After securing a training contract whilst studying law at the University of York, Henry began as a trainee at Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP (WBD) in September 2024.
A career in law was something that felt I knew I wanted from a pretty early age having had a strong attraction to problem solving and debating. The law also struck me as an environment that rewarded hard work and provided exposure to large influential clients.
My desire for a career in law was then confirmed during my first year at University where I attended a week's work experience in a law firm's commercial litigation department. During the week, I was fortunate enough to attend a mediation on a multi-million-pound dispute between shareholders and also had to rush to the High Court with a number of documents to attend a last-minute hearing. Whilst I understood that this would not be the regular working week, the exposure to high-stakes and consequential work confirmed to me that I wanted to pursue a career in law.
I was attracted to WBD for several reasons. First of all, WBD is a large firm that regularly finds itself ranked in the top 20 largest law firms in the UK and I understood that being at the firm would provide me with great exposure to some significant clients.
Secondly, the firm also placed a huge emphasis on continuing to grow its presence in the Leeds market. Being from the North, I have a very strong connection to the economic health of the region and I was desperate to find a firm that shared this connection, which I'm glad to say I found in WBD. This is shown by the Leeds office recently receiving a multi-million pound refurbishment and in the strong and strategic growth of the office to establish and maintain a concrete presence in the Leeds market.
Finally, the firm is consistently praised and acknowledged for its extremely strong workplace culture and down-to-earth approach to providing its service. I had heard that the firm valued the well-being of its lawyers and wider staff. Whilst it is common for firms to make strong claims surrounding their positive culture, in reality, this can be far from the case. However, during my time at WBD, I can confidently say that I found it to be a genuinely friendly, welcoming and enjoyable space to begin my career.
I think having sound commercial awareness is an extremely important quality to have for a career in law. The law doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and the value that a law firm provides to its clients is mostly drawn from how its lawyers can effectively apply the law to a client's specific commercial circumstances. I think that this quality is going to become even more important when looking towards the future and the increasing utilisation of artificial intelligence in delivering legal services. Having a solid grounding in the commercial influences that impact a client's businesses is going to be an ever sought after quality in the legal profession.
I think it is also essential that a lawyer is proficient in problem solving and demonstrates a willing attitude to overcome challenges wherever they present themselves. Matters never progress seamlessly and it is common that some form of problem will arise. I believe that it is the lawyer that openly scans for, and seeks to resolve, these problems which adds the most value to clients.
Finally, I think having strong and personable approach to communication is a must-have quality for a career in law. The law is complex and can be difficult to accurately express to clients and you may be frequently required to communicate to a client something that they don’t particularly want to hear. A strong approach to communication can allow you to face these challenges head on whilst maintaining positive relationships with clients.
I really enjoy the opportunity afforded as a trainee solicitor to tailor your experience to what you want. Whilst you obviously have to do the traditional trainee tasks, you have the agency to make your seat your own and access work that really interests you.
Similarly, should you want to take on additional responsibility and be accountable for certain matters, if you show the willingness, you will often be trusted to progress matters on yourself.
I think it is important to note that any career in law is not a 9 to 5 and being a trainee solicitor is no different to that, with long days possible and sometimes frequent. Personally, I prefer to start earlier in the morning (around 7:30 – 8:00am) which allows me additional time to complete my work and log off (hopefully) around 5:30pm.
I also find a very good way to strike a healthy work life balance is by being proactive and concentrating on managing my work and prioritising tasks effectively. I try to attend to urgent tasks and allocate less urgent work to times where I am less busy. This has (mostly) allowed me to avoid having to work too late whilst still managing to complete everything as and when required.
