Transition into a TC Trainee

Tell us about yourself?

My name is Tallulah and I am a first-year Trainee Solicitor at Turcan Connell, currently in my second seat in the Tax and Succession department.

Before joining Turcan Connell, I completed my undergraduate LLB at the University of Edinburgh. After finishing my undergraduate LLB, I stayed at the University of Edinburgh to complete my Diploma in Professional Legal Practice.

Throughout University, I always had a particular interest in subjects which dealt with private client issues and enjoyed working closely with individuals. A combination of these factors along with my goal to practice my interpersonal skills led me to apply to Turcan Connell’s summer internship in my third year of University.

Due to COVID-19 the internship was moved online and shortened from six to two weeks. While the experience was very different to the norm, the online internship was structured so that each day we were taught by someone new and gained an insight into a different area of law. This proved a great way for the interns to experience first-hand all the different areas Turcan Connell specialises in and meet (albeit virtually) people across different teams.

My experience on the Turcan Connell internship effectively demonstrated the collaborative culture of the firm and I was pleasantly surprised by how approachable and genuinely interested colleagues were in the interns’ personal development. The combination of these factors led me to apply for a traineeship with the firm and I was fortunately selected to join the 2023 class of trainees.

Describe your first few months at TC?

The first day of my traineeship was certainly nerve-wracking, however everyone at Turcan Connell met the trainees with the same welcoming atmosphere we experienced during our internship. I have now completed over 6 months of my traineeship and cannot believe how quickly it has passed!

My first six months have been fast-paced, interesting, and rewarding. Right from my first week as a trainee, I have been involved in interesting work and made to feel like an important part of the team. Throughout my first seat, I had the opportunity to work closely on many different projects and to follow transactions from start to finish. It has been rewarding to see the direct impact of my work and to have been given real responsibility from early on in my legal career.

In addition to giving trainees responsibility early on, the firm simultaneously provides a great support network for trainees through its mentoring scheme. The mentoring scheme allocates each trainee a mentor from their team to aid their learning and a partner mentor from a different team to help with the transition from student to trainee. This support network has provided great guidance through the start of my traineeship.

Joining with nine other trainees has also provided invaluable support. Our traineeship began with a two-week induction period where all trainees participated in a variety of different training courses and social events. This allowed us to all become good friends as well as colleagues before we began our seats in different teams.

What advice would you give to future trainees to make their step onwards as smooth as possible?

To help make the transition to trainee as smooth as possible, I would take every opportunity you have while at university to gain experience or insight into the legal sector and an office environment. This could simply involve talking to those in the profession about their experience. I would also recommend making the most of your Diploma year and its associated opportunities as it is a great chance to get a taste of working life. My final piece of advice would be to not be afraid to ask for help during your traineeship – everyone around you will have been in your situation before and you will likely benefit greatly from their knowledge!