However hours are intense at the nationals and the largest regional firms. In the current busy climate everyone is finding the hours longer. Most firms surveyed provide the traditional training structure of four six-month seats. The trainee will physically move from department to department. They share a room with a partner or senior assistant for whom they mostly work.
Some firms vary the number and length of seats.
A number of firms provide radically different training contracts. At Gouldens trainees don t move. They take on work from all areas of the firm and continue to progress that work throughout their training contract rather than handing it over at the end of six months. This is more like the experience of young US lawyers, who have no training contract as such, but are qualified from day one in the office. Your choice of firms that interest you will be based partly on location, partly on size, partly on practice areas available.