Recently we sat down with Ross Simmons to ask him about his recent transition from Paralegal to Trainee Solicitor and to find out about his career-to-date in litigation. Our recruitment expert Nikki Phillips placed Ross as a Paralegal at Oglethorpe Sturton & Gillibrand LLP (OSG) in Lancaster, where he is now completing his training contract. Here, Ross tells his legal story and gives his advice for those aspiring to a training contract.
What are the main day-to-day duties in your role?
I’m front of house and deal with new enquiries. So, I take the initial interview with new clients, getting all their documents in place and finding out what the issues are. I do the onboarding, the anti-money laundering compliance. In addition, I review the documentation and help prepare the written advice. I have similar duties to my superiors, and I am given a lot of autonomy in my role. I have had the opportunity to conduct advocacy independently before the County Court.
The duties I’m given definitely put my skills to use. I think the worry when you start a Paralegal job is that you will be doing photocopying and compliance. However, my time with OSG has been interesting and intellectually challenging.
How did you find the transition from Paralegal to Trainee Solicitor?
When I joined I felt my abilities were recognised and I was given the responsibility to manage my own caseload. So, there hasn’t been much of a change in my role. There are various items of paperwork to complete for the regulator on a training contract. As a result, the focus for me now is on continuing professional development and reflective practice. Overall I feel the responsibilities I received during my time as a Paralegal was on par with my role now as a Trainee Solicitor. The transition may not be as straightforward for everyone and some firms may take a traditional approach to progression. However, if you say yes to opportunities and demonstrate your ability early on, you can give yourself more time to practice your skills before coming qualified.
What tips / advice do you have for others looking for a training contract role?
The best advice I can give is that you shouldn’t be disheartened if you don’t get a training contract straight away. The average qualifying age for solicitors is around 30 according to the Law Society. I was 26 when I joined OSG and I will likely be qualifying around that age. I think when you leave your studies there’s an expectation that you go straight into a training contract. However, that’s simply not the reality.
Secondly, you shouldn’t overlook the good that working in a Citizens Advice, Law Centre or even a claims firm, can do for your career prospects. Especially the Citizens Advice, where I and two other colleagues at OSG have previously volunteered. There are so many areas of law. So, make the most of your post-graduate years to explore the sectors and learn more about which areas of work interest you. Make the most of these years before you drop your anchor.
What’s the most challenging part of your role?
The job requires you to be detail-oriented and in litigation specifically you’ve got to be able to work at pace. I think also, being a Solicitor comes with a duty. Despite negative media connotations about the legal profession, actually we are also charged with protecting a number of human rights. For example, the right to a fair trial and the right to no punishment without law. Front line workers, such as paramedics and police officers, govern a number of our fundamental human rights. Solicitors are officer of the Courts and are governed by regulation requiring them to upholding the rule of law and the proper administration of justice.
There are a number of hazards to the job which can be a difficult burden to carry. When you’re acting for a client, you have to naturally be able to guard their best interests. As if you get things wrong the consequences can potentially be drastic. It can often be very difficult to switch off from worrying about your clients and I think that is a problem that most of us share in the profession. So, it is really important to have a supportive and approachable employer like OSG. Colleagues and heads of department have an open-door policy and work collaboratively to resolve difficult issues.
What’s your favourite part of your role?
It’s seeing the transformative process a client goes through. From when they initially come to you about something that’s really bothering them to then seeing them come out of the other side with an outcome they can live with. It brings me good feelings to stand up for someone who might be struggling to do this by themselves. Litigation can be quite a stressful process for people, and I enjoy being able to take the worry away from people and support them through the issues they are facing.
Other than that, I think it’s also nice to have a job where every day is different. In litigation you’re dealing with a variety of areas of law. You feel stimulated when you come to work, and you encounter a number of legal puzzles requiring solving. As a department we are also often an extension of the services already being provided within the firm. So, it is a good area of law if you enjoy working collaboratively and interdepartmentally.
What do you like the most about your employer?
OSG has a very supportive and collaborative culture, and you don’t feel lonely here. I have found that some firms can be discouraging of any form of dependence on colleagues for help. However, I think that can be a very dangerous approach in this line of work. OSG regularly organise social events like the summer BBQ or an evening of bowling. Also, we do a lot of fundraising for local charities, such as St John’s Hospice. We make a number of social events out of our fundraising activities. I also like OSG because it really cares about its professional ethics and its regulatory obligations and has robust procedures to protect staff, clients and the wider public.
We’re very thoughtful about professional independence and we are really honest with our clients about any concerns we have. So, that we can address those issues early on. It is a great place to train as it is a firm which has been practicing law successfully for over 150 years.
Why did you choose to specialise in litigation? Was it difficult making a choice over your specialism?
I found myself working in contentious roles since I graduated, and I’ve stuck with it because of the impact it can have. I think it’s a really rewarding area of work and jobs are in demand in this field. The sector doesn’t attract enough people because it can seem daunting. However, if you have a good team around you then you can really make a positive difference to people’s lives. It’s often a huge relief to people to have their conflicts resolved so they are often very grateful for your work.
Litigation is fast paced. So, you’re processing a lot of information and you’re touching on quite a lot of different areas of law. You learn quite a lot over a short amount of time. I think also it’s the variety of work you get involved in which makes for an interesting career. I’ve always worked in contentious roles and it’s just something I find myself really enjoying. It’s nice seeing the impact that it can have on clients when you help them to get a good outcome.
What advice would you have for others wanting to specialise in litigation?
Think about the job specification and the personal qualities required for the job. You’ll need to enjoy working at pace, be able to organise your work and meet deadlines. You need an objective mindset because ultimately you need to think about how a Judge might deal with the legal and factual issues.
You’re regularly under scrutiny by the other side. So, you need to be detail oriented and identify all the bases that need covering. They will often try to pick away at your arguments and you need to be able to take a step back and take in the bigger picture. Sometimes it’s a case of keeping the faith in your client’s position and marching on. Or it’s a case of having honest conversations with your client about the strengths and weaknesses in their case and formulating strategies to overcome the issues that lie ahead. It’s not always about putting your client’s instructions forward but about being dynamic, responding as the case develops and identifying possible ways that the case could be settled.
Litigation can also be a very stressful and intrusive process for clients. So, you need to be emotionally responsive and able to support your clients through what can be a very challenging and difficult time. I think that it also helps if you find you are good at resolving conflicts in your personal life. Also, it helps if you have a diplomatic personality type such as the ‘mediator’, ‘protagonist’, ‘advocate’ or ‘campaigner’ personality type.
How have you grown professionally since joining OSG?
I think I have become a more resilient person, able to think and articulate quickly and that does help you to build good relationships with your clients. I am also a lot more attentive to detail and I have better foresight of problems that could arise as the case progresses, which I think is mostly where we add value in our work as lawyers. The autonomy I am given in my work has made me take great pride in what we do here for people.
My communication skills have improved, and my written work is much more thoughtful and diplomatic. OSG has around 150 years of experience and they’ve built up really good practices. We put a great deal of care in our correspondence which ensures our clients cases are put across well to the other side and to the Courts. I’ve also learnt a lot more about the agricultural sector and how important the green belt is to our local economy.
What is your aspiration for your career as a whole?
Since joining OSG, the firm has supported me to become a trustee of a local Citizens Advice where I enjoy applying my legal knowledge to the management and governance of the charity. I’m really interested in the legal aspects of running companies and navigating constitutions and directors’ duties. I’ve also really enjoyed providing advocacy at Court and I would like to look at developing my skills in that area too. I’ve not started any new seats yet, so I am keeping an open mind. However, I am hoping for a seat in our corporate and private client departments to build on the skills I am developing as a trustee.
Why should someone take up a career in Law?
It’s not just about money or status, it’s a very serious and challenging job where clients can be at risk of an injustice. Solicitors have important duties to their clients and the wider public. There are fundamental human rights which they protect and with that comes a sense of purpose in the work you do. Legal advice can really make a difference to people’s lives. If you’re doing a job where you truly believe it is making a difference to someone, somewhere, then in my view it is worth doing.
It is also a career where it is very unlikely that you’ll become disinterested because the law is always evolving and changing. Your clients and cases can change from one week to the next. I think that if you enjoy learning something new every day, you enjoy being faced with solving complex and challenging problems and you enjoy developing relationships with people then it is definitely a career for you.
How would you summarise your experience of working with Eventus to secure your job at OSG?
Nikki was friendly and personable and took the time to get to know me in order to find the right role for me. Nikki matched me with firms where I was already thinking about applying to, which showed that she really took the time to understand my aspirations. She gave me an honest appraisal of my skills set and identified areas of my CV which could be improved. The most helpful part of the process is that you don’t often get feedback for the job you were unsuccessful in applying for. Whereas because Nikki has established relationships with local firms, she is able to follow up with the employer to obtain that feedback for you and this is so helpful. The rejection can knock your confidence in the next interview and the feedback really makes a difference to your chances of success.
Nikki would also do a brief and de-brief with me around the interviews. She provided me with preparatory reading material, and pointed out some of the key characteristics of the firms from where I could direct my research. Nikki is an established recruiter who knows the sector very well. I think that finding work after a second interview speaks volumes of the great work that Eventus do. I am really thankful to Nikki, and all at Eventus Recruitment Group, for helping me to find a role in a firm where I feel settled, happy and able to thrive.
Legal Career Insights
We hope you have enjoyed this interview. The interview is part of our series of legal career insights with professionals specialising in Law at all levels. View the other interviews in the further reading section below.
If you would like tailored career advice don’t hesitate to contact us. We are legal recruitment and job search specialists, who offer support at every stage of the job search process. Combined we have over 100 years’ experience in recruitment and we’ve built strong relationships with the top law firms.
Further Reading
Insight into Helen Milburn’s career and journey to Partner and Head of Private Client, Wills, Trusts and Probate at Jacksons Law firm. Click here to read.
Sarah Jane Lenihan’s career journey to Partner and award-winning Family Lawyer at Dawson Cornwell. Click here to read.
Insights into Legal Apprenticeships with Solicitor Apprentice Ellie Phillips. Click here to read.
Solicitor Apprentice Ellie Phillips’ personal experience of a Solicitor Apprenticeship. Click here to read.