A day in the life of a litigation trainee

The litigation team at Russell-Cooke is an exciting place to be. Each day is different, with matters ranging from high-value commercial litigation and construction disputes to professional regulation and judicial review.

9:15am 

I arrive at the office, grateful for my last-minute decision to bring an umbrella this morning because it’s pouring with rain. I grab a coffee and then log on and check my emails. I come up with a to-do list for my day.

9:30am 

I get started with my first task of the day, which is drafting a letter for a partner in the team regarding a construction dispute. There are lots of documents to read, so I spend some time familiarising myself with the paperwork.

10:00am 

I plan and write the letter. As I’m drafting I make a note of any outstanding questions, so I can mention these to the partner when we review my drafting.  

11:30am

My supervisor instructs me to write to court regarding a costs management conference. He suggests I research 'Practical Law' (a legal know-how resource) into the costs management process. I also take the opportunity to review some previous letters to court which are in the file to assist with my drafting.

1:00pm 

I meet the other trainees who are based at the Putney office for lunch and we talk about our days so far. Since Russell-Cooke has a wide variety of practice areas, it is interesting to hear about the different work we’ve been getting up to.

2:00pm 

After lunch I meet with a partner to discuss writing an email to a client, who I attended a meeting with last week. Litigation is a varied seat and it’s been interesting to meet a real range of clients. I sit down to draft the email before forwarding it to the partner for his review.

2:45pm 

An associate in the team asks me to follow up on some emails I sent to chambers last week to find out availability of counsel. I spend a few minutes on the phone to chambers and send some follow-up enquiries by email.

3:30pm 

I take a moment to look at the various clubs and sport societies which are on offer at Russell-Cooke and sign up for the running group. I’m usually a fair-weather runner, but I’m hoping being part of a group will help me stay active! 

4pm 

I meet with a partner in the team to discuss a piece of drafting that I did recently. He gives constructive feedback and we talk about areas for improvement. 

4:30pm 

Tomorrow morning I will be responsible for dealing with new enquiries received by the team. This is great experience and provides an opportunity to talk to prospective clients. I ensure that I am familiar with the process for dealing with new enquiries to prepare for this task.

5pm 

I make sure that I have responded to the emails in my inbox and write my to-do list for the next day. I also check that I have recorded all of my time for the day.

5:45pm 

I log off and head out for drinks with my team.

Applications for the 2026 Russell-Cooke graduate training are open from  16 November 2023 until 16 February 2024.