Mollie gets involved as a Virtual Trainee for an energy client

For a long time, I believed my path was leading me into legal academia. After completing my law degree., it was important to me that my future career would be meaningful and impactful, and I wasn’t certain that legal practice could fulfil those aspirations. However, the more I explored what a career in law could look like, the more I realised the incredible diversity of experiences and individuals within private practice. I realised it wasn’t the profession itself that was the issue but finding a firm that aligned with my values and aspirations. For me, that was Foot Anstey!

One of the highlights of my experience so far has been the Virtual Trainee programme. I'm currently working with the in-house legal team of major energy company.

Gaining hands-on experience

I’ve had the opportunity to draft and review several commercial contracts, research specific areas of law such as employment and corporate regulation and even participate in an internal working group on sustainability which is an issue I am passionate about. The client's team has been incredibly supportive, encouraging me to get involved in areas I’m particularly interested in. This variety has been invaluable, as it’s allowed me to explore different areas of law and gain hands-on experience.

Balancing the responsibilities of my seat with my work for the client has required careful time management. I’ve been proactive in maintaining an open dialogue with my supervisors, letting them know when I’m particularly busy or when something urgent comes up. I always make sure I ask the client for deadlines so I can plan around my seat and manage the flow of work.

Building relationships with clients

One of the highlights has been visiting the client’s offices and meeting their wider team. This includes professionals from other law firms who also collaborate with the client, giving me valuable insight into how other firms operate.

These visits have strengthened our relationship with the client and helped us to stay visible among various other law firms who want to work with them. It has also helped me to get a better understanding of the client and feed this back to colleagues, so they get a sense of current priorities and concerns. This then helps us to preface our interactions and provide more targeted service offerings.  

Unexpected exposure to different practice areas

The training contract includes four seats, so it’s important to gain as much exposure to different areas of law as possible. Even if you don’t plan to qualify in a particular area, having a foundational understanding of it is invaluable for supporting clients more holistically.

While working with the client, I’ve learned a lot about general IT / commercial work. I don't anticipate doing a seat in that area, so this has been a great way to do this type of work, get an understanding of it and meet people internally in those departments.

I’m particularly interested in employment law and understanding how employment concerns vary across sectors. I've enjoyed learning more about the issues facing this client and other energy clients. I'm hoping it will help me to better understand clients within the sector and the services they are looking for law firms to provide. It's also been a great way to get involved in some employment work prior to undertaking my employment seat.

Mollie undertook her LLB, Masters and PhD degrees at Exeter Law School before doing her LPC at the University of Law and starting her Training Contract at Foot Anstey in 2023.

Find out more about training at the firm.