Jack Cuthbertson, a newly qualified Solicitor in our Energy & Strategic Land team tells us more about his experience at Gillespie Macandrew, from Trainee to Solicitor.
What were your first impressions of GM?
The first day of my traineeship was a bit of a blur. I had recently moved to Edinburgh from Aberdeen, so a new job and a new city made for quite an overwhelming experience. However, the one thing I do remember from the first day was the welcome lunch where people from throughout the firm were invited to come and meet the new trainees. I spoke to people at all levels of GM and was glad to find that everyone was friendly and approachable, from trainee to partner. This first impression lasted throughout my traineeship. I found that this was the case in all four of my seats across GM’s sectors, everyone is approachable and willing to help you out.
What three words would you use to describe GM?
Practical, ambitious, progressive.
What is the best thing about working at GM?
As a trainee you are made to feel part of the team that you are in. In all of my seats there was a social event soon after I joined where you get to chat to everyone and you are quickly given good substantive work that you can take responsibility for.
What was an important lesson you learned during your traineeship?
To keep an open mind. I had no idea which area I wanted to qualify into and moving into practice from University made me realise that practical law is very different from academics. I was keen to try as wide a variety of seats as I could, allowing me to make a good decision about where I wanted to end up. Gillespie Macandrew was very accommodating in making sure that I got that opportunity.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of applying for a traineeship at GM?
That you don’t need to have loads of legal experience to make your application stand out. Being able to demonstrate that you are detail-focussed, highly motivated and keen to learn doesn’t just come from having had an internship with a big law firm. If you can demonstrate traits like these from interesting part-time jobs, hobbies and experiences, you are in as good a position as any to hit the ground running in a traineeship.
How has your experience been since qualifying and the transition from trainee to Solicitor?
My last two seats were non-property, and I qualified into a property department, so it took a bit of time to find my feet again but the support from the team doesn’t disappear as soon as you qualify. Everyone is still willing to answer your questions and you’re not expected to know everything just because you’re qualified. It’s been busy and fast paced but I feel like that’s the best way to learn.
