A spotlight on trainee solicitor Emily Taylor

As an aspiring solicitor you’re probably on a rollercoaster of emotions, happy, excited, even a little nervous about starting your career in the legal industry. You want to make a real difference to your customers, colleagues and community and for that you will need to have a full understanding of how a law firm works and experience to make things happen. Minster Law offers training contracts to equip you with the knowledge and skills you need.

Our trainee solicitors have responsibility from day one and make decisions that will impact the future of the business. We caught up with Emily Taylor who has just reached the halfway point of her contract and can tell you first-hand what it can offer.

How are you enjoying your time as a trainee solicitor so far?

I have had some fantastic opportunities during my training contract so far and I have been able to get lots of hands-on experience in all the seats I have done.

I have completed my serious injury, corporate services, business development and operations seats so far. I am now in my bike seat. The training contract allows you to get a well-rounded view of Minster Law and how vital the role of each department is.

I can honestly say that I’ve enjoyed each one of them. Being given the opportunity to take ownership and make significant decisions from early on in my training contract has really given me an in-depth perspective of what it takes to be a solicitor in today’s world.

Minster Law provides a great environment for trainee’s to be able to learn and gain a breadth of experience, with a fantastic support network.

What’s been your biggest challenge?

Training contracts are designed to take you out of your comfort zone to encourage you to develop. Minster Law advocate personal development and provide you with all the tools you need to succeed. Since starting at Minster Law, my confidence has really grown. I think that the exposure to different business areas, a broad range of projects and the people themselves have enabled me to grow, not just my confidence, but also as a person.

What’s been the biggest highlight of your time so far?

An emphasis on charity is one of the many things that drew me to Minster Law. I have had the pleasure of getting involved in different charity events such as volunteering at Wentworth Woodhouse, where my colleagues and I helped with restoration of the property. I have also helped with SURF, a charity at Pinderfields hospital, that supports people with spinal injuries. Minster Law has also inspired me to seize new volunteering opportunities outside of work.

Some of my favourite projects include the autonomous vehicle project, developing customer care to ensure they have a seamless customer journey, and helping to set a up pro bono clinic at Minster Law. Also, working on material that will be used by Minster Law is really rewarding work.

In my serious injury seat, I had opportunities to attend criminal hearings, joint settlement meetings and conferences with experts and barristers. Observing colleagues with experience is such an invaluable way to learn.

If I had to choose a specific highlight, I would say having the opportunity to attend a costs and case management conference in Chester, as afterwards I had the opportunity to discuss what I had learnt with the barrister. There is so much to learn from those we work with and I also received some great feedback which was really encouraging.

When your training contract ends where do you see yourself?

I came to Minster with an open mind on what I’d like to do. The experience itself has been fantastic so far, especially with so many colleagues investing their time and experience into ensuring you get the most out of your training contract. I would love to develop my career within the serious injury department assisting those who have been seriously injured with the opportunity to also contribute to the business development aspect of the department and work with charities pertinent to helping those recover from their injuries.

Careers at Minster Law

We look for people who can be their selves and embrace our values: Stand Together, Be Courageous and Find a Way. Minster Law is committed to providing a trainee solicitor programme that is accessible to all. You can find out more about our training contracts here and our vacancies here.