However, you may not have considered everything. Before you make a hasty and ill-informed decision that could follow you for many years, slow down and give careful consideration to where you are going to fulfill your training contract. Sure, there is a chance that you could change firms after you’ve started your training contract, but your options could be limited depending on the experience you’ve received over the course of your contract. It’s also important to do some research about where you want to spend your time as a solicitor trainee and why as this will come across to recruiters during the application and interview process.

The main factors to consider while researching your options are as follows:

Work – Before entering a training contract it’s critical that you think about the precise areas of law that you want practical exposure to. Keep in mind that studying a specific area of the law as a law student can be far different than actually practicing it so it may be well worth your while to explore the practical side of the area that interests you. Once you’ve made your decision, start looking for firms that are able to provide experience in these areas. It should be noted that you might not always be able to choose which areas of law you will be working in while completing your training contract. This can be affected by the number of other trainees and the size of the law firm. You should be able to get a good feel for the type of work that’s usually available for a trainee solicitor by studying the firms’ recruitment materials.

Client Type – In addition to the area of law you’ll be working in, you should consider the type of clients you’d like to work with. Would you like to work for smaller commercial clients or individuals where you’d have plenty of direct contact with the clients or would you prefer to work for large blue chip clients where you’d rarely have any direct contact with the client?

Staff – Another very important factor to consider when deciding where to fulfill your training contract is the size of the firm you enter. Would you like to be one trainee solicitor of many or one among just a few other trainees? Do you want to work with a large number of varied colleagues, perhaps with many nationalities under one roof, or belong to a small team where you can build strong relationships?

Location – Work/life balance is always a hot topic in the legal profession and one of the key factors that is said to affect this is the location of where you work. Working in London can mean a long commute and a very busy lifestyle whereas working in the regions may have more to offer in terms of quality of life. Of course, these factors are often subjective and you should certainly consider what the affect of living in a certain location for a two year training contract would be.

Additional Factors – In addition to the above, firms often offer perks to their suppliers such as travelcard loans in London, gym membership, overseas placements or secondments to clients. These should always be a secondary consideration but they can still be used to help you decide between similar firms.

If you are seeking to become a trainee solicitor and secure legal work experience and/or a law training contract follow these links for more information