More about the scheme
This is a fantastic opportunity for a law graduates to develop legal experience across multiple practice areas, in a supportive and collaborative environment. The perfect introduction to a career in law, Fieldfisher Belfast has designed, structured and developed a graduate scheme modelled on our trainee solicitor programme. We will deliver an experience which is practical and enjoyable, demonstrating what it is like to work as a Legal Professional in one of our many departments. You will receive daily support from a mentor, working as an integral part of our award winning teams of Partners, Solicitors and Legal Professionals across the UK and Europe. You will benefit from seven months of working on large and complex projects, with the view of progressing on to become a Legal Professional post training. You will complete two three month long seat rotations in our departments including: Personal Injury, Risk, Dispute Resolution, Cross-area Specialist Team and Regulatory. There will be the opportunity to travel to our other UK offices.
We have designed a jam-packed schedule of training to run alongside your experiences on our scheme. After completing a standard one week of induction training on our IT systems, you will attend face to-face classroom based learning for a further one week delivered by tutors from University of Law. This will give you a real-world introduction to legal practice, company law, client care and professional standards. Following this you will attend weekly training covering litigation procedures, alternative dispute resolution and the Civil Procedure Rules. Complementing this practical training we run a Belfast Business Skills Syllabus which focuses on people management, business development and technical skills.
Belfast Hub is Fieldfisher's only support hub, providing administrative and legal support to our UK, European and US based offices.
We have grown substantially since opening in August 2018 with over 80 staff working across various Business Services departments such as: HR, IT, Finance, Risk and Marketing. We also provide legal support to departments such as Personal Injury and Medical Negligence, Regulatory, Dispute Resolution and IP to name a few.
We work across two floors in the prestigious Titanic Quarter location of Belfast, with a spacious open plan office encouraging team work and collaboration. We have a very relaxed culture but with a focus on ensuring excellence in the delivery of our work.
We hit our growth target this year, and since acquiring a
third floor in our offices, growth certainly isn't slowing down at the
Fieldfisher Belfast Hub. We recently launched our Belfast Business Skills
Syllabus, demonstrating our commitment to the development of our people.
What to expect
Responsibilities
• Working with the cutting edge legal technology.
• Liaising with Barristers
• Attending client meetings
• Drafting letters and court documents
• Shadowing witness interviews
• Researching and preparing documentation for the our Client Onboarding team
• Data extraction and analysis of legal contracts
• Proof reading documents
• Preparing electronic bundles and documents for court
• Legal research, reviewing evidence and expert opinion
• Providing essential support to your department
A bit about you
• Strong educational background with a minimum grade of 2:1
• Eagerness to learn
• Enthusiastic, keen and proactive
• Strong communications skills
• Reliable and professional
• A team player
• Excellent IT skills
• Desire to exceed expectations and be fully committed to the role.
Recruitment Process
- Online application form
- Telephone interview
- Assessment centre - April 2024
Application
process
People are our most important asset so we have
developed a rigorous recruitment process to ensure we are selecting the
applicants who will succeed at Fieldfisher.
Our application process is made up of:
- Online application form and CV submission
- Telephone interview
- Assessment centre made up of a group exercise,
in tray exercise and interview
My time on the Graduate Legal Professional Scheme at the Belfast office has been extremely enjoyable and beneficial! I have gained a valuable insight into the working practices of a large international law firm and have felt extremely valued as a member of a close-knit team, working on complex legal matters. The structure of the program, offering graduates two six-month long seat rotations, provides the participant with the opportunity to equip themselves with knowledge of various practice areas and the opportunity to develop legal work experience. A definite highlight is having a cohort of five other graduates taking part alongside me, meaning there is always a support network available from people in the same position and the opportunity to create long-lasting friendships. I have thoroughly enjoyed my studies with the University of Law, finding it provides a perfect working/educational balance for a graduate adjusting to professional life. As part of my seat in the Regulatory department I have worked as part of an integral team on a significant public inquiry, aiding various legal undertakings i.e., the coding of documents for disclosure, deduplication of document databases, assisting in counsel search requests, completing bespoke investigatory tasks and assisting senior members of team with project management. Overall, I believe the scheme thus far has significantly enhanced my legal skills, which will prove invaluable going forward as I progress into my second seat of Clinical Negligence, and indeed my further legal career.
The Graduate Legal Professional Scheme was an incredible opportunity to dive into the world of law and learn the practical workings of the sector alongside a range of qualified professionals. My time in the Intellectual Property department, and continuing work in the Cross Area Specialist Team, provides the opportunity to take on a range of tasks from legal research to drafting documents, every task adding to my skill set that was founded at university. The support from colleagues and the mentors made this an opportunity to learn, make mistakes and be shown effectively how to learn and develop within the role. The Graduate Legal Professional Scheme has opened the door to my legal career and has allowed me to work alongside a supportive team in an exciting workplace!
