1. Set aside time for studies
The same as at school or university, studying to qualify as a lawyer takes a lot of work and you need to commit the time to learning the contents of your course and build the academic knowledge you need. Structuring your studies around a revision schedule, especially in the run-up to exams, will help you manage your time effectively and get the balance right to support your wellbeing.
2. Learning on the job
Qualifying as a lawyer is, however, more than just what you find in books and the experience you gain working as part of a team, regardless of the task, is invaluable to your development. Take the initiative where you can to help colleagues and take on new tasks to learn as much as you can on the go and give you fresh experience of other areas of law.
3. Communicate with your manager
Whilst you are expected to manage your studies around your role at the firm, they are still a priority both to yourself and to your team. Your manager will have been in the same situation as you and will understand the pressures you are under so make sure you are regularly discussing your work and your studies with them, not least to make sure they are not overloading you, but also so you can learn from their experience.
4. Work with your fellow trainees/Academy members
The whole purpose of the Thrings Academy is to bring junior members of the firm and help develop their legal and professional skills as a cohort. Your fellow Academy members are in the same position as you, some with more experience and some with less, so make use of your collective knowledge to help each other progress.
5. Make use of training opportunities
Thrings provides its staff with a wide range of opportunities for personal development. Whilst some might be more targeted towards specific roles or functions within the firm, most are accessible to everyone.
Would you like to know more?
Thrings is an award-winning law firm that is ranked highly by the Legal 500 directories as one of the best firms in the UK for trainees. To find out more about opportunities within the firm, visit our careers page.
You can download a PDF version of this guide.
