Tom M.

Trainee Solicitor
Happy to mentor
Happy to be contacted

About me

Tom M.
Law
Law
Undergraduate
Halifax
2012
United Kingdom

My employment

Trainee Solicitor
Pinsent Masons LLP
United Kingdom
Legal services
Large business (250+ employees)
2015

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A day in the life of a Trainee Solicitor in the United Kingdom

Courses taken since graduation

LLM (DISTINCTION) in International Corporate & Commercial Law

My advice to students considering work

Be clear about what you want to do and what you're good at. Come up with a plan and keep focused, but don't be put off if you find that your plan changes slightly. As long as you know where you would like to be at the end, it doesn't always matter so much which way you go to get there and sometimes the unexpected opportunities turn out to be fantastic ones. Keep up-to-date with the latest reforms in the legal world and grab every opportunity you get to talk to practitioners. Be clear about what you want out of your career and come up with a plan, but don't be scared of changing your plan to reflect the opportunities which arise.

My advice about working in my industry

Keep up-to-date with the latest reforms in the legal world and grab every opportunity you get to talk to practitioners. Be clear about what you want out of your career and come up with a plan, but don't be scared of changing your plan to reflect the opportunities which arise.

Skills I use and how I developed them

Whilst my LLB and LLM degrees certainly put me in a strong position when making applications, so much of the process is about you as an individual - how you work, how you think and how you work with others. Never underestimate the importance of all of the extra skills you develop through societies and other hobbies.

Extracurricular skills:
During my time as an undergraduate I helped run a volunteering project, was involved in the debating society and sat on lots of student committees. I really enjoyed all of these experiences and made some wonderful friends in the process, but the management, teamwork, public speaking and communication skills I learnt are all things which I rely on and continue to develop every day in my job.

What I like most

I'm learning a huge amount about the Civil Procedure Rules, about practice in the legal sector and working closely with large national and international clients on a day-to-day basis. I love the responsibility and challenge and applying my technical knowledge in a commercially minded practical way.

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