Duncan Cotterill

The exact type of work depends on the team you are rotating in. In commercial/private client/public there is a large amount of proofreading and drafting, as well as some opportunities to help on conveyancing matters. There are tasks such as filing annual returns which constantly run in the background in commercial which essentially always give you something to do. In litigation, there is a larger amount of legal research that you are tasked with. There are also different parts of discovery that you will be given to do. In all teams, clear instructions and guidance are given if you need it. Often work is given by oral instructions from a senior. It pays to have your notebook or laptop with you to take good notes on what it is you are being asked to do. When you don't have much client to do, there are often "grad responsibilities" that you can do too. It also pays to let everyone in the team know that you have capacity to take on more work. Once you are able to, there are also walk-ins who require documents to be certified or affidavits to be witnessed. Generally, the most junior solicitors will do this.

Day-to-day tasks include legal research and drafting, strategy discussions, attending client meetings, preparing pleadings, preparing court documents (e.g. bundles), drafting letters, drafting communications to clients and other parties, preparing for mediation/alternative dispute resolution, document review, report writing.

I am given a wide range of work from different areas across my team. I am given the opportunity to draft documents to sent to clients/court, carry out interesting legal research, and assist with Trial prep / evidence.

From my first few days I have been thrown into meaningful work for real clients, and although some of it can be quite fiddly or mechanical I feel that it is all working toward a positive outcome for the client.

I am satisfied with the tasks I have been given to work on thus far - I have had the opportunity in my first few months to already have some responsibility for larger pieces of work and get be a part of some major deals and transactions.