9.00am: I arrive at the office and head to my desk. Having spent a few minutes checking my voicemail and emails for anything urgent, I then skim-read the legal updates that I receive every morning: they are a great way to keep up-to-speed with any developments in the law, and – particularly important in litigation where I am sitting – to find out about any landmark cases. I chat to the assistant I share a room with about a ruling I feel may have a bearing on a case we are working on. Sharing a room with both a partner and assistant means I get exposure to work of all levels, but also ensures I can always ask questions that are (almost!) never too silly.I have a client meeting this morning, but since I feel prepared for it, I have time to dash to the canteen for my first cup of coffee of the day and a catch up with everyone else who has had the same idea as me.10.30am: The meeting is with an employee of our client, who will be giving a proof of evidence. Commercially sensitive and with a high value, there is much at stake in this case, and so getting good witness evidence is key. The assistant will lead the meeting, but I am expected to know my way around the documents and assist the interview process, clarifying points where necessary. It will be my job to produce a record of the meeting, so it is important to pay attention to exactly what is said and make sure we have the information we need to prepare the witness statement. Although the meeting is long and the work intensive, it gives me a valuable opportunity to get to the heart of the case and build a relationship with the witness and the client.

1.00pm: The meeting over, we head back to the office. I have lunchtime training seminars a couple of days a week, but today my schedule is free, so I pop down to the canteen to have lunch with some of the other trainees. Because our trainee intake is relatively small, we have all got to know each other, and there is always a friendly face on the other side of the table. There is also plenty of socialising with people at all levels of the firm, be it Friday-night drinks, wine tastings or sports matches.1.50pm: While fresh in my mind, I dictate a note of the morning's meeting. Since the supervising partner was not there, I stick my head around his door to let him know how it went. He asks me to produce a first draft of the witness statement: although a daunting task, it is great to be given this chance to use my initiative, safe in the knowledge that help will be there if I need it. I decide to approach this the following day once I have had the opportunity to reflect on the information the witness gave us. 3.15pm: My supervisor asks me to do some urgent research on a tricky defamation point. No time to panic, I gather the necessary information with help from our information centre, draw my conclusions and brief the partner. He thinks my reasoning sounds sensible and we call the client to advise – it is satisfying to feel that my opinions are valued and relied upon, although nerve-racking that it does not emulate the research done at law school where there is always a 'right' answer!6.50pm: With no more pressing work to be done today, I prepare a to-do list for the following morning to keep track of all the work I have on. My inbox is full of 'all trainees' emails discussing a trip to our local, so I head around the corner for a quick drink before hopping on the tube home.