Case study

Tawana Robertson — Solicitor apprentice

Employer
Dentons

Studying with BPP University, Tawana is a first year Level 7 solicitor apprentice at Dentons. She’s currently sat in the Anti-Money Laundering team

Why did you decide on a career in law?

I decided on a career in law because it is a challenging industry that requires intricate knowledge. I believe that commercial law combines my skill of attention to detail with my growing understanding of how businesses operate.

By working in law, I can engage with diverse clients, including high-profile companies or individuals, and aid them in navigating complex contractual matters, regulatory compliance and intellectual property concerns.

What attracted you to Dentons?

I was attracted to Dentons’ variety of practice areas. There is a plethora of sectors that I could specialise in, including Dispute Resolution, Banking & Finance, Real Estate and Corporate. Many sectors have subdivisions too.

Dentons also stood out to me because its solicitor apprenticeship programme has a clear, organised six-year structure, which allows me to sit in a total of eight different departments during the course. I believe that the opportunity to have an array of experience across the firm will help me pick up a range of transferable skills and allow me to specialise in a practice area I am truly passionate about.

What was the application process like?

The application process was a four-stage process. The initial stage was a written application form, which mainly asked to me to explain why law and why Dentons.

The second stage was a psychometric assessment to understand my literacy and numerical skills.

The third stage was a virtual interview, which involved a question appearing on my device and I then had a couple of minutes to answer. This was the stage I personally found the most challenging because I was unable to refilm or expand on my answer once the time was up.

The final stage was a virtual interview with two lawyers and an assessment centre, which was the most exciting point.

What’s a typical day like as a solicitor apprentice?

A typical day as a solicitor apprentice is dependent on what team you are working in. I am working in the internal Anti-Money Laundering team, which involves the process of carrying out client due diligence. This entails collating a series of documents and information about the clients we onboard. We are required to complete these checks in order to assess any potential risks. I complete a mix of low to high-risk clients for the team, which is really thrilling because there can sometimes be difficulty in assessing matters such as shareholders in private companies.

What part of your job do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy the responsibility and independence that comes with the job. In such a short time, I have already been exposed to so many things. Learning from lawyers who have been at the firm for years has been beneficial to my development as a lawyer. It can be daunting to take on such huge tasks, such as assessing high risk clients without much supervision, but I love the challenge. As my team is really supportive, I can call upon them when I'm stuck, and they allow me to have a lot of freedom as well. Due to this, I have become more confident in my legal research skills.

What are the challenges?

Solicitor apprentices typically face the challenge of balancing work and university with life outside of their studies. The amount of content sometimes doesn’t fit into our given study day so I have to complete university work during the weekends or quiet periods I have at work. It all depends on your organisation, but it is manageable.

There are a lot of stereotypes about working in law, can you debunk a myth?

A stereotype is that most legal issues are solved primarily in court. A lot of the work is centred around negotiations outside of court. Most of the work for clients is typically written and lots of the common tasks revolve around reviewing documents. Having soft skills such as people skills, and attention to detail are very important attributes that relate to the world of corporate law.

What are your career ambitions?

My focus is to decide which legal practice area I would like to qualify in at the end of my programme. I also have an ambition to progress through my firm and gain more experience working with big clients. Also, reaching partner-level is a difficult but rewarding process, which I could see my future-self aspire to reach one day.

What advice can you give to future apprentices?

They should consider what motivates them to choose Dentons. It is vital to complete in-depth research about our firm’s values and culture. This is not only beneficial to your understanding, but it also demonstrates that you care about the firm you're applying to. Also, it is very important to highlight your skills during the application process by citing any relevant experience. Whether it is law-related or not, presenting your best strengths and attributes and linking those to the role of a solicitor apprentice will place you in a better position.

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