Stay on your toes

What is the best way for a deferred trainee to spend their year off? Monika Ghose investigates

Last year many of the top law firms asked volunteers to defer their training contract start dates - and in some cases gave trainees-to-be no choice in the matter.

Some firms, including Norton Rose and Clifford Chance, accompanied deferrals with the payment of generous sums of up to £11,000 to students holding off for a year. Others, such as Shoosmiths, declined to pay anything.

In either case, with economic recovery looking likely to be a slow process and law firm business models changing, deferred trainees can't afford to rest on their laurels.

When they take up their training contracts they will be doing so in a market flooded with junior lawyers.

And in order to make the cut and be taken on full-time after their training many within the profession are urging deferred trainees to do as much as possible during their gap years to make themselves standout from the crowd.

Peter Roberts, a former partner at Jones Day and now general counsel at utilities company Centrica, says: "Deferred trainees are going to take up their training contracts - alongside trainees who haven't been deferred - as part of a very large herd and competition for full-time positions upon qualification is going to be sky high."

As a result, he recommends that gap years are spent doing something as relevant to future careers in law as possible.

"So, rather than spend the year whale watching somewhere, it would be much better to do something that's adventurous and different, but relevant to law.

"An example would be going off to spend six months with, say, the director of public prosecutions in Brisbane, which could then potentially count to a few months off your litigation seat during a training contract - putting you at the head of the queue."

Looked at with the right attitude, Roberts adds, the current market could prove to be an opportunity for deferred trainees: "As Shakespeare wrote, ‘There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune'- and law students should keep this message in mind at the moment."

Graduate recruiters echo Roberts' sentiments, advising deferred students not to simply bum around for a year.

Vivian Ball, head of recruitment at CMS Cameron McKenna, says: "We would recommend getting some commercial experience in either legal or non-legal work, perhaps as a paralegal.

"But it would be good for them to broaden their horizons - by doing voluntary work, travelling or working abroad. Anything ‘productive' or interesting would be good."

Clare Harris, associate director of legal resourcing at Lovells, adds: "We haven't been prescriptive about what deferred students should be doing. We have a monthly email newsletter in which we highlight opportunities, such as charity work."

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Pro bono possibilities

Emily Kearns, 24 (pictured) spotted an opportunity when her firm, Herbert Smith, asked future trainees to volunteer for deferrals. Kearns saw it as a chance to gain experience outside the corporate and commercial fields. She is currently doing a six-month internship at Fair Trials International.

"I don't give out legal advice here, but I do get involved
in legal research, handling client cases and file management," she says. "I recently assisted a case worker in drafting a submission to Jack Straw on the Michael Shields case, which was very exciting. It has been a brilliant experience. Taking time out to do this has informed my opinion about what I want to do. I will be working in commercial, but I would like to do more public law, judicial review and pro bono work. I know Herbert Smith provides secondments to Liberty so I would like to get involved there too."

Kearns was able to find her placement through Herbert Smith's corporate social responsibility team, which provides deferred trainees with a list of organisations they can apply to for experience. "There is definitely stuff available for people if they try - I spread my net quite widely and enquired at several places for an internship. If I hadn't been able to get a place I would have probably gone travelling with the £7,000 deferment package I received from Herbert Smith," she says. "I would definitely recommend getting involved in pro bono or charity work - it is a really great experience which enhances your skills and, of course, looks good on your CV."

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My City gap year

Sarah Bridge (pictured), a trainee at CMS Cameron McKenna, took time out before her law conversion course by working in recruitment in the City of London.

"I travelled quite a bit while at university so I thought that taking time out to gain skills would be no bad thing," she says.

"I was 75% sure I wanted to do law, but I wanted to be 100% sure. Law is such a long road and as I had done a geography degree, I knew it would take two years to convert," she says.

"I thought recruitment would teach me new skills and add a few strings to my bow. It was like doing a practice run."

Bridge feels that her employment skills were improved greatly by her decision to work as a recruiter.

"I'm not sure I would have been offered a training contract if I hadn't done it. It has improved my communication skills, enabled me to become familiar with responsibility and the working day. Also, recruitment is a tough environment to work in, and I feel it has toughened me up.

"I take things less personally, and am slightly less worried about making mistakes. It has bumped up my confidence and it gives a good impression at interview."

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