook and experience without exception there exists a friendly hardworking attitude normally only to be found in a small one office business.

The size of the firm and diversity of practice areas means I have been able to experience a seat in Civil Litigation, Commercial Property, and my current seat is within our Corporate Department. My time spent within the firm has allowed me to gain an understanding of all the legal divisions and services we offer our clients and the overlapping of expertise that exist within the firm all of which can be called upon as a client or indeed experienced as a trainee.

My experience so far within the firm has seen me gain knowledge and understanding of caseload, client care, and litigation technique during my Civil Litigation seat. Building on this, my time within the Commercial Property team gave me the opportunity to understand the commercial client, the skills required for project management, and the need for accuracy and technical ability. Both these seats have proved invaluable, and I seek to build upon these skills during my time within the Corporate Department. I have already begun to establish a greater understanding of client expectations, interview style and technique, and the role a Corporate lawyer plays within the firm.

In conclusion my training contract so far has proved to be challenging, full of hard work, but in equal measure inspirational and rewarding. I hope to extend my current seat all the way through to qualification next year, building upon the excellent foundation given to me by Napthens.