The Gilson Gray Traineeship: What to Expect

The Gilson Gray Traineeship offers you the chance to work in 4 different practice areas (referred to as “seats”). These rotations usually last 6 months and allow you to gain hands on experience across a wide range of departments. This variety helps you discover what area of law you may like to specialise in on qualification.

My traineeship experience started with a gradual introduction to the firm and to working life in such a way that myself and the other trainees were made to feel part of Gilson Gray from day 1! We started with a week-long induction, split between both the Edinburgh and Glasgow offices. We were introduced to the various departments in the firm, through presentations from different senior solicitors and partners and training sessions addressing everything we needed to know to start in our first seat. There was a social event in each office, which were great opportunities to get to know all the trainees and members of staff in a more informal setting and really showcased Gilson Gray’s down to earth culture.

I’m now two months into my first seat of my traineeship in the Litigation department in Glasgow. I’ve already had lots of great opportunities to get involved in interesting cases and complete research to assist the team and I’m looking forward to attending my first proof at the end of this month. There is plenty of opportunity to develop legal skills through drafting letters, emails or legal documents for clients. Every day involves varied work for different cases and really gives a fantastic insight to the world of litigation.

At Gilson Gray we have a buddy system, where we are paired up with a solicitor in a different location and have meetings throughout the traineeship to help answer any questions we may have. It’s great to have continuous support even after the induction week when you’ve had some experience in-department. I’ve also joined the Social Committee in the Glasgow office and have enjoyed attending committee meetings and planning events.

I am looking forward to learning as much as possible in the remainder of my first seat and using the transferable skills I am developing for my next seat, whatever that may be!

Making the Most of Networking Opportunities as a Trainee

Networking is a vital skill for trainees and it can be one that trainees starting out their traineeships neglect. However, networking is essential for solicitors and for the success of law firms as businesses. I’ve outlined some different ways that I have embraced networking opportunities from the outset of my traineeship.

As a trainee in Gilson Gray’s Litigation department, I have had the opportunity to attend a number of external networking events. These have included attending Look up and Beyond’s first event, ‘Elevate your BD Potential’. The dynamic panel fielded topical questions and offered insights into contemporary issues as well as including practical tips and tricks for networking.

I’ve also enjoyed attending events hosted by Royal Faculty of Procurators Glasgow (RFPG) these take the format of presentations from different panel members followed by a Q&A session. It’s always really interesting to hear from professionals in the legal community who are at different stages of their careers at different sizes of firms. Doing some research on panel members before events can be helpful for considering what questions you may like to ask in Q&A sessions, as there might be a panel member attending from a practice area which you are interested in. Signing up to RFPG newsletter or becoming a member of Scottish Young Lawyers Association are great ways to stay updated of any upcoming events.

However, networking opportunities are not limited to hosted events, platforms like LinkedIn are invaluable for networking. Creating a professional profile highlighting your experiences, and interests allows you to connect with different professionals you meet at events or even connect with former lecturers from university! Having varied connections on LinkedIn increases your exposure to articles your connections may be reposting relevant to their specialism. This can be a fantastic way to pick up on changes in the fast-paced legal industry.

Attending networking events has also allowed me to develop my internal network at Gilson Gray, it is a great way to spend time with colleagues outside of office hours and get to know each other better. Joining committees within your firm is another great way to network internally and meet people from different departments.

My top tip for networking as a trainee would be to approach networking with an open mind, go to events with a fellow trainee and listen actively to those you encounter, you never know what you could learn!