Vance Power, Trainee Solicitor, A&L Goodbody

What does your job involve?

My day to day tasks are quite varied. They can range from carrying out research on various areas of law, assisting solicitors with the drafting of documents and liaising with colleagues in other departments. I also attend a number of talks and presentations on a weekly basis. Every week we have the trainee education programme, talks given by trainees on different areas of the law.

What are the most important skills?

Communication, organisation, team skills, and the ability to work under pressure. Having completed a number of internship programmes, I got a good insight into the exact skills you need. I would advise getting experience through an internship or a law start day.

What is a law start day?

It gives you the opportunity to shadow a trainee for a day quite early on in their studies. It definitely gives an insight into the skills required.

What do you like most about your job?

Since commencing my traineeship I’ve worked in the construction team, investment funds and the property department, so I’ve gotten exposure to a lot of different areas of the law.

Do you have any advice for students?

As a trainee solicitor you need to be organised. You take work from a number of different departments and you need to be able to manage both your workload and time management, so this is definitely a skill I would recommend developing.