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Higherin
Gateley

Trainee Solicitor Review

at Gateley

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

Legal/Law

Manchester

Review Submitted: July 2023

Overall Rating

4.6 /5

The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!

5/5 - Overview of Experience
4.8/5 - Skills Development
4.3/5 - Company Culture
5/5 - Overall Experience
4/5 - Recommendations and Advice

Overview of Experience

Please give an overview of the insight and what was involved on a day-to-day basis.
Everyday I would come on and either start my day by finishing any outstanding tasks from the previous day or discussing with my assigned buddy whether they had or anyone else on the team had a task for me to do.
I did a range of tasks such as drafting letters, conducting legal research, finding specific information about court fees or processes, creating fact sheets and I even wrote an insight article.
What was it like understanding all about the business and potential roles available?
There was a day specifically for department talks and I felt like this was helpful because we got to learn about what every single department in the company did, whether they regularly took on trainees and what type of work each person did.
I felt like it gave a good overview on what areas the business has lots of work in and how if they had roles in areas I was particularly interested in.
Please rate how insightful you found the insight
5/5
How would you rate the structure of the insight
5/5

Skills Development

Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
Prior to the vacation scheme I did not have the chance to do much legal writing or drafting outside of my LPC so I have been able to hone my writing and drafting skills. I was able to go through my work with the people on my team and figure out how to improve my writing.
I also got to develop my time management skills as I was given deadlines to keep.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
5/5
How would you rate the knowledge learned around industry-specific skills during the experience?
5/5
How would you rate the knowledge learned around personal or professional skills during the experience?
4/5
Please rate how the knowledge learned has helped you with regards to your career development
5/5

Company Culture

How would you rate business leader involvement during the insight
5/5
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
The culture and atmosphere were great. Everyone was very welcoming and eager to introduce themselves to me and speak with me. I was placed in the Commercial Dispute Resolution department, and I found everyone on my team friendly and easy to approach. Everyone was very open, and I never felt like I couldn’t ask any questions but rather asking questions was encouraged and everyone seemed very happy to help me out.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
3/5
How would you rate the networking opportunities?
4/5
Please rate how valued you felt during your insight?
5/5

Overall Experience

To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
Overall, I really enjoyed the vacation scheme. I was able to learn a lot of amazing things about Gateley as the week went by and really saw their purpose and ‘Gateley Team Spirit’ in action in many ways through the week. It was a pleasant experience that has not only made me more confident in my own skills and abilities, but I can now see myself pursuing and thriving in a career in law.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on the insight
5/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
5/5
Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
I was paid

Recommendations and Advice

Please rate the future employment prospects at Gateley
4/5
Would you recommend Gateley to a friend?
Yes
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Gateley
I would recommend doing good research about the firm and the unique way they are structured in order to be able to speak confidently about it.
I would also find out about the purpose and 'Gateley Team Spirit' on their website because it is something I definitely saw in action throughout my team yet so I think demonstrating qualities that align to that would be helpful.
In This Review
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