Mak Judge Second-year trainee

Why did you join Shearman & Sterling?

S&S has earned the respect of all the Magic Circle firms even though it has fewer lawyers. In terms of both lawyers and work done the firm strives for quality rather than quantity. Given this, the training is much more dynamic (and unpredictable!) and personalised than it would be in a larger firm as you become a more important member of each team that you work in.

What has been the highlight of your training contract?

Going to Singapore for one of my seats. This gave me the chance to see first hand the globalised nature of the work done by the firm. I gained a much broader and richer experience of both the type of work done, S&S and the legal sector in general. I met a lot of trainees from other firms out in Singapore, so I have built up a great network that I will be able to use in the future too. It was also a great place to travel from – I think I spent more weekends out of Singapore than I did there – the weather was pretty good too!

What has been the biggest surprise working here?

Realising that lawyers are human and like to pop into each others’ offices to have a friendly chat, or go and grab a cup of coffee just like everybody else.

What is the culture of the firm like?

Each department is very different and so a plus in any training contract is that you see different sides to the same firm. Work will always take priority, but the firm culture is very friendly and open. When people are free there is usually some social activity planned. Being a smaller firm it is much easier to get to know everybody in the office and see them on a regular basis. There is also a mentor system whereby each trainee can lunch informally with an associate they might not otherwise get to work with.

The firm provides for three trainees social events a year but trainees meet up informally much more frequently than that!

What advice would you give to someone looking for a training contract?

Research the differences between firms in terms of training and the areas of law that each firm does and does not specialise in, so you know what you may be excluding from the outset. Talk to people about the firms you are looking at and what they think about them. The trainees in the firm, and people that have qualified there following the training contract are a great source of information – they will be able to tell you what it’s really like there and the highs and lows they have experienced.

What are you most looking forward to in your future with the firm?

Qualifying! As I get more experienced I am excited about the opportunity to not only work on deals, but also run them. So far I have had a good amount of client exposure and this will inevitably increase as my experience does, which is another aspect I am really looking forward to.