In this section you'll find different views on life as a trainee and an insight into what the training contract really involves. These articles have been written by those who have either been through the process already or who are currently undertaking a trainee contract. You'll get to see why they chose Bird & Bird, how they cope and what you can expect on the trainee programme.
Dan Eliasson, Associate
Bird & Bird was suggested to me by a tutor at law school. I was told that the firm offered a very structured and supportive training contract and that the people were friendly and approachable - an ideal environment for a trainee.
From my first seat in the Employment Group, I realised that the work would be interesting and challenging, and I was pleasantly surprised at the level of responsibility I was given and the degree of support I received from my mentor.
At the start of my second year, I was given the opportunity of a 3 month secondment to Bird & Bird’s Madrid office (with 14 offices across Europe and Asia, the firm has grown incredibly since 2000). My Spanish secondment gave me the chance to work in other key sectors that I had not already been exposed to, helped my overall development as a lawyer, and also gave me some great Spanish contacts.
The firm has a wide variety of social activities such as football, cricket and softball to get involved in – an annual highlight being the inter-office five-a-side European Football Championship! During the summer I captained the softball team, which provided a great way of getting to know people from all departments within the firm.
Whatever department you work in at Bird & Bird, it’s very clear that you’re part of a team and work for each other. The reward for all this is a challenging and stimulating environment, and a real work-life balance.
Zoë Aldam, Associate
My training contract followed the classic formula of four six-month seats. The first of these was Employment, where I had spent my vacation scheme two years earlier and therefore recognised a few friendly faces!
I was guided through the process of choosing where to go next in a review meeting with my supervisor. She helped me identify my goals for the second half of the seat and, with the Graduate Recruitment team, took on board my preferences for the next.
The options often extend beyond the London office to include secondments both with clients and abroad. Though it's rare to be able to choose all four seats, your preferences are taken seriously and accommodated where possible. So, by the time qualification decisions come around you should have had a chance to make that all-important impression on you preferred department!
The variety of the work I was involved with during my training contract was impressive. In Employment it ranged from advising individuals on unfair dismissal to assisting PLCs on large-scale redundancies. In IP, it ranged from coordinating multi-jurisdictional patent litigation to giving pro-bono trade mark advice.
Like many of my fellow trainees I became involved in various internal and client-focused know-how projects, including setting up a monthly legislation update for one of the firm's largest clients. As a newly-qualified assistant I continue to be involved in this, as well as a pro bono scheme helping children at a local primary school to develop their numeracy skills.
