BEST TRAINER – NATIONAL/LARGE REGIONAL FIRM
who had never previously worked in an office, these additional sessions have proved invaluable. “There is only so much your degree and Legal Practice Course (LPC) can tell you about working in a commercial law firm,” she admits. “The fact that I didn’t feel out of my depth when I started at the firm was largely due to how comprehensive the induction training is.” Crucially, education within the firm goes both ways. “As one year qualifies we consider what we can learn from their experiences and compound on or adjust for the incumbents,” explains Victoria. “This year we spoke to our qualifiers six months after qualification to find out what more we could have done to prepare them and make their life as an NQ easier. Based on this feedback we are initiating training on effective communication with different types of people. We were also told that more clarity on the different seats would be beneficial, so we have produced a booklet to help trainees make more informed choices.” According to Andrew, the secret of Burges Salmon’s success is that it listens to its people and acts on the feedback it receives. “We have always had a collegiate atmosphere here because of our relatively small size: there’s no them and us here, we’re all in it together.” The entire firm is compact enough to operate from one building which is also significant. “Having a single site can be underplayed but it leads to far more opportunities for our trainees to knock on the door of anyone in the firm,” says Victoria. “No one is ever going to shoot them down for that. It can be harder to develop positive relationships when you are new if it’s over a phone or by email.” This collegiate atmosphere was what first brought Burges Salmon to Molly’s attention during her time studying at Cardiff University. “A friend first mentioned it to me as a firm that was sporty and a fun place to work,” she recalls. “I was looking for a law firm based in the South West that offered high level commercial work in a great location. Burges Salmon was an obvious choice.” In order to see firsthand whether the firm lived up to these expectations, Molly undertook a two- week vacation scheme in the summer between her second and third year of university. She was impressed by both the level of involvement she was given
as a vac schemer – including sitting in on client meetings – and by the social events designed to make students feel part of the Burges Salmon team. This involvement in firm life is something that is greatly encouraged from the outset, explains Victoria. “As a firm we support local schools and the community, and we also have committees such as sustainability and charities and we also like trainees to be part of these. More than that, trainees take an active role in organising events throughout the year, such as our Strictly Legal dance competition that raises money for charity – it’s good fun and they learn a lot of valuable skills.” The vacation scheme – which Molly would highly recommend – culminated in an interview for a training contract, something that the firm made as stress-free as possible. “It was intense but it didn’t feel tricky or scary,” she remembers. “The partner and member of the people team who interviewed me were interested in what I’d done during the fortnight I’d been there, why I wanted to work in law, and specifically at Burges Salmon. There were also more probing questions to push you to your limits and show what you were capable
We have always had a collegiate atmosphere here because of our relatively small size
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