In this month’s blog, Freya Hadrill discusses some of the training sessions on offer at the firm.

As a trainee there are the usual legal training requirements, which include completing the compulsory Professional Skills Courses and writing a Training Diary. However, one of the best things about training at Bristows is the varied subject matter we get to engage with during the training process. Our training extends beyond the purely legal, allowing us also to develop our technical knowledge and to gain a deeper understanding of how the life-sciences and tech industries operate. Coming from a non-science background, I found an introductory talk on cell biology and a seminar on the drug development process to be both helpful and really interesting. Crucially – the people providing the training pitch the content at exactly the right level for the audience – so, I rarely felt out of my depth.

Trainees from across different departments can also attend quarterly life-sciences and TMT (technology, media and telecoms) breakfasts, where associates present on recent work. While we get an introductory talk to all the departments upon joining the firm and learn about the typical trainee roles within each department, these breakfasts are great opportunities to learn more about individual transactions and recent litigation, as well as how departments work together. Seminars are also given by external organisations, including a regular update on recent developments in contract law provided by Calleja Consulting.

In addition to firm-wide training, there is department-specific training. In my first seat in the Corporate Department I took part in monthly know-how meetings, where I presented on recent case law and legislative changes that might affect transactions and listened to other members of the Corporate Department present on a specific topic of corporate practice. Trainees in the Corporate Department also attend a weekly Tax Knowledge session.