Our way of working

At Slaughter and May we don't pigeonhole our lawyers - all are trained to be multi-specialists across a broad range of legal matters. This is in sharp contrast to the experience that you might have at other City firms where, as a trainee in, say, a finance group, you may well work in a very narrow area, repeating the same type of transaction many times over.

As a trainee in one of our groups, you will work on the full range of transactions on which the group advises. In a corporate group, for example, one month you could help guide a client through the defence of a hostile takeover and the next you could be advising that same client on an equity issue. In dispute resolution, you could attend a hearing on a civil litigation matter in the morning, then meet a client to prepare for a mediation that afternoon.

In the short term, this will enable you to make a more informed decision about which practice group you should join on qualification.

In the long term, it makes for a far more fulfilling career. It provides challenge and interest, exactly what great minds need. It also allows you to develop deeper relationships with clients, because you get to know their businesses better. This level of insight can make an enormous difference for both parties and will help you play a guiding role in changing commercial and legal times.

That said, it is hard work. You have to cover more ground. But with our collegiate approach, the support is always there. The freedom to choose your own direction and the autonomy this flexibility brings more than make up for it.