The progression of a traineeship

Background

I joined Gilson Gray as a trainee in September 2015.  Against the backdrop of typical traineeships, and the inevitable ‘trainee tasks’ in the industry that bear little resemblance to actual legal work, I was surprised by the intensity and responsibility from day one.

I was being given an opportunity to do real legal work whilst learning about our role within any client’s business or life. The mutual commerciality in any client relationship is fundamental yet often overlooked during the pre-traineeship stages.

As will be clear from the blogs written by my colleagues currently in their traineeships, little has changed in this respect. It is that expectation of willing, coupled with truly excellent support from senior colleagues, which provides a platform for personal success.

Experience

My own experience has reflected that.  My first seat was within the Real Estate and Projects teams.  I was involved a great number of astounding projects and my role quickly developed.  That development process was replicated when I moved to the Litigation team. I qualified in September 2017 and stayed within the Litigation team. As I had been doing during my traineeship, I started building a practice in the Sheriff Court whilst continuing to be being involved in a number of high-profile and high-value litigations.

The opportunity for progression at Gilson Gray has always clear to me. The business is ambitious and every person has their part to play in growing the business.  That is demonstrated by the evolution of the business over the last few years.  This is, again, said out of experience rather than some advertising puff.  In the last two years I have moved to Senior Solicitor and now to Associate.

One of the most striking features of the firm is the collegiality at both department and firm levels.  I have always found the business to be a cohesive unit.   I have felt part of the Gilson Gray team from my first day.  My colleagues within the Litigation team are dependable and empathetic.  That support has a huge impact on the dynamic of personal development.

That has not changed.  I am fortunate to have been part of the firm during its intense (and continuing) growth.  One would expect this growth to result in a dilution of that collegiality, particularly at a firm-wide level.  However it is clear that is not the case at Gilson Gray