Jenny Hawkins,

University Attended Cardiff University
Degree Obtained Law
Age 25

Hot, sweaty, frazzled and ready to cry, I arrived at my Ashurst interview an hour late. There had been a tube strike in London and it took me three hours to get from the station to the office! My fears soon evaporated when everyone, from the HR people and partners to the reception staff, was welcoming, friendly and relaxed.

Working as a Team

This friendly culture was one of the main reasons I was attracted to Ashurst. Not only does Ashurst have the excellent reputation, clients, benefits and high-profile deals, which come with joining a big City firm, what makes it stand out is its great people, who are friendly and supportive. Everyone seems to have a great sense of humour! 

I am now coming to the end of my first seat in the Planning Department and have thoroughly enjoyed it in every respect. The diversity of work in such a short amount of time has been extraordinary. My work has included research, drafting, telephoning clients, attending consultations with Counsel and a judicial review at Court. It was a great experience to assist in the preparation of the judicial review, to watch it in action at the hearing and to see my team succeed on something on which they had worked so hard. I have spent less time in front of a photocopier than I did at law school! Most of all, the people in my team were fantastic. I was given valuable feedback, made some great friends within the department and have been made to feel like I am a valued member of the team.

Training

At the start of our training contract we had two weeks of training followed by department-specific training during the seats. Most of our formal training supports what law school taught us, but in a much more practical way. The majority of our training is on the job, as it’s when you’re actually ‘doing’ that you learn the most. It’s not all textbook stuff – I’ve attended everything from an image consultancy workshop, a stress-busting workshop, a grammar and punctuation course and even one on personal safety. There are so many opportunities on offer.

Partners in Fancy Dress

Whether you’re into sport, dragon boat racing, quiz nights, sponsored charity walks, black-tie balls or just general drinking, there is something extracurricular for everyone at the firm. One of my funniest experiences so far was seeing the real estate department clad in fancy dress for the Christmas party; I viewed a number of colleagues in a new light from then on! I regularly take part in sponsored runs and I am team captain for the Ashurst team. I have also made a number of truly good friends who I often socialise with outside of work.

Ashurst in the Wider World

There are so many opportunities to take part in pro bono work at Ashurst. Once a week I read with a child at Bonner Primary, which is fun. It’s especially fulfilling to build relationships with the children. Additionally, I have visited the helipad at the London Hospital, which the firm donates money to and I am taking part in a scheme to help the RNID with advice and assistance in the community. Everyone from partners to IT staff, trainees and secretaries take part in these activities and it’s so lovely to have everyone contributing on the same playing field, all taking something special from it and working together to make a difference in the community.