Articles From the Team

Welcome Drinks with the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Junior Lawyers Division

Despite the fact we are expecting the return of Summer for a few days this month with some lovely hot weather, September is now well and truly upon us and most people have that ‘back to school’ feeling after the Summer holidays, whether you have children or not.

It is the start of the new school year, the most popular time for Trainee Solicitors to start their training contracts, the time that the majority of newly-qualified solicitors are starting their first qualified positions and most people in the profession add another year of PQE to their belt. It is a time for looking to the future and wondering what the next PQE year ahead holds for you and your career.

I remember a few years ago starting my training contract with Bevan Ashford (as they were then) in Bristol so I sympathise with all those Trainee Solicitors out there embarking on their legal career. You might have moved to a new location for your training contract or your newly-qualified role and are feeling slightly unsettled during these first few weeks .

This is where local Junior Lawyers Divisions come into their own and can really support you as they arrange events and seminars to not only provide you with ongoing assistance as you start your legal career, but also to give you the opportunity to meet and socialise with other Trainee Solicitors and junior lawyers in your locality in a similar situation to yourself.

You will automatically become a member of the Junior Lawyers Division (JLD) if you are enrolled with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The JLD was created in January 2008 in partnership with the Trainee Solicitors’ Group (TSG) and the Young Solicitors Group (YSG). It is the representative body and voice for junior lawyers across the country in every size of practice and discipline. Membership is free and the JLD currently has a membership of around 85,000.

Personally, I found the Bristol Trainee Solicitors Group to be invaluable during my training contract years, and I joined the Committee in my second year. I remember the highlight of the year being part of the team organising the Annual BTSG Ball.

There are bound to be plenty of events already scheduled for the next few months locally to you, so why not start your business networking and get to know some more junior lawyers in your area?

If you happen to be based in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire or Oxfordshire, I have some great news for you! BCL Legal is proud to be sponsoring the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire JLD’s Welcome Drinks on Thursday 29th September in Reading. For further information and to receive your event invite, please e-mail Laurel Knight on laurel_knight@hotmail.co.uk.

If you are able to attend, I look forward to meeting you there, however if you are based elsewhere in the Thames Valley, Home Counties or South Midlands area and would like to discuss your career and/or the job market in general, , I specialise in placing solicitors and legal executives across a broad range of specialisms in these areas.

I look forward to meeting you or speaking to you soon.