IT has now been one year since I lurched through the door of Raeburn Christie Clark & Wallace (unofficially the longest name for a firm of solicitors in Scotland and, by the way, you should see some of the signatures that are produced by partners signing on behalf of the firm) and into the legal world.
Time certainly does fly when you're having… eh… fun. Seriously though, it is amazing how quickly time passes when you have a "proper" job. Hours disappear, days vanish and then it's the end of the month and, before you can say "Where does the time go
" it's the end of your first year and it's almost time to retire.
So one year of vocational training down and with one to go, am I a better prospective lawyer? Well I do believe I have learnt a lot thus far, not just in a legal sense but also in relation to business, office life and dare I say it, life in general. The personal benefits from this kind of training have been massive. Now I have more of an urge to learn and expand my knowledge to become a good lawyer, whereas at University studying and learning was very much a means to an end - any knowledge gleaned prior to an exam quickly lost in the pub afterwards.
The end of my first year also signals the end of six months spent in the Corporate Department so it should be time to move on, except this time it's not. I've been given the opportunity to complete another six months in Corporate and I'm very pleased to be staying put for a further chance to hone what scant skills I now possess into useful money making attributes. I enjoy the work the department has to offer and as mentioned previously, being involved in the business world really interests me. This is particularly so in the oil and gas industry, where a great deal of our (I'm such a "company man") corporate work comes from. In addition, the working atmosphere in the department is great and I feel very settled which is such an important part of surviving at work.
Various broadsheet newspapers have reported Aberdeen as the "Bling Capital" of the UK. Well I'll be damned. Apparently, high oil prices have seen the Bling City awash with money. However a recent reduction in the share prices of many oil service companies has led to the prospect of lots of BIMBOs (an acronym for "Buy In Management Buy Out", although the newspaper also points out an abundance of oil WAGS) and Mergers and Acquisitions which should keep yours truly busy for the foreseeable future.
Blog 3rd December 2008
So it seems that despite my best efforts, I can't escape conveyancing.
Last week I was tasked with filing an SDLT return form for a lease which was being transferred following a corporate deal. No problem there - I've used the stamp taxes online services before. That was for purchases though, not leases as in this case, but that shouldn't have been anything this plucky trainee couldn't handle. However, the SDLT website crashed - lots. For a whole week in fact. Grrr and hiss. They had better sort themselves out pronto because I don't much fancy dusting off the guidance notes and filling out a paper return with all the codes etc. And that got me thinking about how reliant my generation is on technology, especially with regards to working. I shudder to think what life was like as a solicitor before the internet, let alone PC's….
So despite the Credit Crunch I still seem to have a steady work load (the partner I share a room with has been as busy as I have seen him!).
More specialised firms which are property-based may be more affected, but multi-discipline law firms can do well in downturns like this because providing advice on areas such as employment and insolvency become key.
In RCCW the Court Department is the place to be right now. Apparently they are snowed under with files. I recently spoke with an NQ court solicitor and she has told me that she has had a glut of actions regarding non-payment of credit card bills and defaults on home loans. It's all very morbid. I think I fancy a move there next. I wonder what that says about me?
Looking forward, away from the doom and gloom, there is Christmas so it's time to start panicking about the office party. Why panic at the thought of a free bar I hear you cry? Well, unlike last year where I managed to effortlessly enjoy myself, this time round I have a more "active" role in the festivities. First off there is the traditional Trainee's Christmas Speech; 3 words that strike terror into my very soul. I have been reliably informed that this is a forum to poke fun at the partners. In fact this much is expected but I've also heard that some partners are a bit more sensitive than others. The word minefield comes too mind!.
If that wasn't enough, I've also been "volunteered" for the RCCW Christmas Party Band; I'm the bassist. This in itself is not a problem, and is something I'm looking forward to. However, I have been told by the band leader (who moonlights as a partner in the firm) that, in true Rock & Roll fashion, I can't drink before the gig. Now the problem here is that I think (nay, I'm sure) I will require to take the edge off my nerves prior to the speech with a bit of help from Mr. Artois and Mr. Tennant's.
A balance will have to be struck.
