One year as a Turcan Connell Trainee
In this article, our second-year trainees, Mhairi Swanson, Ruth Dale, and Andrew Purdie, reflect on their experiences during the first year of their traineeship at Turcan Connell. They share insights into the challenges of transitioning to trainee roles, the invaluable support network within the firm, key learnings from the programme, and offer a glimpse into the social life of a trainee.
What attracted you to Turcan Connell?
Mhairi - University of Aberdeen (LLB) & (DPLP)
Helping others is one of the main reasons I wanted to study law and throughout university, I was always drawn to subjects which involved working closely with individuals. The summer internship programme gave me an insight into Turcan Connell and from this, I could see that the firm has built its reputation on delivering legal expertise with a warm and approachable nature.
Ruth - University of Aberdeen (LLB) & Glasgow University (DPLP)
I knew I wanted to work in a firm that focused on people, but I didn’t know what area of law I wanted to practice, so I looked for a private client firm offering a range of legal and tax services. I found that Turcan Connell was the ideal firm as it focused on individual client needs and provided them with all their required legal and tax services.
Andrew - University of Aberdeen (LLB) & (DPLP)
I was attracted to Turcan Connell by their areas of practice as they were what I most enjoyed at university, namely Property and Succession.
What teams have you worked with and what is your current seat?
Mhairi - I am in the second year of my traineeship, currently in my third rotation. My 1st seat was in the Land and Property department and my 2nd and 3rd seats have both been in the Tax and Succession department.
Ruth – For my first year I worked in Tax and Succession in both the Edinburgh and Glasgow offices. Currently, in my second year, I am undergoing my third rotation with the Business Law team.
Andrew - I worked in a Land and Property team then did my second rotation for the Tax and Succession team and currently, I am back in the Land and Property team.
How would you describe your first year?
Mhairi - A learning curve! To be completely honest, the transition from being a student to a trainee is a challenging one. Putting all the theory into practice and dealing with the high levels of responsibility involved certainly took me a while to get used to. In saying that, I cannot believe how quickly my 1st year has passed and it’s only when looking back, that I can see how much I have learnt and gained such confidence in my abilities. My first year has pushed me out of my comfort zone but has been insightful, stimulating and rewarding.
Ruth - The first year of my traineeship with Turcan Connell has been hugely rewarding and challenging. I have enjoyed experiencing drastically different practice areas whilst maintaining a focus on client needs and producing the best outcome for them.
Andrew - It has been incredibly interesting and very varied. I was involved with challenging work which broadened my understanding of the law and allowed me to further develop my non-legal skills at the same time.
What is the most valuable thing you have learnt so far, from the traineeship?
Mhairi - The importance of demonstrating understanding, empathy and compassion. Empathy is an essential ingredient to building a positive rapport with clients. Fostering open and effective communication also goes a long way to building trust with both clients and colleagues.
Ruth - Heeding the advice of those around me, the traineeship is what you make of it, get involved with as much as possible and seize all learning and social opportunities to broaden your horizons.
Andrew - I have grown my skills and ability beyond my perceived limits, thanks to the support of those around me and I’m excited to challenge myself further to keep growing.
What support network has been provided for your learning and development and how important has this been?
Mhairi - The firm provides a great support network for trainees through its mentoring programme. Each trainee is allocated a qualified solicitor mentor from their team to help you find your feet and offer support and guidance through your seat. This support takes the form of weekly meetings with my mentor which is a great opportunity to talk through any questions and catch up on the workload. Trainees are also allocated a partner mentor, and this has been great from a career perspective as it allows me to learn from their wealth of experiences. I also joined with nine other trainees, and we have all become good friends as well as colleagues; supporting one another through the traineeship.
Ruth - In my first week in the firm, I was given a 2nd-year trainee buddy, this helped me settle into trainee life and allowed me to ask questions in an informal setting. It was a huge help as I adjusted to life at the firm.
Andrew - Everyone within the firm has been extremely helpful and receptive to questions. From my experience, my mentor’s guidance has been invaluable, and they were always happy to help with all aspects of the traineeship. There has not been a moment where I felt unsupported.
Outside of your day-to-day role, are there any other activities you get involved in for the firm?
Mhairi - Formerly a competitive swimmer and having always been an active, sporty person throughout school and university, I was a little apprehensive about how I would be able to juggle it all once starting a full-time job. Turcan Connell places a strong emphasis on work-life balance and promotes a supportive and inclusive culture. I am delighted that I have been able to continue to pursue sporting ambitions outside of work and felt supported and encouraged in doing so.
I also very much enjoyed helping to organise the annual Turcan Connell Charity Hockey Tournament which this year raised more than £9,000 for Rock Trust, supporting young people facing homelessness. The event was brilliant fun, combining sport with networking and all for a great cause – it was a huge success.
Ruth - Outside of the traineeship, I have enjoyed organising social events across both offices, such as a Quiz Night and comedy night and assisting with trainee social events. I am also a member of the Turcan Connell winter netball team where we have weekly matches against other teams in the Edinburgh area. All the teams we play against are very friendly, and it is a great way to meet people!
Andrew - The firm has various social events, which have been invaluable for getting to know other members of staff across the firm who you have not yet met. There are also trainee socials which have always proved to be great fun, nothing bonds you with your fellow trainees like karaoke!
Applications for our 2025 Summer Internships are now open.