Trainee blog - Letitia Longworth

Letitia Longworth is a second-year trainee with Brodies LLP, working with the Commercial Litigation team in Edinburgh. Originally from York, Letitia obtained her first degree in English from the University of St Andrews, and her graduate LLB and Diploma from the University of Edinburgh. She has also completed seats in Private Client and Corporate Projects and is due to qualify as a solicitor in July 2017.

The view from litigation

Since my last post back in September, the second-year trainees at Brodies have moved seats for the third and final time, and I am now coming to the end of my second month in the firm’s litigation department.

I’d been keen to get experience of contentious work since starting the traineeship, having hugely enjoyed mooting and the court practice courses on the LLB and Diploma. Now that I’m here, I’m pleased to say that the reality of practice is exceeding all of my expectations.

The second item on my to-do list after Christmas – behind stripping my computer of its sparkly tinsel ruff and (with great sadness) returning my decorative crackers to the cupboard whence they came – was to check the mail. I’d forgotten that my restricted practising certificate (or ‘RPC’ – read more about them in the Law Society’s admission section) had been quite literally in the post when I left the office on 22 December, so it was a very pleasant New Year surprise to find the real thing sitting in my pigeon hole. I didn’t expect that this would change how I went about my work on a day-to-day basis, but I confess I was caught off-guard by a strong feeling that, with the RPC under my belt and just six months of traineeship remaining, I’m very nearly there.

The arrival of the RPC wasn’t the only thing that has made me pause for thought recently. I have been struck repeatedly in the last eight weeks by the sense that, in addition to their junior role within the profession, trainee solicitors are also the newest members of the wider – and very lively – legal community. Rob Marrs blogged on one aspect of this earlier in the month, in his post on the importance of mutual respect and civility. The biggest impression I’ve had of litigation so far has been that (in addition to the law, obviously) it’s about people – and about taking support where it’s offered as well as being useful in your work.

I had my first court appearance three days before Christmas, in the Thursday-morning small claims roll in Edinburgh. Looking up from my notes at one point (to remind myself to breathe), I realised that the court was full of fellow trainees – many of whom I knew from the Diploma. It’s amazing what a nod and a knowing smile can do to quell rioting rookie nerves, and it reminded me that, even in an adversarial environment, there is an abundance of camaraderie and support to be found among peers. As new lawyers, it’s incumbent on us in particular to foster this culture wherever we can.

I’ve also spent a great deal of time out and about, attending hearings and consultations; delivering papers to other firms, and lodging productions with the sheriff court and Court of Session. Whether it’s the intense hum of pre-hearing discussions in Parliament Hall, back-and-forth between clerks in the General Department or working closely with colleagues to intimate documents before a deadline, the conversations between players in the legal community are one of the most energising parts of the job. If you’re in any way a people person, and the option is open to you, I’d recommend a seat in litigation at the drop of a hat.