Trainee Solicitors

Why Train With Us? Like most firms, we currently offer two routes to qualification as a Solicitor; a traditional training contract post-LPC and the Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeship (SQE). But why are we different and why should you train with us? Let us explain why … Environment Kitson Boyce LLP is based in the South West of England – a beautiful and wonderfully diverse area in which to live and work. Our Head Office is located in purpose-built offices at Minerva House, Edginswell Park on the edge of Torquay which provide a spacious, open plan environment, superb client reception facilities and a fully equipped dining area which is perfect for mingling with colleagues over lunch. Following the merger in October 2023 between the former firms of Kitsons LLP and Boyce Hatton LLP, we have increased the size and diversity of our workforce and now have branch offices in Exeter and Plymouth and whilst we are proud of our Head Office facilities at Minerva House, we are equally as committed to the development and expansion of our other offices. It is important to us that trainees gain experience of all the offices and meet colleagues from across the business. Colleagues From the moment you walk through the door at the beginning of your training contract, you will be struck by the friendliness of our staff at all levels throughout the firm. Whenever a new member of staff joins us, we go out of our way to make them feel at home as quickly as possible and to provide them with all the support they need whilst they find their feet and become accustomed to our working practices and procedures. There are no exceptions to this custom as everyone is treated equally and with the same attention, courtesy and respect, regardless of their position or status within the firm. Our Values Our “People First” approach underpins our values of “We Care, Always Growing and Do Right Together” which expands beyond the internal firm itself, to the way we treat our clients and how we participate in the local community. It is at the core of everything we do and what drives us as a team. These values are now supported by our “People First Awards” where we reward employees and partners who actively demonstrate and further these values in a positive and meaningful way. It is important to us that our new employees and trainees similarly embrace this vision and our values. Training As a trainee solicitor, you will benefit from a formal structure of support and supervision throughout the duration of your training, from individuals who have been given specific responsibilities to ensure the successful completion of your training contract. First of all, you will be allocated a “buddy”. This is someone who is either a trainee or a recently qualified solicitor who understands the ups and downs you will probably experience as a trainee. During each of your four seats, you will also have the support of the appointed supervisor (who will either be the Head of Department, a partner or an associate) who will endeavour to provide you with all the support, advice and experience you will need in order to successfully complete the seat in question. Overseeing your contract will be the firm’s Training Principal, Cheryl Baxter, who is also Head of our Commercial Property department. Cheryl is totally committed to her role as Training Principal, having completed her training contract with the firm in 2013, and is passionate about providing opportunities for trainees, as well as continuous training and development opportunities for all staff as they, in turn, progress with the firm. This will protect the firm’s ethos of providing value-for-money legal advice without jeopardising the high standard of client care, delivered by highly competent professionals and support staff, for which the firm is renowned. Seats Your two-year training contract will consist of specifically selected seats offering you the opportunity to gain as much experience as possible across our practice areas, including contentious and non-contentious work. During each seat, you will be supervised either by the Head of Department, a partner or an associate. Where disciplines allow, we also encourage trainees to undertake certain seats in different offices throughout the firm, to enable them to gain the broadest possible experience of working with a wide variety of experienced lawyers for both private and corporate clients. Although your first seat will usually be allocated for you, we recognise it is important for you to gain experience in areas which particularly interest you. We will therefore endeavour to plan seat allocations to accommodate your preferences, whilst also considering the needs of the business and compliance with the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s regulations in terms of the experience you are required to have gained upon qualification. Your training programme will be designed to give you supervised experience in legal practice through which you can develop and refine your professional skills. We will ensure that you gain valuable experience at a number of levels during your training contract which will lay the foundations for a long and successful legal career. The standard of work you will undertake in each seat will therefore help you to identify the area of law you would like to specialise in once you have qualified.