Nicole’s Work Experience

Being offered a place on GoodyBurrett’s summer placement scheme was a pleasant surprise. After submitting my application on the day of the deadline I truly thought I had missed my chance. For someone who is normally so prepared, I had convinced myself that I had left it too late and would make an instant bad impression. However, after several months passed, I received an email asking me to attend an interview later on in the week. The interview was extremely relaxed, which reassured me and made me realise that the employees of the firm were right for me.

I was given the opportunity and responsibility of a variety of tasks during my time at GoodyBurrett:

• Client Meetings:   My 2 weeks placement went by so rapidly as the Family Department ensured I was busy. I attended client meetings, which is not something I necessarily expected. Attending meetings concerning on-going cases was a real eye opener for me. It was fascinating seeing how knowledgeable Sue Devereaux was and how she managed to tailor her advice for each client and ensure that it was explained in a manner they could comprehend. If I could be half as good as her when I (hopefully) qualify, I would be extremely proud.
• Attendance Notes: I initially (and perhaps naively) thought that I was just sitting in on the client meeting to simply witness what it was like; however, I was asked to draft Attendance Notes. This at first was extremely daunting, as this would be sent to the client. However, Sue provided me with guidance and an example of an Attendance Note she had recently completed. This enabled me to base my work on hers with alterations made before sending it out. Such a task was extremely useful, as it demonstrated that I did indeed take sufficient notes and was then able to formulate an Attendance Note, but it also aided me in refining my legal explanations.
• Chronologies:   A task I perhaps enjoyed the most was formulating chronologies. Having to look through case files and extract the relevant informati  on for a timeline was a lengthy process, but I really enjoyed learning about the case in detail and seeing how the process works.
• Registration of land:   I was also trusted with completing official electronic documents which was new for me. However, I was aided by the lovely secretaries with whom I was sitting with for the day. Their help (and knowing that they could help me) really reassured me.
• Schedule of Assets:   I was given the task of rummaging through case files to establish the extent of assets both parties had. This is an important element of financial proceedings and requires attention to detail. This was a very lengthy process and rather difficult, especially as there were gaps in the timeline. However, it was still an interesting task to carry out and help was of course available.
• Reception:  During my time here I was entrusted with covering lunch breaks on the reception but also covering a whole day during my first week. I was dreading my whole day on reception but thanks to everybody else’s help when I did not quite know what to do, it went much better than expected. There is much more to just answering a phone, I sometimes had to try and decipher what clients were saying and who they actually needed to talk to.
• Will witness: I was asked to attend a codicil signing at a client’s home and also be a witness to a will in the office. This may seem dull at first, but I wanted to have a wide range of experiences whilst here and GoodyBurrett made sure of that.
• Letters and research:   I  was asked by the litigation team to compose a letter to a troublesome neighbour. I had to undertake research to see what the legality was in regards to the complaints. I initially really struggled with how to formulate my arguments and what tone to undertake. However, I was reassured that I was heading in the right direction and of course cannot get it right first time or even second time round, these things really do take practice.

On busy days, I had to manage several tasks from different departments at once. This was difficult at first as I did not fully know how to attribute importance to each task. I was also worried about performing the tasks ineffectively, and therefore tried to delay them. However, after I had settled in and learnt that everyone is more than happy to help and are just grateful that you have tried your best, the burden was significantly diminished.

I thoroughly enjoyed my two weeks at GoodyBurrett, not only because of immersing myself amongst legal work but also because of the people. What I was mostly afraid of was that the staff would become irritated by my questions and inability to understand tasks that are second nature to them. My worries could not have been more misplaced.

This placement has truly widened my options and given me an insight into how a local law firm operates. If like me you have been committing to retail jobs over the summers rather than relevant experience for your aspired career (due to nerves), apply to GoodyBurrett, the time flies by and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!

Nicole Newell