Media
Greg Center- Traineeship update
Greg joined RCCW in September 2023 as one of our 2023-25 Traineeship Cohort. As he enters his second year of training he provides an update on his experiences as a trainee to date.
You can read more about Greg’s journey to becoming a trainee here at RCCW, as well as other staff career journeys in our career conversations.
Read Greg’s story of life as a trainee in one of the North east’s leading full service law firms below.
Traineeship to date
I started my traineeship on the 4th of September 2023, where my first seat was in Residential Conveyancing at the Union Street Property Shop, which lasted for 8 months. In my role in this department, I undertook a number of tasks such as:
- Drafting discharges of Standard Securities
- Speaking with clients when an offer was received to draft the qualified acceptance
- Noting interest and making offers on behalf of clients
- Dealing with the conveyancing process – drafting and revising the relevant documents required.
- Helping colleagues on transactions
Since leaving the Residential Conveyancing department, I have joined the Commercial Property department based at Albyn Place. I am enjoying the seat so far and the opportunity to build on and use the skills that I gained from Residential Conveyancing.
Key things you have learned
I have learned that due to the legal sector being client focused and dealing with people, it is important to have built up good communication skills and an ability to understand other people and their circumstances. This helps to identify any worries or concerns that clients may have.
What have you enjoyed most?
I have appreciated the opportunity to utilise the skills I have picked up from university in a practical environment. RCCW provides a supportive working environment, which is encouraging as a trainee.
What are you looking forward to next year?
I am looking forward to continuing to learn and develop in the legal profession by working in a new department and experiencing different types of work. I am also looking forward to attending the university law fairs to answer any questions about applying for traineeships and what it is like working at Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace.
Advice and tips for applicants for traineeships
Law Fairs are a good event to attend to find out about the different law firms in the legal sector – such as international, national or firms focusing on the local area. This can give a good insight into the types of opportunities that are available and what would be best suited to you. This is beneficial when it comes to applying for traineeships, as it allows the application to be tailored specifically to the firm you are applying to.
Join groups that you are interested in (this doesn’t need to be restricted to being law related). By being involved in societies at university or a sports team, this helps to build skills that are applicable in the workplace and highlights interests outside of law.
The trainee content on the Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace website is useful as it provides an indication of what being a trainee at the firm is like.
Read news articles and content related to the areas in which the firm you are applying to provides legal services. This will give you an insight into the types of things that are relevant and the problems that clients are likely to be facing.
However, as a law firm is a business itself, it is good to also consider gaining general commercial awareness and the ways in which law firms can market themselves to potential clients – such as through a social media presence, offering a high level of service and client testimonials.
It is possible to learn lots of skills prior to being a trainee that are useful to have – such as communication skills, customer service skills and managing time. These skills can be picked up in a number of ways and these can be gained through part-time work that is not related to working in a law firm or in an office.
To find out more about careers at RCCW click here, current vacancies click here, and traineeships here.
