A day in the life of ... Dumitha Gunawardene, Trainee at Covington & Burling

7.30am: I try to start my day by heading to the gym. This is not always a given (depending on whether there have been deadlines the evening before), but I try in any event. I find that exercise in the morning helps me focus for the rest of the day.

8.45am: While on the way to the office I check my calendar and emails to see if anything has come in overnight, or if there is anything urgent to tackle in the morning. It could be the case that we have received new instructions on a dispute so the team need to get familiar with the background and learn priorities urgently, or that a lengthy letter comes in from opposing counsel that requires a fulsome analysis. Doing this before getting to my desk gives me a sense as to what the day will be like and allows me to prioritise.

9.15am: I make a coffee, sit down and write my to-do list. A partner asks me to begin drafting a research memo on privilege issues for a client training session in a weeks’ time. I set aside time to get a head start so that I can pick this up as the week progresses and begin sketching an outline.

11.00am: The trainees have regular training sessions held by the firm’s departments specifically for trainees. Each department typically hosts training sessions for those sitting within them to conduct a deeper dive into the subject matter and types of work trainees may encounter.

12.00am: As it’s a Wednesday, I head up to the 54th floor to have lunch with the other trainees and my London colleagues. The office provides lunch every Wednesday – a nice anchor of sorts in the middle of the week to check-in with colleagues and friends who I may not otherwise see in the business of the working week. It also provides a regular opportunity to get to know colleagues in other practice groups that you may not typically work with.

1.00pm: We receive an email from a client in the middle of negotiating a settlement agreement. They ask to arrange a call for this afternoon.

1.15pm: An English law query comes in from an associate in our Washington DC office. The associate wants a high-level summary of litigation in the English courts for their American client who may launch proceedings against an English counterparty in England.

2.00pm: The firm is fully committed to its pro bono initiatives. One such initiative is a partnership with Kids In Need of Defence – a NGO that provides legal advice to undocumented children and families. I pick up the drafting of a Leave to Remain application, which involves preparing interview questions and a call to the clients to address drafting points in their supporting statements. While involvement in these projects is rewarding, in a practical sense they are useful for gaining early experience in interviewing clients and drafting statements.

4.00pm: We speak to the client negotiating settlement. They have received comments on the settlement agreement; we run through the merits of these amendments and discuss our proposed changes. The client asks that we turn this around before close of business so they may advance settlement discussions quickly. After having taken a note of the call, I take the first round of amendments and discuss these with my supervisor. We finalise the draft and send to the client for review.

6.00pm: The London office Social Committee has organised a drinks and canapes event. There are social events every few weeks, typically for networking, celebrating promotions, or for general wellbeing. Events are typically well attended and provide a valuable, relaxed environment for catching up with colleagues.