I grew up in London, moving to Edinburgh to study English literature at the University of Edinburgh. Unsure of what I wanted to do post-university, I tried out a variety of industries, spending my third-year summer (all degrees in Scotland are four years long) interning in advertising. After university, I worked for a year in a consumer goods company, in a role focusing on corporate social responsibility and diversity and inclusion. After working with the in-house lawyers and talking to others in the legal industry, the challenge of a legal career seemed an appealing prospect. The Jones Day vacation scheme confirmed I had made the right decision. The combination of completing (unusually) extensive tasks and talking to lawyers across practice groups and levels, gave me a very good idea of both the role of a trainee solicitor and a career in law.
What stood out to you about Jones Day?
I was applying to law firms during COVID-19, and Jones Day was the firm which showed a real emphasis on personal connections through their virtual vacation scheme. The partners I spoke to admitted the challenges of the virtual environment – but there was a real focus on giving us the most insight and experience possible to help inform us about the firm. This showed me an unusual honesty, but also the Firm's prioritisation on forging personal connections and its strong culture.
The other aspect of Jones Day that stood out to me was its unique non-rotational Training Contract. The opportunity to work for multiple people, across various teams, shaping your own training, really appealed to me. Trainees having to knock on doors to get work feeds into, and is reflected, in the Firm's open door, non-hierarchical culture. During my vacation scheme everyone was friendly, willing to chat and share their experiences – this first impression proved correct now I’m at the Firm.
Describe a typical day as a Trainee Solicitor.
An advantage of the non-rotational Training Contract is that there is no "typical day" at Jones Day. Working across different teams, whether transactional or contentious, means all days are incredibly varied. If I try and distill my days into a typical one, it would go something like this:
We start the day with "continuum training" twice a week, where associates and partners train us on a topic. These sessions vary hugely and can be very detailed on the practical skills needed for a trainee in a particular area, or they can be high level on the practice group and wider market. I then turn to my emails to see if anything urgent has come in, but if not, I complete the tasks I did not get around to the day before. There are often calls with the client or opposing counsel, and I will always pop into the associate or partners office who I am working with to have a catch up on how the matter is going and tasks that need to be completed. If I have a task that requires a couple of hours solid concentration, I will turn to this in the afternoon, ensuring that all my smaller tasks for the day have been completed.
Is there anything that has surprised you about Jones Day?
The level of responsibility and client contact has surprised me. In my first week, I was emailing clients and attending calls with them. I was also very surprised to see a piece of work I did, once reviewed by the partner, go straight to the client. Compared to my peers at other firms, there is extensive client contact – we are invited to closing dinners with the client and encouraged to email or call the clients directly where needed.
The culture is also very strong, and was not something I fully comprehended before starting. In our first few weeks the trainees from London and all our equivalents across the entire Firm go to the Washington D.C. office for the New Lawyers Group ("NLG") Academy. Hearing associates and partners from offices across the world speak about the Firm made all of us NLGs appreciate how uniquely cohesive and aligned the Firm is.
This strong culture, and people's belief in the firm and those working for it, was evident when beginning work in the London office. Colleagues ranging from second year trainees to partners really looked out for us as we began, always offering advice and seeing how they could help. Related to this, is the support network of the first year trainees. Sharing offices together means we are each other’s first port of call, and are there for any "silly questions".
What would be your top tips to Bright Network members applying to Jones Day?
It is an old cliché, but be yourself. The Firm is not looking for a cookie-cutter type but rather individuals who will each bring something different to the training contract and so the Firm. The application is quite concise compared to other firms, with a 300 word cover letter and online CV. The open-endedness of a cover letter makes it much more yours to answer, rather than having to answer generic questions. This openness (and shortness!) is appealing, but be sure to use it wisely. Your application needs to really focus on why you want to train at Jones Day, and on the flipside, why you are suited to its unique training system and what you can bring to the Firm.