Welcome to the third of our 2023 – Trainee Insight interviews with our current Teacher Stern trainees! In these insights, we will hear first-hand experiences and give you a real flavour of what life is like as a trainee with us.
If you are interested in applying for a training contract with Teacher Stern then we recommended you apply for our Vacation Scheme Programme. Participation on the programme will not only give you the opportunity to come and meet us in person, but it will enable you to get an inside look at what it would be like to train and work at Teacher Stern.
Name: Tamara Fisch
Previous seats: Property, Employment & Immigration
Current seat: Commercial Litigation
What can you expect as a trainee at Teacher Stern?
In terms of the work, we as trainees are given a lot of responsibility from an early stage – so expect to be challenged and to learn a lot.
Everyone is super friendly and expect to have a supportive and non-competitive cohort of trainees. We are really always there to help each other out and I think that is something incredibly unique in a law firm and it says a lot about TS and its culture.
What have you enjoyed the most?
At the start of this seat, I was handling a matter (under supervision) which resulted in a court hearing. It felt really exciting that I had done a lot of the work in the lead up to the hearing and that I was able to attend court for the outcome.
I met with both the client and counsel beforehand to prepare and talk through counsel’s main points. Fortunately, the judge ruled in our favour, which was definitely a highlight!
Have you encountered any challenges?
I think the biggest challenge for me was right at the start of my training contract, as I had never been a paralegal and had limited legal experience. This really affected my confidence levels as I constantly questioned my ability. Of course, by the end of that seat I was much more confident and realised how much I had accomplished.
What advice would you give new applicants?
As generic as it sounds, make sure to be yourself during the interview process and vacation scheme – that is really the only way you will be able to shine and stand out!
Talk about your interests (even if that is binge watching reality tv shows!) and engage with the partners and team you are sat with during your vacation scheme.
Someone once told me, when recruiting applicants for training contracts that they imagine being stuck in a lift them, as to whether they would be able hold a conversation until rescued from the lift. This really resonated with me (possibly too much as I definitely can chat a lot!) and always had it at the back of my mind during my time on the vacation scheme.
Describe your time so far in three words
Challenging, engaging and fun.
