What seat are you currently in?

Isioma: I’m currently in the Employment, Pensions and Immigration team, this is my third seat.

Dominic: I am currently sitting in the Commercial team which is my third seat.

How are trainee seats allocated?

Isioma: During each seat, the trainees have a meeting with the trainee support team to discuss how their current seat is going and what they would like for their next seat. They would usually ask for your top 3 preferences and the seat choices will be confirmed a couple of weeks before you are due to begin.

Dominic: Trainees hold a catch up with the trainee support team halfway through the seat to review the seat itself and to also put forward preferences as to which practice group we would like to experience for the next seat rotation. Places are then determined using these preferences and also the business need.

What time do you start your working day?

Isioma: I am quite flexible so anytime between 8am – 9am, but most times I do enjoy an early start.

Dominic: I commute to the office by train so, depending on train reliability, I walk through the office doors about 08.40. By the time I’ve got myself a coffee and said hello to my colleagues I’ve usually begun work in time for 08.50. When I work at home, I will be online at the same time, ready to start the day a bit before 09.00.

Is there anything you do routinely every day?

Isioma: Every morning I go through my emails and update my to-do list. I then check my team members’ calendars to see what they are up to for the day, and where I can get involved and contribute to ongoing matters.

Dominic: Other than to ensure I’m sufficiently caffeinated, I routinely check my emails every morning and, if time allows, will have a brief look at the morning’s legal news and updates. I always ensure to re-write my to-do list for the day based on priorities.

How do you spend your average day?

Isioma: It's different everyday but most times I would usually be involved in drafting agreements or writing articles, corresponding with clients or parties from the other side (whether that be through letters, email or by phone), or preparing for and attending client meetings or court hearings.

Dominic: There are always the usual tasks any office job entails, replying to emails and Zoom messages, attending calls and so forth. However, now I’m in the Commercial team, I review and draft quite a few contracts, conduct legal research, draft letters and liaise with clients. It sounds clichéd but every day offers up something new.

What usually happens at lunch?

Isioma: Most days the trainees will arrange to have lunch together in the town hall, or we would go for a walk into Guildford town centre and it's usually a nice opportunity to catch up with one another.

Dominic: We have a great lunch area in the office we call the ‘Town Hall’. It’s essentially a large open plan room with a kitchen and plenty of seating. We normally head there as a trainee group and have lunch together. It’s a great chance to catch up.

Do you have a lot of contact with partners and clients?

Isioma: Yes! In every seat I have done so far, I have always had the opportunity to work closely with partners and interact with the clients. Particularly, I’ve had the opportunity to work directly with a partner on a matter and it was great to have the level of responsibility I was given.

Dominic: Absolutely, partner contact occurs every day and is very fluid, there’s no barrier to partner access. Client-wise, it is probably a little less, but having said that I usually experience client contact every other day, and certainly will experience client contact every week. You are trusted to interact with clients largely on your own terms.

Do you enjoy the client-facing aspect of your job?

Isioma: Yes, I really enjoy this side of my work! It's really rewarding being able to build a relationship with a client and I have found that it has made me gain more confidence and improve my abilities.

Dominic: It’s really great, trainees are often trusted to deal with clients very independently. Whilst certain emails or letters may have to understandably be reviewed, this is often quite light touch and there is an emphasis on expressing your own style of client communication.

Do you work alongside other trainees?

Isioma: This mostly depends on what practice group you are in, and whether there is cross-departmental work that involves the trainees. Otherwise, trainees tend to get involved in firm wide activities and this allows us work together in organising, planning and hosting specific activities.  

Dominic: Not particularly, there may occasionally be some overlap depending on the size of your seats practice area, but we are all mostly placed in different areas of the firm.

How is your progress as a trainee monitored?

Isioma: All trainees have a supervisor in each seat, with formal mid-seat and end-of-seat reviews being done. However, trainees and their supervisors typically have regular catchups throughout the seat to discuss the trainees' performance and receive feedback.  

Dominic: As per the SRA requirements, we are asked to keep a ‘trainee log’ of all the relevant work we do. We also hold mid-seat and end-of-seat reviews with our supervisors where we go through the past 3 or 6 months respectively and review progress.

What is the culture like at Stevens & Bolton?

Isioma: The culture here at S&B is very warm and friendly! Everyone is genuinely very nice and approachable and S&B provide a good mix of social events throughout the year so we can let our hair down after a busy working day!

Dominic: I personally feel that the culture at S&B is something I haven’t experienced elsewhere. Everyone is incredibly kind and supportive which gives colleagues the space to express themselves and guide their career in the route they desire. Everyone works hard but realistically, so your time is respected.

What time do you usually leave the office?

Isioma: I usually leave anytime between 5:30pm – 6pm, unless I am particularly busy and then I might leave closer to 6:30pm. The firm prioritises having a healthy work life balance, so whilst I am expected to work hard during the day, I also get to leave on time to enjoy the rest of my evening.

Dominic: I usually aim to get the 18.00 or 18.30 train home which I am usually successful in getting. Obviously, there are occasions where I would stay in the office beyond either of these times, but these are pretty rare.

Are trainees encouraged to socialise with the firm?

Isioma: Yes! The firm encourages everyone to get involved in as many social events as possible, be that volunteering in our CSR initiatives, networking events, sporting events and lots more! As a trainee it is also a good way to meet other people in the firm and grow your network.  

Dominic: There are often team- and firm-wide events going on. The Town Hall area is used regularly for such events, it is a great space, and the firm takes full advantage of this. There’s always something going on.

What made you choose to train at Stevens & Bolton?

Isioma: I wanted to train at a firm that offers high quality training while fostering a friendly and supportive environment!

Dominic: I wanted my training contract to be wide ranging and varied, as S&B is a full-service law firm I knew I could fulfil that aim here. But also, and more importantly, the client base reflects the firm’s position in the market, offering a broad range of work from helping smaller businesses in the community grow to working with large, well-known companies on complex matters. The responsibility I am offered as a trainee at S&B is great and I am trusted to offer my own opinions and ideas.