My academic background is in chemistry; however, during my studies, I realised that a technical career was not the right fit for me. Despite my interest in science, I sought a career that involved less technical work and a stronger focus on business. Initially, I explored becoming a patent attorney, but ultimately, the dynamic and commercial nature of a solicitor’s role appealed to me more.

I first gained legal experience as a volunteer at Citizens Advice, which was invaluable for learning about the legal system and developing professional skills. This opportunity led to a supervisory position in London, which I held for a year, further solidifying my interest in law as well as developing my interpersonal and time management skills.

My interest in intellectual property law was piqued when I attended the IP workshop at Bristows. During this event, I was impressed by the firm’s culture, characterised by its friendly, non-hierarchical environment and commitment the very best IP work. The experience reiterated that a technical degree can be extremely useful in law, particularly in the life sciences and technology sectors in which Bristows practises.

Compared to application processes at other firms, the process at Bristows felt like a genuine attempt to assess my competencies rather than relying on nebulous reasoning questions. After the written application, there was a short pre-recorded video interview, followed by two rounds of interviews and a written exercise. The interviews felt natural, allowing me to have a genuine conversation with the partners, which made me feel confident approaching their questions and demonstrating my skills and experience.

Since joining Bristows, I have completed six-month rotations in both the competition and patent litigation teams. These experiences have been incredibly rewarding and have complemented each other well. The knowledge I gained in competition law fed into my work in patent litigation, making me feel like I was building on my experience rather than starting from scratch. This cohesion is a testament to the strong collaboration between teams at Bristows. The work of trainee is very dependent on the matter, but will typically involve legal and factual research, drafting intersolicitor correspondence, and delivering internal presentations.