Ashfords Solicitors - What you could expect from us during your training contract

We are delighted to announce that we won the 2006 LawCareers.net trophy for best training provided by a medium-sized regional firm and have been a Lex 100 listed firm in an amazing fifteen categories over the past two years, with work-life balance and friendliness gaining particular praise.

You will receive client contact and practical experience:

Trainees are given as much hands-on experience as possible. As a Trainee with us, you will be encouraged to play an active role in all matters with which you are involved. This may include participating in business meetings, going to Court and meeting clients on a regular basis.

You will also be given your own files to deal with, and direct client contact as soon as you are able to demonstrate to us that you are willing and able to take on that responsibility. You will however have the full support of other fee-earners at all times.

You will be working with a wide range of challenging clients, ranging from large multinational companies (please see our recent deals page) to local businesses and individuals.

You will be given thorough training:

As a Trainee Solicitor with Ashfords, you will gain a thorough grounding in the requirements of clients of a busy, full service, commercial law firm. You will be given the best theoretical and practical training with us including:

Substantive law;
Drafting;
Public speaking;
IT skills;
Time management;
Client relations;
Leadership and
Other practical skills.

Training is delivered during your training contract in a variety of ways including:

Induction Training in the first weeks at the firm;
Departmental training as you move round the firm;
In-house seminars;
External seminars and
Video training.

You will enjoy an informal but productive working environment

We are proud of the fact that we have a friendly environment in all of our offices. Everyone is on first name terms. We want people to be happy at work, and believe this will also enable them to work better and provide a more effective service to our clients.

Most of our offices are open plan, with everyone from the Managing Partner to support staff having the same size working area . In open plan offices you will sit near the partner or senior fee earner who supervises you.

Where a building is not open plan, our Trainees share offices with partners or other senior fee earners.

Under either arrangement, you would be able to gain valuable direct experience on how to deal with all client matters.

You will feel part of the team:

Ashfords is organised on departmental lines across the offices. Departments meet regularly to discuss client matters, developments in the law and marketing strategies, and members of the teams are in regular contact to discuss transactions and cases.

You will be encouraged to play an active part in departmental life. This may include updating the other members of the team about changes in the law, and helping to organise client seminars and training.

You will also be in a team with other trainees. We arrange Trainee Team Meetings twice a year, when you will have the chance of discussing matters with your colleagues, the Chief Executive, the Human Resources Manager and the Recruitment Partners.

We also have an active social life. Ashfords has a number of sports teams which compete in local leagues, or otherwise play more informally against other firms and local businesses. New blood is always welcome!

Each department also organises an annual weekend away, which might be an adventure weekend in Wales or surfing in Cornwall. We have found these weekends to be an excellent opportunity of getting to know colleagues better - and an excuse to have a beer or two with friends.

Our Trainees have always played an active part in the local TSG groups, organising amongst other things wine tastings and summer balls. The TSG gives you a great chance of meeting other Trainees, and getting to know your colleagues from other firms.

You will be working in great locations:

Our offices are in a beautiful area of the country. This means you can enjoy lifestyle and sporting attractions combined with good quality work involving a wide range of clients from multinational companies to private individuals.

Our offices are in vibrant towns and cities which offer an active nightlife, theatres, cinemas, Arts and other festivals throughout the year and many other social and sporting activities.