Developing Key Skills during Your Traineeship

I’ve started my traineeship with Gilson Gray in August 2023 and I am now a second year currently in the Real Estate department. I can safely say that I have developed valuable skills during this time and the purpose of this blog is to share those with you.

1. Communication

This might seem obvious but having good communication is essential for a solicitor. This is not limited to communicating with clients or other professionals’ but also internally. It is important to communicate clearly and efficiently with your colleagues about the progress of a transaction that has been delegated to you. This would ensure that the transaction is running smoothly and your colleague will have an insight of its status given that they might be busy with dealing with other matters. By doing this, I always stay on top of my transactions and also keep the other informed.

2. Organisation/Time Management

I was generally into the medium scale in terms of organisation. However, I have considerably enhanced my skills since I started my traineeship. As I am involved in numerous transactions, it is necessary to keep track of everything. The way I ensure this is done is by having a list with all the matters I am involved which I check every morning and update it during the day. Real Estate transactions are fast-paced and involve strict deadlines and often a transaction that was not too urgent one day suddenly becomes a priority. This is where time management and organisation come hand to hand and I’ve learned to allocate my time to what is most important and focus towards prioritising the particular task.

3. Research

This might sound simple but actually being able to conduct thorough research on a given topic requires a lot of effort and attention to detail. When I was into my first seat (Corporate), I have conducted a presentation about “The process for performing a statutory buyback of
shares in a private limited company”. I’ve used various online resources such as Practical Law UK, my University notes and books as well as Gilson Gray’s internal resources to get a proper understanding of the topic.

The information and opinions contained in this blog are for information only.  They are not intended to constitute advice and should not be relied upon or considered as a replacement for advice.  Before acting on any information contained in this blog, please seek solicitor’s advice from Gilson Gray.