Culture

• "Trainees socialise together a lot. Both years get along very well and we generally meet in the pub on a Friday night. It's a good atmosphere because we're not forced to socialise with specific ‘trainee events’ but we choose to hang out with each other anyway, which is a very good sign. The general firm atmosphere and environment is very supportive – you can ask questions from anyone, and everyone has their doors open. Stupid questions are answered without any condescending manner. It is fairly open and relaxed, even the partners make tea for me!" -- First year trainee
• "The firm claims to have an open door policy and I have found this to be very much the case. The partners and associates involve the trainees as much as they can and other fee earners are seemingly welcome to ask if a trainee can assist on a deal that is being conducted by another room. The department I sit in has had a number of induction talks and the training has been very structured, so far. Trainees are very supportive of each other, this is especially noticeable when there is a change of seat and the new trainee has a query for his or her predecessor. The local pub, the Bishop's Finger, is popular with the whole firm and especially trainees. Emails on a Thursday and Friday suggesting a drink after work are very common." -- First year trainee
• "Trainees sit with a partner and associate so the firm is fairly relaxed in terms of hierarchy although it doesn't go down well if you forget who's in charge. The office is pretty fun, although some departments currently seem to be suffering from political problems. Trainees are fairly supportive but it's more about who you're mates with than a big ‘trainee network’ of support. Having said that, if you ask a specific question in an all trainees email usually the responses are incredibly helpful and detailed. Trainees socialise together when they want to, if they want to. There's rarely a three line whip but people often go for drinks on a Friday." -- Second year trainee
• "Trainees are very supportive of each other – often sending group emails around if they come up against questions/problems they need help on or just to organise social events. Trainees in the same department socialise the most together but the trainees try to organise big social events every couple of weeks. Friday night usually involves a mass exodus from the office to the local pub (where almost the entire firm ends up) and it is always great to be bought a beer by your partner after a long but successful week!" -- Second year trainee
• "Everyone at the firm is fairly social. As the firm usually keeps on almost all of its trainees at qualification, there is not really a discernable ‘competitive’ atmosphere (where people compete to do work or are wary of the other trainees; I have heard this can happen at other firms). Always a good turnout at the local pub on a Friday and you will always get advice from fellow trainees who have been in the seat before you if you need to ask questions or for help about a task you have been given. Trainees do socialise, perhaps not as often as we all would like, but there’s usually a good trainee event every few weeks or so." -- First year trainee
• "Very friendly and supportive firm – a lovely place to work. The social life is good and everyone supports one another. At times when it is necessary to pull long hours, the quality of my colleagues make it seem a lot less gruelling than it could otherwise be." -- Second year trainee
• "Generally 3/4 people in a room, of which one will be a partner and one a trainee with one or two associate(s). Trainees are very supportive of each other – it is often much easier to phone/email a trainee to find out the general status of a deal/matter on a more informal basis than approaching the lead partner. Trainees socialise together frequently and also with associates and partners: at the Bishop's Finger, at karaoke and on trainee nights out." -- Second year trainee
• "Everyone is extremely supportive – from partners to trainees. There are many social events in which you are encouraged to get involved. Departments differ but there is a general work hard play hard ethos. People take their work, but not themselves seriously." -- First year trainee
• "Everyone appears to just get on with one another, from partner level down to trainees. There is simply no obvious hierarchy; everyone is treated well and equally. Lawyers of all levels can regularly be seen drinking together in the local pub or belting out some tunes in the karaoke bar!" -- Newly qualified solicitor
• "It’s collegiate, conservative and cohesive. The firm is very open – associates and trainees generally share rooms with partners. The room-sharing system works well; it encourages us to work closely in teams and means the firm does not feel particularly hierarchical. The firm is pretty social and you will generally tend to find some of our number in the local..." -- Junior solicitor
• "Very flat hierarchy, all partners are extremely accessible and willing to help. Partners share a room with two associates and/or trainees and room doors are always open, literally and metaphorically. The bonus structure is flat, so there’s no incentive to hoard work. Similarly, if an associate is extremely busy efforts will be made for other, less busy associates to share some of the work. On the whole, there’s good camaraderie between associates and between associates and partners. Impromptu socialising in the local pub is fairly common, more formal efforts are also fairly frequent." -- Junior solicitor
• "Good firm culture, especially amongst trainees that trained at the firm and worked up. The firm is not too big so that most people know each other. Great support between solicitors – there are no target hours at Travers Smith and so work is shared evenly, which benefits both us and our clients. Socialising outside work happens regularly and helps to build a good working environment." -- Junior solicitor
• "It’s very friendly. My department is small but close, with everybody willing and available to discuss work matters. On a Friday there will always be a contingent at the local, so you can turn up safe in the knowledge that there will be friendly faces there." -- Junior solicitor
• "Associates sit in a room with a partner and (in most cases) a trainee. Associates and trainees work directly with partners and there is very much an open door policy. This means that all junior lawyers have invaluable access to a large pool of knowledge and experience. There are three partners who work within my area in the tax department and one senior counsel. I have worked and will continue to work with all of them on a regular basis. This means that the work/client base is very varied and also it provides the opportunity to experience different ways of working. The firm as a whole is very supportive and works well together. This is especially the case in the tax department. Solicitors also socialise regularly together at events organised by the firm (Christmas party, quiz evening, team nights out, etc.) and on an ad hoc basis." -- Junior solicitor

Hours

• "It was tough for a time in corporate, but generally hours are very reasonable and there is no real concept of face time in the vast majority of rooms." -- Second year trainee
• "The job involves long hours – it just does. However, that being said, I have never had to work late whilst everyone else heads home at 6pm. When there is lots on you are expected, reasonably, to put your shoulder to the wheel. Conversely, when there isn't much on you are encouraged to head home early!" -- Second year trainee
• "I probably work between 38 – 45 hours per week. I think that the number of hours is fairly standard (if not quite good) for a well respected City law firm. I would not expect to be working fewer hours (and in some of my future seats, I expect to work considerably more)." -- First year trainee
• "50 hours per week, on average, which is less than I would have expected. There is also no culture of ‘face-time’ at Travers Smith – if you have no work to do, or even just no urgent work to do, you will be encouraged to go home." -- Second year trainee
• "40/45 hours – as expected." -- First year trainee
• "50 – 55 hours (approx.). I am working less than I expected and much more regular hours." -- First year trainee
• "50 – less than I expected (so far!)" -- First year trainee
• "An average week is approx. 50 hours at the moment, and that is good compared to some seats." -- Second year trainee
• "I tend to spend about 55 hours in the office in an average week. It very much depends on volume of work and the stage of litigation. The firm is quite flexible and no one looks down on you for leaving early if you are able to." -- Newly qualified solicitor
• "I average 40 hours a week in the office, and there is no culture of being seen to stay late. If there's work to be done, people will work through the night and weekends if necessary, but otherwise there is no expectancy that fee earners will stay late unnecessarily. There is a very good approach to hours (i.e. no billing targets)." -- Junior solicitor
• "Flexible working is not something that has really been implemented at our firm yet. However, we have no formal billing targets. Hours are normal for the City (i.e. they can be very long) but lawyers are not encouraged to do long hours for the sake of it. The department is (in general) very good about ensuring junior lawyers take holidays and that these holidays are not interrupted, and that there is some down time in between transactions. Bearing in mind that I knew what I was signing up to, I am happy with the working culture at the firm." -- Junior solicitor
• "On an average week I will spend between 50 – 55 hours in the office. Flexibility with hours is not great at the firm." -- Junior solicitor

Pay

• "Fair enough for what is expected of trainees most of the time; insufficient compensation for times when the hours are extreme though." -- Second year trainee
• "I’m very happy with it." -- First year trainee
• "It is level with other (larger) firms in the City." -- Second year trainee
• "Pay is very good, but there aren't as many extra benefits (good gym membership package, coffee subsidiaries, pension plans) for trainees as in other law firms." -- First year trainee
• "I'm very happy with it and think it is very competitive." -- Second year trainee
• "It ranks well but given how many hours we work I think the firm could pay us more." -- First year trainee
• "Good basic rate of pay compared to similar sized firms." -- Junior solicitor
• "Pay is fair, bonuses are not huge but welcome." -- Junior solicitor
• "Pay is about market for the City. The bonus scheme is discretionary and, to the extent a bonus is awarded, it is pro-rata across all fee-earners (e.g. the Christmas bonus for all fee-earners was two weeks’ salary)." -- Junior solicitor
• "Bonus is based on a set number of weeks pay. Bonuses could be better but our base salary is good." -- Junior solicitor
• "I would be interested to see a more formal bonus structure in place." -- Junior solicitor
• "There needs to be a bonus programme, we were given a tiny bonus at Xmas which was firm-wide." -- Junior solicitor

Interviews & Assessments

• "I did a vacation scheme which required one interview – the questions were mainly morality based but a general awareness of current affairs was also essential. I was offered a TC off the back of my vac scheme." -- First year trainee
• "I applied for a vacation scheme and was offered a training contract on the back of that. I had one interview for the vacation scheme and was interviewed by a graduate recruitment partner. The interview was general in scope and didn't involve any legal questions (I was a non-law student at the time). I was asked what I would give a talk on if I had an audience at Hyde Park Corner, a time when I had to make a difficult decision, my strengths and weaknesses, and general questions about me and my interests." -- First year trainee
• "I had two interviews with no standard ‘hoop-jumping’ questions, just a debate about a couple of current issues to get inside my mind. The interviews were enjoyable and engaging and reflective of the firm's interest in the person themselves. I was asked to debate the merits of the death penalty, whether we should have juries, etc." -- First year trainee
• "It depends – one plus a vacation scheme, or two without a vacation scheme; I did the vac scheme route. I interviewed with one partner then did a two week vac scheme. The interview was relaxed – mostly current affairs and general debating, and there was no assessment day. They asked general opinion-based current affairs questions – e.g. what do you think are the five biggest issues facing Britain today and what would you do to solve them." -- Second year trainee
• "The Travers Smith interviews are very tough. Whilst there are only two interviews, the partners are notorious for wielding the axe ruthlessly (they interview a really quite vast number of people, a couple of hundred I think, for only 25 training contracts). The first interview is twenty minutes with one partner, and the second is an hour interview with two partners. Some of the questions are commercially focussed, but most aim to examine the way that you think and whether you can think laterally and have the ability to back up your opinions and arguments (I for instance, was asked about my thoughts on new powers of detention in relation to suspected terrorists)." -- First year trainee
• "I had one interview for a vacation scheme and got offered a training contract straight from the vacation scheme. The interview was challenging but fun!" -- Second year trainee
• "Two interviews which are very tough but also enjoyable." -- Second year trainee
• "One formal interview followed by a two week vacation scheme (that in a way is like a two week interview)." -- Junior solicitor
• "I had two rounds of interviews, the first with one partner, and the second with two. No assessment days." -- Newly qualified solicitor
• "There were two rounds of interesting interviews; they were relaxed with no assessment days. In my opinion they have got this aspect sorted!" -- Junior solicitor
• "Two interviews, both with partners, both interviews were a discussion. No legal questions." -- Junior solicitor
• "I was recruited via a vacation scheme so only had one interview round." -- Junior solicitor
• "I had two interviews. The first round was a 30 minute interview with one partner; the second round was one hour with two partners." -- Junior solicitor
• "No assessment days – interview only. About 80% are recruited from the vacation scheme." -- Junior solicitor