Training and Development
As an Investor in People, our commitment to your development starts on day one and continues throughout your career with Semple Fraser. At the recruitment stage, we aim to identify trainees who are passionate about developing their career in their chosen area of law. Our commitment, as a Firm, is to match that passion with the right training interventions. All of our professional service groups adopt a rigorous approach to training, tailored to their particular requirements. Here is what Christine Paterson, our Training Consultant, Commercial Property, has to say:
"Semple Fraser is strongly committed to developing the skills and experience of its trainees and newly qualified solicitors. All trainees joining us participate in a training programme which we run throughout the year specifically for our junior lawyers. This covers technical, practical and management aspects of the solicitor's role. It is aimed primarily at junior lawyers in commercial property but all other junior lawyers within the firm are welcome to attend. This training is provided in addition to the normal departmental training for all levels of qualification.
The junior training programme covers practical aspects of purchasing, leasing and charging commercial property as well as reinforcing and teaching the applicable law, including in specialist areas such as construction, tax, planning and the environment. It is delivered by experienced solicitors within the relevant fields. Some training is also provided on business practice, such as on commercial awareness and delegation techniques. Training takes place in a relaxed and interactive atmosphere, within fee-earning hours."
By way of further illustration, our Litigation team runs a programme of monthly seminars designed to address a range of legal practice areas in which trainees are expected to become proficient. This approach is complemented by attendance at selected external seminars and the opportunity to “shadow” a partner at tribunals or court hearings. In our Environment team, the training philosophy ranges from involving the trainees in a weekly focus on the financial performance elements of the business, through to giving them primary responsibility, in a learning by doing sense, for producing the weekly ebulletins for the website on developments in their area of specialism within the UK.
We’ll work with you to produce a leading-edge training programme both during your traineeship and afterwards.
Training doesn't just stop at the end of your traineeship - we will provide you with the training and development you need to help you manage your career whatever stage it’s at.
Ongoing Support
- You will be assigned a mentor from day one to ensure you get the right support and answers to your questions
- You will be given a detailed training programme, highlighting the types of work you can expect to cover and the outcomes expected of you.
Given the quality of our traineeships it is not surprising that trainees feed back to us that they feel they are able to integrate very quickly into their teams and that they feel more like assistants than trainees.
Apply now for traineeship
The deadline for 2009 traineeship applications has now passed. Details on how to apply for a traineeship commencing 2010 will be posted on the website in August 2008.