9.00am: I arrive in the office and settle down at my desk with some breakfast. I check my emails and calendar for the day and create a to-do list. I have a quick email exchange with another trainee who is currently on a six-month secondment in the Singapore office, updating me on his involvement with a current transaction. 9.30am: I am told of a new deal which has come in and am invited to a deal briefing with a partner and counsel, which helps me to gain a good understanding of the client and the essence of what the deal involves. This gives me the invaluable background which will aid me during any work that I may have to carry out on this matter in future.10.30am: I am asked by an associate to prepare a memorandum to be sent to a client on an area of law which has changed as a result of the new Companies Act. I check the deadline, which I am told is tomorrow. I conduct the necessary research and begin writing up the results.11.40am: I receive a quick follow-up call from a client with whom I worked closely in my last seat. Trainees at O'Melveny get direct exposure to UK and international clients and professionals at an early stage and are able to form long-lasting business relationships. 12.30pm: I am a volunteer for our firm's pro bono reading scheme. Volunteers work in pairs, taking it in turns on a fortnightly basis to attend a local primary school to help an assigned student with their reading. As well as being great fun, it has been so rewarding to see my student progress and to have the opportunity to give something back to the community.

2.00pm: I arrive back in the office and prepare for a telephone board meeting of a US-based client in which I will be taking the minutes. I sit in on the call with a partner and my supervisor and as soon as the meeting is over, I clarify with my supervisor any issues on which I am unclear and begin writing up the minutes.4.30pm: I finish writing up the memorandum that I was preparing in the morning and submit it early for review. 5.00pm: I have been asked by my supervisor to draft a specific clause for a share purchase agreement. My supervisor takes the time out to explain the background of the client to me and to answer any questions that I have. He explains to me exactly what it is that the client will require. It is a great opportunity to put my drafting skills into practice, tailoring a clause to the individual needs of our client.6.30pm: I check my calendar for the next day. I see that we have an internal training session. As well as regular practice-specific firm-wide training sessions, we also benefit from external speakers coming into the office. In addition, trainees receive specifically tailored training to ensure that sessions are always at an accessible level.6.45pm: I prepare to leave the office for the evening with some of the other trainees to go to the theatre. One of the many benefits of working at a firm with a small trainee intake is that trainees form a strong bond. I feel really lucky to be able to undertake my training in an environment where all the trainees unhesitatingly offer each other assistance if required and who are not just colleagues, but have become firm friends.