I began my training at Dawsons in September 2008 after completing the GDL and LPC with BPP.  Prior to making the decision to study law, I had graduated from Bristol University in Zoology and taught for two years with the innovative Teach First programme.

I wanted to work for a law firm with a strong reputation in Family law, but which also offered a wide range of areas and opportunities.  The small number of trainees, friendly, open atmosphere and fantastic location were all factors that contributed to my decision to accept Dawsons' offer of a training contract. 

All trainees share a room with a supervising partner, which is a superb forum for learning.  Trainees have a good level of responsibility and can be involved in all aspects of a file.  There is a wide variety of work, which could come from almost any member of the department you work in.  You may simply work in the background on a case, or do much more of the legwork, before it is checked off by a partner/assistant.  You are therefore treated as a significant member of the team from the start, which makes the work even more rewarding.

I was lucky to have my first seat in the Family Department.  I worked on both contested and non-contested files, experiencing collaborative law as well as full blown litigation.  In the first week I attended one of many mediation sessions and a couple of client meetings.  The workload I was given included a number of Divorce and Ancillary Relief cases, where I would be drafting petitions and affidavits, and analysing finances for example.  I was also able to work on private Children Act cases, looking at shared residence orders and taking statements in support of section 8 proceedings.  I rapidly learnt my way around the Principal Registry of the Family Division (PRFD), attending court hearings, issuing applications or filing papers. 

My second six months was spent in the Property Department.  Again, I was given a lot of responsibility, helping work through both commercial and private transactions.  I was asked to examine beautiful old deeds from the 1600s to help with first registration of land, alongside modern plans, to ensure the extent of the land was correctly identified.  I helped to draft leases, contracts for sale, licences and transfers.  I exchanged and completed on transactions and went on a few excursions to serve notices on tenants. 

I then moved back into the Family Department and was immediately immersed in a number of complicated and completely different court cases, necessitating attendance at both the PRFD and Royal Courts of Justice in the first couple of weeks alone!  I was involved with a number of new clients and a couple of mediations, as well as returning to some longer running files, which I had worked on previously.  I have been, therefore, able to build considerably on the knowledge I gained here during my first seat, before moving on to my final training seat in Private Client, which I start very soon.

The help and support at Dawsons has been fantastic.  The staff gatherings are always great fun and the occasional firm organised trainee meal or drinks goes down a treat!  I have also been able to attend networking and marketing events, all of which have contributed to my experience at Dawsons, making it an enjoyable, though hardworking(!), firm to train at.