Work for us
Trainee Experience
Alice Pratt, Associate Solicitor, Corporate Recovery
I began my training contract with the Firm in September 2001. I qualified as an assistant solicitor in the firms Corporate Recovery department in September 2003 and I was promoted to an associate solicitor in April 2005.
Clarion Solicitors LLP is a very young and vibrant firm to work at and this was obvious from the very outset of my training contract. Training at Clarion Solicitors LLP most definitely prepares you for life as a qualified solicitor, meaning that the transition from trainee to a qualified solicitor is not too stressful. As a trainee I was given a mixture of tasks to do. Obviously sometimes this involved the more menial jobs such as photocopying, but the majority of the time this consisted of good quality work. As a trainee I was given responsibility for files and as a result encouraged to have client contact.
From the start of my training contract at Clarion Solicitors LLP I was actively encouraged to join in and become a part of the firm and support and guidance was constantly available from more senior colleagues.
Trainees are encouraged to put forward ideas and their views about the firm. In my first year as a trainee I set up ClarioNet with two colleagues which now operates successfully on an internal basis as a support network for junior fee earners, giving them a forum to raise issues, or put forward ideas. ClarioNet also operates on an external basis as a marketing forum for young professionals in Leeds, and holds three events per year. As a trainee you do become involved in marketing from an early stage and this provides an excellent opportunity to practice the skills required.
Life at Clarion Solicitors LLP is enjoyable. As a trainee and qualified solicitor you are constantly faced with new challenges, and life is definitely not dull. During my time at Clarion Solicitors LLP the firm has grown significantly and it is exciting to be part of a young growing firm. The firm has a distinct character, and so do those who work at it, and I am proud to be a part of it.
