Norton Rose Fulbright Trainee Profiles

Alex Noble
Trainee Solicitor
Law, London School of Economics

Alex studied Law at the London School of Economics. He is now completing his training contract at Norton Rose Fulbright.

What course did you study and where?

I studied Law at the London School of Economics. Having so many firms on my doorstep was a great opportunity to meet lawyers and graduate recruitment teams, although many firms – including Norton Rose Fulbright – travel to universities around the UK so do take the opportunity to meet as many firms as you can. Increasingly, firms are also attending and hosting virtual law fairs which means aspiring lawyers can attend regardless of location.

Why did you decide on a career in law?

One of the things that attracted me to a career in law, and in particular commercial law, was realising that being a lawyer is about helping clients achieve their goals – not simply telling the client what the law is. To do that, it is important to have an understanding of the client’s industry and wider economic factors and how they interact with the relevant legal framework and the client’s objectives, not just being an expert in a particular area of law.

What was the application process like?

The application process was, as you would expect, rigorous. At every stage, however, the graduate recruitment team running the process and the partners conducting the interviews were incredibly helpful and welcoming which made it feel a lot less intimidating. The whole process felt like the team wanted to get to know you and see you succeed, rather than try and trip you up. 

What’s a typical day like as a trainee solicitor/what does your training contract involve?

A typical day varies a lot depending on which team you are working with. In tax, lots of my time was spent considering questions from clients and preparing memorandums, or preparing documents for an upcoming hearing at the Tax Tribunal (and, of course, attending the hearing). In project finance, my day might involve reviewing comments from the client on a set of finance document and discussing with the matter partner, and catching up on the CP process with the paralegal team in Newcastle.

What part of your job do you enjoy the most?

My favourite part of the job is the moment when a difficult question or task ‘clicks’ and starts to make sense. At this point in my career, much of what I do day-to-day is new so I spend a lot of time working through problems, applying academic knowledge from my studies and building on that with the help of practitioner materials and colleagues. It can be overwhelming approaching an unfamiliar task, so it is especially rewarding to see tangible progress and understand something that I didn’t earlier that day.

What are the challenges?

The flip side to the above is that sometimes the lightbulb moment doesn’t come by itself. That can be challenging but it is an important skill to be able to know when to ask for help. My experience at Norton Rose Fulbright is that everyone is happy to take time out of their schedule to talk through a task with you.

Leah Mereb
Trainee Solicitor
Cambridge, Law

Leah studied Law at Cambridge before working as a paralegal in-house and in private practice. She’s now a trainee at Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF)

What course did you study and where?

I studied Law at Girton College, Cambridge.

Why did you decide on a career in law?

I carried out some work experience when I was younger and enjoyed the problem-solving element. I also liked that there is a nice balance of working individually and as part of a team.

What attracted you to the firm?

One of the things that most attracted me to the firm was how international it is – both in terms of work and also the fact that there are so many NRF offices all around the world.

What was the application process like?

I applied for a vacation scheme which involved an application form and assessment day where there were interviews, a written test and a negotiation exercise. The graduate recruitment team involved in the assessment day were all welcoming and my interviewers seemed really engaged in the interview. They asked interesting questions both about me personally and my previous experience. There was a focus on showing a genuine interest in NRF rather than being expected to know everything about law. 

What’s a typical day like as a trainee solicitor/what does your training contract involve? 

It typically starts with going through emails and deciding what to prioritise and checking if there are any urgent tasks. Typical tasks involve carrying out research, sitting in on client calls and helping to draft agreements and advice and liaising with foreign counsel.

What part of your job do you enjoy the most?

I like how varied it is – in terms of the actual work we do every day and also the different types of clients and their respective industries.

What are the challenges?

Navigating peoples work styles – for example, some people are happy for you to take charge or exercise your judgment in some matters whereas others take a more hands on supervisory approach. 

There are a lot of stereotypes about working in law, can you debunk a myth?

That only people from certain backgrounds can go into law and succeed in this industry. The legal space is finally starting to recognise the importance and value of people from diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds and this is slowly being reflected in practice.

What are your career ambitions?

As I am only in my second seat now, I’m looking forward to widening my experience and learning more about different areas of law and eventually being able to take on more of a leadership/central role in transactions.

Why should future trainees consider applying to the firm?

For one, the international secondment opportunities. I am currently on an international secondment in Dubai. It’s been a great chance to learn about a different work culture, work on interesting matters, live in a different country for 6 months and meet a lot of new people.