Case studies: Associate solicitor: Gavin Johnson

Gavin has a BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering, MSc Combustion and Energy Studies and PhD Chemistry. He has trained as a solicitor and works as an associate at BLP.

My first job in law was as a paralegal, in-house at the engineering firm Arup, where I also trained. I found out about the job through a friend. However, my technical background gave me an advantage as I had an understanding of design and engineering processes. This understanding benefited in conversations with the project teams as I could ‘talk in their language’ and break down legal concepts by examples they could relate to.

I took the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and then the Legal Practice Course (LPC) part time at BPP University College . I trained in parallel with the LPC under the SRA’s part-time study mode. During this time I had the opportunity to go on secondment to a large city firm. I performed very well and they recognised the quality of the training I had received in-house. When they were looking to grow the team, they offered me an NQ position. I felt that for the benefit of my career I needed both in-house and private practice experience.

There is a lot of respect in the legal sector for the discipline that a science or engineering background can bring, in terms of research and critical analysis, organisation and dealing with complex problems. Science/engineering is useful to construction law and provides an advantage when talking to technical people. However, the key is being open to learning.

My day usually starts at 9am, reviewing and replying to correspondence. After this it depends on what current matters I am working on. In a litigation matter a great deal of time is spent on researching points of law and advising on how the law applies to the facts at hand. Producing advice notes is a recurrent task. Managing proceedings requires a great deal of time. There are many streams to a dispute, all running in parallel. Keeping up to date with court deadlines, such as disclosure, is essential. Dealing with the disruptive tactics of the opposition really keeps you on your toes.

One of the key advantages I found of training in-house was the rapid increase in responsibility. As in-house training focuses on key areas, both legal and commercial, I found the experience I gained was far in excess of my peers in private practice on qualification.

What I enjoy most about my job is helping people. Beyond that, the opportunity to advise at a senior level and influence key decisions means a great deal of responsibility. It is the continuing challenge I find truly rewarding.

Often clients carry a significant emotional investment in the issues on which they seek advice. This can make any advice difficult for them to accept, especially if they perceive lawyers to be a ‘necessary evil’ or as ‘interfering’. You must always be patient, calm and rational even in the face of such resistance.

To date my career has hardly been conventional. Where I am going is something I have yet to reflect on, but remaining flexible and open to positive suggestion is key.

My advice is not to be a slave to law. Law firms are increasingly seeking people with wider interests and experience. Remember - law is about people, to relate to them you need to be one.