Third-seat trainee Jessica Herring reflects on the second year of her training contract, sharing her experiences, challenges, and lessons learned at Russell-Cooke.
I am now halfway through my third seat at Russell-Cooke, which means I am three months into my second year as a trainee solicitor. Whilst trainees move seats every six months, by the time you move from your second to third seat, the process feels much more familiar. After two rotations in your first year, you know how things work, who to ask, and how to get your head around new tasks, even if the department itself is completely new.
Don’t get me wrong, we still had a very steep learning curve. The first few weeks are all about getting to grips with the new department. The difference is that you now know many of the key processes as you’ve done the basics before: drafted documents, conducted legal research and written letters and so on. In your new seat, you may not feel like you’re hitting the ground running but you confidently know how the treadmill works.
Stepping up a level
Understandably the expectations for a third-seat trainee are higher than those who have just started.
It’s your increased confidence and independence that set your third seat apart from your first and second. You are able to see the bigger picture and apply the law to achieve your client’s objectives. There’s a certain assurance that comes with being able to anticipate what is needed and what the next steps will be.
You’re not a solicitor yet but it’s encouraging to be able to take a task forward more confidently without as much step-by-step guidance than in your first year. Everything is still checked by your supervisor, and ‘tracked changes’ remain your friend, but now you can send a draft to your supervisor without having to ask so many questions.
New seats, developing skills
Russell-Cooke doesn’t hide away its trainees; on the contrary, trainees are often at the front of a matter. This means that from your first day you will be emailing, phoning and meeting clients; in my third seat I’ve had three client meetings in a day. Whilst your supervisor holds the client relationship, establishing and maintaining your own connections with clients is a key part of your second year as a trainee.
You may be able to draft a lease or a will, but can you explain it to the client? Drafting letters of advice goes beyond simply putting words on paper — you need to briefly but accurately summarise the client’s position, set out the advice Russell-Cooke is giving, and explain the potential consequences of following that advice. This isn’t just the commercial awareness that is emphasised at law school; it’s a task of translation.
For example, as lawyers we often use terms such as ‘interest’, such as an interest in a property, but we don’t mean the interest that you get in a bank account. We mean the value of the property that you own. What seems clear to someone who has gone through law school is not always clear to others.
In your first year you learn how to use the jargon and abbreviations; in your second year, you learn how to translate them back into plain English.
The new trainee cohort
What surprises you most is how many questions the new trainees ask that you can confidently answer: things such as time recording, conflict checks, how to search the online files, even how to book annual leave. It’s a great reminder of just how far you’ve come.
Changing a seat can feel like starting a new job. It often involves a new department, a new team, a new way of doing things or a new area of law. You might move from ligation to transactional work(or vice versa), work with commercial clients as opposed to private individuals, you may even move offices and have an unfamiliar commute.
Everything feels new again, but being able to answer a few questions from the new trainees is a reality check, you are not where you were last year: you have made substantial progress in your legal career.
A reminder like that is always welcome when your inbox is flooded with emails you don’t know how to answer.
Qualification
You cannot avoid the thought of qualification in your third seat. You are three-quarters of the way through your training contract and conversations about departments, areas of law, business needs and career progression become inevitable.
It can be stressful, particularly when you’re not sure which area of law you wish to qualify into. The most important thing I have learnt in my third seat is that while changing your area of practice isn’t as often discussed, it is absolutely possible.
Some of the most competent lawyers in my current department retrained, and their previous experience only adds to their expertise. This is especially evident when you are supervised by dual-qualified lawyers, who can practice in both the UK and Italy, or France or Spain. The value of someone brining a big picture view from corporate law into a private client department cannot be understated.
For now, it is important to make the most of each seat and the experience it offers. The training you receive will be invaluable for your future career.
Final thoughts
The third seat feels like the beginning of practising law, not just learning it. It’s rewarding, a little daunting and sometimes stressful. You’re expected to use your own judgment, take initiative and continue to develop your skills.
The best part of the training contract though is the support you receive from your supervisors and fellow trainees.
Supervisors at Russell-Cooke focus on building confidence as well as improving your work and however you are finding your current seat, another trainee will know exactly how you feel. Training contracts at Russell-Cooke are a team sport and your second year is when the investment starts to show.
Jessica Herring is a third-seat trainee currently in the private client team.
Applications for Russell-Cooke's 2026 spring vacation scheme and 2028 training contract are open from 7 November 2025 until 6 February 2026.
Get in touch
If you have any questions that have not been answered on the site, or if you want a confidential chat about whether Russell-Cooke might be right for you, do get in touch.
