8.30am: I arrive at the office early, as I am involved in an arbitration hearing this week, and our lead counsel has requested that we make some last-minute additions to the bundles. Although my next seat was due to begin last week, I was allowed to remain in the dispute resolution group for a few more days, which means that I have been able to observe the entire hearing from start to finish.The dispute concerns a distribution agreement for pharmaceutical products in Asia, and I have been involved in preparations for the arbitration for the past three months. This case really illustrates how international the firm's workload is. It involves one Asian company, two European companies, English law, and participants from as far away as China, Switzerland and the United States. In fact, since I joined Covington, most of the matters that I have been involved with have had some kind of international element.9.30am: The Covington team, which also includes a partner and an associate, meets with lead counsel and the client for a discussion of what the day ahead entails. Because the office is relatively small, it is not very heirarchical and, for the most part, trainees work directly with partners and senior associates.10.30am: The hearing starts slightly later than usual, as we are nearing the end of the arbitration. We finished examining witnesses yesterday afternoon, so today we are moving on to our opponent's closing submissions. This is another great chance to see advocacy in action. A couple of weeks ago, I attended a High Court hearing, in which we had instructed Jonathan Sumption QC. It is pretty exciting to hear a case that you have worked on being presented to a packed courtroom by one of the country's leading barristers.

12.30pm: During the lunch break, we each offer our views as to how the hearing is progressing. Everyone around the table, myself included, weighs in with comments about how receptive the arbitrator appears to be towards particular arguments. We also start to discuss how our own closing submissions ought to be presented. Since I have been working on the case, I have attended interviews with potential witnesses, drafted witness statements, and prepared correspondence to the arbitrator and opposing counsel. Covington encourages its trainees to develop at their own pace. That does not mean that we are left to our own devices, but we do seem to be entrusted with more responsibility, at an earlier stage, than friends at other firms.4.00pm: With our opponent's submissions completed, an associate and I sit down with our leading counsel to help him prepare for the final day. We spend a couple of hours trawling through the previous days' transcripts, highlighting points that may help us to rebut the arguments made this afternoon.6.00pm: Our witnesses will be heading home tomorrow morning, so we go out for a team dinner at a local restaurant, to thank them for their help in preparing for the arbitration. After a hectic week --which is not yet over -- it is a nice opportunity to relax for a few hours. It is also a good chance to get to know the client in a slightly less formal setting. Since I started in September, I have attended a number of similar meetings and dinners with senior in-house lawyers.