I arrive in the office just before 9.00am. I have recently moved to technology and outsourcing and I share an office with partner Simon Briskman. Simon and I have a chat about last night's technology curry night, which was a great way to get to know the team. Simon asks if I will have capacity to help with something later today and we agree to chat about the task in the afternoon. I check through my emails.

9.30am:  I have received an email from partner Nick Holland. Nick is doing a presentation on the legal issues surrounding open source and I have been helping him by researching and putting notes together. He asks if I can pop by to see him when I am in, so I grab a notebook and pen and head to his office. We discuss the presentation requirements further and I tell Nick that I can get some presentation slides over to him within a couple of hours.

10.00am:  Michael Chissick, head of the department, pops in to see if I can help with a client matter today. I haven't done any work for Michael yet so I am eager to take this on. Michael forwards me an email (with several attachments, including a contract) in which a client is requesting advice on some employment issues. However, on first glance at the email, I go into slight panic/freeze mode… Not only do the client's issues seem far from straightforward, but my knowledge of employment law is absolutely zero! I have to remind myself that every day of my training contract I am tackling something new and unfamiliar. Although this can be stressful at times, it is also what makes it so exciting to be here.

2.30pm:  I have my first draft of the advice letter ready for Michael. I have had to email Nick to ask for an extension on the presentation but, thankfully, Nick is fine with this. Over the last few hours, I have researched the client's issues using a variety of online and textbook sources, further guided by our information officer. I email the letter over to Michael for his review. I also receive a phone call from one of the NQs who is stuck in a meeting. He asks if I can meet a client at reception in 15 minutes to hand over some contracts. I meet the client and also use this as a good opportunity to run out and grab a quick sandwich.

3.00pm:  I make the finishing touches to the open source presentation and send this across to Nick. Michael also comes by to say he is pleased with my letter. We agree a few amendments and then send this off to the client.

4.00pm:  I receive an outlook reminder that I now have a meeting with Lewis Cohen, a partner in commercial IP. Three weeks ago I did some pro bono interviewing at a legal advice centre in London. The client was an interior designer who requested advice on copyright issues. Lewis was my supervisor during the interview and so I meet him to review the advice letter which I have prepared. Chatting to Lewis is also a great way of getting to know a bit more about the firm's IP work.

5.00pm:  I finally have an opportunity to sit down with Simon. Simon has a client who has started up a new business venture setting up and running websites for small businesses. The client would like to offer a sliding scale percentage fee to some of his customers and would therefore like us to draft an appropriate clause into the website design development and hosting agreement. I have been looking forward to gaining further drafting experience and this is a great chance to do so. Simon and I go through my clause together, before emailing the final version over to the client.

7.00pm:  Today has been a busy day but the variety has been fantastic. I head down to the local pub to meet a couple of the trainees for a drink. We have all only recently rotated to our new departments so there are lots of tales to be told and gossip to be shared.