I was attempting to come up with a topic for my next blog which hasn’t yet been covered by the other trainees. My first thought was ‘tips on impressing at law fairs‘ (having attended the University of Birmingham law fair last week) but, as this was the topic of Kieran’s last blog and we are now coming to the end of law fair season, this did not appear be the best option (although note that quoting TV dramas or leading with “my grades are not very good, will you accept me anyway?” are not the best way to impress).
Instead, I thought I would talk about life as the London trainee. Unlike seats in other departments, you have the exposure to a number of areas of law, mainly supporting teams in the London office, but occasionally attending client meetings or conferences for lawyers from Bristol and Exeter. I am often dashing down to court for departments across all three offices and, occasionally, have had to appear in front of a Master in the Royal Courts of Justice. My first experience of this involved a Master explaining all that was wrong with the application I was presenting and, effectively, taking me down a peg or two, whilst I thanked him both repeatedly and profusely.
Having grown up in North West London, the city is not necessarily a novelty for me, but living in the London flat (and therefore in Zone 2) means I am much more in the thick of things than I have ever been before. The locations of the office and the flat are ideal – the office being situated within a short walking distance of a number of courts and barristers’ chambers and the flat being, not only a 5 minute walk from the star of Channel 4’s ‘The Fried Chicken Shop’, but also close to numerous shops, restaurants and bars. I am also only a short tube journey away from all well-known (or not so well-known) London attractions which I am making of the most of whilst I am here, from visiting ZSL London Zoo to sipping frozen Margaritas in Dalston to late night shopping in Carnaby Street (having just bumped into Bill Nighy).
