What does it take to be a trainee at Russell-Cooke?

Regardless of your background and experience, you might question how suited you are to be a Russell-Cooke trainee. Doubts certainly pop into my head from time to time when I make a mistake or when I take too long to finish a task. 

Understanding that there is no such thing as the 'perfect trainee' is the key to alleviating those doubts. The only way forward is to continuously improve on the skills required of any good trainee. The environment at Russell-Cooke provides ample opportunities to do just that.  

I am currently in my first seat in the charity team, which is often known as a 'firm within a firm' given the comprehensive nature of the work we do for charities. Despite this only being my first seat, I have already had experience in governance, commercial, property, and employment matters under the general umbrella of charity law. I assist on the whole range of services offered by the team, which covers everything from the setting up of a charity, dealing with charity governance and employment issues, to facilitating charity property transactions. The variation of work across the team ensures that I am always learning something new in a different area of law. 

The highlights of my work include drafting charity registration applications, drafting a sale contract and license in relation to charity properties, and advising clients on charity governance procedures and issues. Through my substantive involvement in many matters, the team has enabled me to hone my legal skills and knowledge from an early stage of the training contract. Everyone in the team is also very generous with their time in giving feedback on the work I do, which has given me the tools to improve on my weaknesses. 

While legal drafting and research are universally important for solicitors, these cannot be the only skills trainees excel at. The charity team presents welcome opportunities for me to utilise my soft skills. Client interaction is a big part of my work. I take initial cold enquiry calls, have direct contact with clients on matters, and have been a part of networking events hosted by the team. With each client interaction, I feel myself being a bit more confident and aware of different clients’ needs. Some may prefer short exchanges while others prefer more detailed responses. Ultimately, it is about maintaining clear and effective communication which is tailored to the client.

The business-side of running a law firm requires skills which trainees might not immediately be familiar with. In my first week, I helped the team put together a pitch for a prospective new client. Fresh out of law school, I was surprised that my first task didn’t involve any of the legal skills I spent years developing. The main focus was to better understand the team’s services and strengths in order to tailor our offering to the prospective client’s demands. This relied on carefully considering the client’s needs, creative marketing and design of our presentation deck, and focused communication. 

Time and cost management is also essential to the smooth functioning of the team’s handling of each client matter. Cost management in particular has been a novel concept for me to grasp. How does a trainee balance the time spent on a matter, the costs to the client of spending that time, and the quality of work produced? Striking the right balance is not always easy and comes only with practice along with guidance from the team. Anticipating what the client or your colleagues need and delivering work on time is also a big challenge of being a trainee.