I studied Business and Law in UCD and graduated in 2019. After my third year, I was fortunate enough to be accepted on the William Fry Summer Internship Programme and spent the month of June in the Property department.. I was welcomed into a wonderful team who were both incredibly friendly and supportive. In fact, over the four weeks, it was my interactions with people I met across the firm that convinced me that William Fry was where I wanted to complete my traineeship.
I was incredibly lucky to receive the offer of a training contract following my internship and completed my FE-1s after graduating from UCD. I was offered the opportunity the start my traineeship early by completing a pre-seat in the Employment & Benefits department. This rotation ran for 8 months and was an incredibly enjoyable experience. I was fortunate enough to be involved in a very high profile and complex commercial transaction, which involved cross-departmental work within the firm. My extended stay on the team exceeded my expectations and was an incredibly rewarding experience. While working from home was difficult at times, I was with a team I could always pick up the phone to and who went the extra mile to make sure that everyone stayed connected with each other.
Following PPC-1, I joined the Banking & Finance department. My experience to date in the department has been immensely beneficial. I have had great exposure to complex concepts, fast-paced transactions and an extremely talented and hard-working team.. Trainees play a very active role in the department and are accommodated in seeking out work that is of particular interest to them. The fee earners I work with are always more than willing to take the time to explain concepts to me, answer any questions and ensure that I understand why things are done in certain ways.
This development is also a result of a very well structed traineeship programme and an invaluable Professional Development team. The Trainee Legal Seminar Series offers training on practical skills for trainees and insights into the various departments within the firm. There are also regular departmental knowledge presentations and wonderful professional support lawyers who are always available for support and guidance.
The hard work is complemented by numerous CSR initiatives and a great social calendar. I have been involved in the FryTY programme and had the opportunity to teach classes on various aspects of the law to TY students from disadvantaged schools. This programme was founded by, and is run by, the trainees which makes it a very rewarding experience that all trainees are keen to get involved in. Social highlights include the trainee qualification dinner and the annual Richmond 7s tournament in London.
My time to date on the trainee programme has been both challenging and exciting. I have been fortunate to have worked on complex, large scale transactions which have involved working with wonderfully talented individuals across the firm and other top law firms around the world. I am looking forward to the opportunities, development and learning that is still to come throughout the remainder of my traineeship