We really believe that you learn best by doing. Getting involved in real work from the start. Your training contract is divided into four seats in different practice areas, each lasting six months. We spend significant time with you discussing the progress of your seat to ensure you are getting a good variety of work and also your next seat choice to ensure you are moving to an area which interests you.

We encourage our more experienced trainees to spend time on secondment, usually six months, which gives you a fantastic insight into working in-house. The trainees we have sent on secondment find it helps them develop commercial awareness and a real understanding of our clients' needs. Most recently, our trainees have spent time on secondment at Shell, Harrods and The Financial Services Authority (FSA). For their insights into life on secondment, please see the articles of Sascha Grimm, Charlotte Bunn and Nathan Hull. We also encourage our trainees to spend time on secondment in our offices outside London. One of our recently qualified lawyers, Henry Stewart, has been the first to be seconded in the New York office in his final seat. You can read about his experiences here.

We take our responsibilities for skills training to supplement your work experience very seriously. Tailored courses have been developed to teach you the skills we think you need. A comprehensive programme of workshops is offered during your training contract in litigation, corporate and core skills. Much of the training is run by our own lawyers, together with experienced external consultants. In 2004 we were pleased to win the LCN/TSG Award for the best trainee training offered by a medium-sized City of London law firm. We are also part of the INN Group of law firms and regularly host seminars and refresher courses or attend the same provided by other members of the Group. Trainees are encouraged to attend as many of these seminars as are of interest to them.

In September, during your first three weeks at work, you will complete the core modules for the Professional Skills Course (PSC) which include:

• advocacy and mock trial
• client care and professional standards
• financial and business skills

You will also spend time getting to know your fellow trainees and gradually meeting other faces. You will learn how the firm operates, including on the IT, business development and financial management side. After three weeks, our trainees are as prepared as they can be to start the real work.