Georgina Sheldon, Newly Qualified Solicitor was a trainee at the firm 2005 - 2007

"My first seat was within in the Personal Injury department in Sheffield.
From the start I was able to get involved with complex high value cases. I was fortunate enough to work on a case in the run up to trial. I gained a wide range of experience; including attending conferences with counsel and medical experts, and drafting witness statements.

My second seat was in Insolvency, Sheffield. This department deals with a wide variety of work from personal bankruptcy to company insolvency to voluntary arrangements . I was given the opportunity to gain valuable experience in all of these areas.

I ran a number of smaller cases myself under close supervision and this enabled me to develop my own style, whilst always having someone to turn to for guidance when needed.

For my third seat I remained in Sheffield and was placed in the Court of Protection Team. This team supports the work of the Court of Protection; the judicial body which manages the financial affairs of those who are not capable of dealing with them themselves.

I was allowed a considerable amount of client contact, with visits out to see clients at home on almost a weekly basis. I also advised clients on setting up Personal Injury Trusts, draft Wills and deal with the registering of Enduring Powers of Attorney.
For my fourth and final seat, I returned to Personal Injury where I am pleased to be qualifying into in September. As the level of responsibility has steadily increased during my training contract I feel confident that the transition from trainee to newly qualified solicitor will be relatively smooth.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my training contract and can't believe how far I have come over the past two years. I have always felt valued and the work has been varied and challenging.

Work aside, there is a great social side too and it is usual for the trainees to meet up for a few drinks on a Friday evening. This makes for a good work/life balance, which is actively encouraged by the firm".