Leading Scottish law firm Thorntons has welcomed six further trainee solicitors this September. This follows an earlier intake of ten trainees in March of this year and underlines the firm’s commitment to growth.
The new recruits will undertake a two year course across the firm’s network of offices, developing their skills and knowledge across a variety of legal disciplines, as part of their traineeship.
All trainees will adopt a blended work approach, working both from home and in the Thorntons’ offices, ensuring they have direct support from their supervising partner and other colleagues.
The trainees are Walter Buckman from Glasgow, David Durie and Finlay Williamson from Dundee, Antonia Kildare and Hannah Smethurst from Edinburgh, and Martyna Kotlarz from Aberdeen.
Structured around four six-month department rotations, the trainees will gain hands-on experience, complete practical work and have direct client contact from early on. The group will also benefit from Thorntons’ diverse learning and development programmes, mentoring scheme and internal virtual networking opportunities which are all designed to further advance skills and knowledge.
Additionally, all trainees are allocated a specially selected mentor from Thorntons’ team to offer advice and guidance throughout the duration of the training contract.
New trainee David Durie said: “Going to University in Dundee, Thorntons was a huge presence in the legal community. But the firm didn’t just appear to us in billboards, on the television, and on the radio. The people at Thorntons were always willing to give their time to help with events, offer their knowledge and advice, and even act as a sounding board regarding doubts about our futures.
“When I was given the opportunity to join the firm as a trainee and pay forward the help I was given, I knew I had to grab it. I have a lot to learn over the next two years, and there’s a lot of work to be done. But that work is made all the more rewarding by witnessing first-hand that ‘doing what’s right’ isn’t just a slogan, it really is Thorntons’ mission.”
Lesley Larg, Managing Partner at Thorntons, said: “Our trainees play a vital role in the success of the firm, and I’m hugely excited to welcome our new team members.
“As Thorntons continues to grow, and more and more opportunities become available for newly qualified solicitors, this is a particularly exciting time for our trainees to embark on their careers. Each year a significant number of successful trainees stay on to continue their careers with us, and we look forward to working with them to develop their skills and knowledge.”