Training to be a solicitor: a day-in-the-life at Rix & Kay

Training to be a solicitor: a day-in-the-life at Rix & Kay

My name is Jonathan Laws, and I’m training to be a solicitor at Rix & Kay. I’ve been with the firm since October 2023 and I’ve worked as part of the corporate & commercial team, although I’ll be moving between various teams before I qualify as a solicitor.

My interest in the law sparked as I wanted to be involved in a relevant and dynamic sector, and the legal profession provided the perfect vehicle to fulfil this. Consequently, my legal journey started at the University of Exeter studying LLB Law. Having completed my degree, I moved to Cambridge and undertook the Legal Practice Course with BPP University.

During my time so far at the firm, I have worked closely with a number of different partners, solicitors, paralegals, support staff and our central services team. No day is ever the same, but here is a glimpse into my day today.

Morning

8:45am – My day ALWAYS starts with a cup of coffee! And of course, catching up with emails received overnight. I then update my ‘Task List’ accordingly which helps manage my time, focus on deadlines and the urgency of matters.

9:00am – This is when I usually start the initial task of the day. Today consisted of reading through a company’s articles of association to see whether a shareholder could sell their shares to a third party or whether any pre-emption rights applied. I then drafted a clear and concise email to the client. This does not involve simply regurgitating the articles of association, but demands the ability to identify what is important, apply it to the factual situation and to think laterally regarding the suggestion of solutions. It is also imperative that the email is easy for the client to understand. The draft email is then sent to this task’s supervisor for review and approval.

11:00am – On to my second task: on a different matter, I prepared some ancillary documents for a transfer of shares which included various stock transfer forms and board minutes approving the transfer.

12:30pm – Preparation for my training contract review meeting with my supervisor and head of the corporate and commercial team, Kathryn Paisley. I read through last month’s matter-related record (spreadsheet of all client work I have worked on each month) and made a note of points to raise, questions to ask and areas where I felt I needed to improve.

Lunchtime

1:00pm – Lunch. I use this time to take a break from the screen and to stretch my legs. Today I brought a packed lunch and then went for a walk up the High Street with colleagues for a coffee. The fresh air really gives me an energy boost for the afternoon ahead.

Afternoon

2:00pm – Weekly corporate/commercial team meeting where we discuss the week ahead, client work and recent legal developments. Today we talked briefly about some of the objectives of the new Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.

2:15pm – Drafting. This afternoon I had the opportunity to work on my favourite part the job, drafting! My task was to prepare a first draft of one of the ancillary agreements forming part of a share sale transaction. This was the first time I had drafted this type of agreement, and therefore; needed to conduct some reading and research on the purpose behind the agreement and the effect of typical clauses.

3:00pm – Training contract review meeting with Kathryn Paisley. Once a month my supervisor and I have a meeting regarding the work I have completed the previous month and any development needs that have arisen. We talk about the highs and lows of my work, what I have learnt and where there are gaps in my knowledge and experience. In today’s meeting, we concluded amongst other minor points that I need to work on note taking and we talked about the importance of contemporaneous notes.

4:15pm – Continuation of drafting. Having researched the task earlier this afternoon, I started drafting the body of the agreement. I made note of the specific clauses which require further knowledge of the transaction, highlighted missing buyer and seller information and made note of any thoughts making it easier to resume the task tomorrow.

5:00pm – As the working day approaches its final stages, I ensure my time recording is up to date. I’m well aware of the importance of recording my time accurately so that we can review how long it takes us to deliver our services (and so that we can assess what to charge our clients).

Finally, to finish up, I prepare the ‘Task List’ for the next day.

Contact us

If you’re interested in working at Rix & Kay, check out our careers page for our current vacancies.