Name: Sean Cannon Firm: RPC Location: London University: University of Oxford Degree: English Pronouns: He/him
meetings or discussions that can lead to really good pieces of work for trainees or junior associates. But I think it’s just about finding the right balance – where you can still take advantage of all the great flexibility of hybrid working without losing the cohesion and learning opportunities that you can get from being in the office.” You learn so much from the people you work alongside, both within the firm and outside it. It’s a great, stimulating environment Don’t rule yourself out The legal profession remains a competitive space, particularly for aspiring lawyers who are seeking out training contract opportunities. Making the most of the wellbeing initiatives at university and within firms is key, but what more career-specific advice does Sean have for those trying to enter the profession? “Any contact with the legal world is valuable when you’re just starting out,” he says. But this doesn’t mean you must have experience on several prestigious schemes, and not having this experience should certainly not put anyone off applying. “One of the things I wish I’d been told when I was applying is that a lot of the experience you need to be a trainee, you probably already have from going to university, doing extracurriculars and having a part-time job – it’s just about how you package that information.” Sean urges aspiring lawyers to not discount any experience they’ve had: “Take the time to consider your experience – law or non- law – and how it might be relevant to your application or how it helped you to develop the skills needed to be a trainee.”
the case, which stands you in good stead for taking more responsibility in other areas of the case as it progresses.” It’s therefore important that trainees and juniors in this, and any, practice area are “willing to get involved in any matter” that comes across their desk. Always reflect With two years’ experience as an associate in this role, Sean considers some stand-out moments of his career to date. One particular case, which has recently concluded, ran throughout Sean’s training contract and into his first two years as a qualified lawyer. While there isn’t a specific highlight for Sean, he talks about the reward that comes with “looking back on the case now that it has resolved and seeing all the work that went into it”. He adds: “It was great to see how every aspect of the team worked together and all the collaboration that was necessary to achieve the outcome.” The work that comes with such cases is “challenging, interesting and varied. You learn so much from the people you work alongside, both within the firm and outside. It’s a great, stimulating environment”. To hybrid or not to hybrid Given the shift to remote working during the pandemic, and the hybrid approach that many firms have adopted subsequently, maintaining this stimulating environment in which trainees and junior associates can continue to learn from their more senior colleagues is something that law firms are continuing to engage with. “Hybrid working is beneficial to so many people – the amount of flexibility it offers is hugely valuable in terms of other responsibilities and just general work-life balance. But, on some days, there may be fewer people in the office, and so there may be fewer opportunities for chance
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