You have been to the careers fairs, chosen your favourite firms, applied and breezed successfully through the interview process. Congratulations! Your first day at your new firm has come and gone… but has it lived up to the promise? This year it is Farrer & Co that takes the top spot with trainees enjoying the firm's 'ethos, history and diversity' as well as its 'awareness that people work most effectively when they are happy'. Right behind the Queen's choice of law firm is US firm Debevoise & Plimpton where the 'small trainee intake guarantees as much exposure as you want to high-quality, often international work, whilst working within a firm that really feels like a team'. Taking bronze this year is Forbes where there is 'a good variety of work - the firm has some excellent clients which means you get a great quality of training and experience'. South East firm Blake Lapthorn has 'clientele the quality of a City firm but with all the benefits of a regional firm such as reasonable hours and not feeling like a small cog in a large machine'. Bristol firm Burges Salmon provides trainees with 'top-class clients and first-rate training, all without the need to sacrifice your life outside work', whilst Pemberton Greenish offers 'a fantastic location away from the City but still with great clients and interesting work'. Browne Jacobson keeps its trainees busy with 'plenty of responsibility and client contact' and importantly a 'superb quality of work and good structured supervision'. At Forsters there is ' regular direct contact with partners as well as much better working hours', plus trainees also get a lot of responsibility, often running their own files. Farleys Solicitors 'puts a lot of faith in its trainees and puts them in positions to gain experience that you might not be exposed to at other firms'. Covington & Burling trainees were persuaded to join the firm thanks to the 'intimate working environment, coupled with global contacts and clients' and are pleased that they have found themselves in a 'hard-working but 'humane' work culture'. At Andrew Jackson 'the organisation and structure of the training', coupled with its 'friendly atmosphere and active social scene' ensures that expectations are met.