Culture

• "There is a strong team spirit with all lawyers, partners and solicitors and support staff, who are keen to help one another. There is little evidence of competition between lawyers. Solicitors have designated line managers and all partners operate an open-door policy. Honesty and openness, even where mistakes have been made, are encouraged." -- Partner, London
• "We have a fairly standard structure – partners, assistant solicitors, trainees and support staff. It doesn't feel too hierarchical and this is something we're keen to retain. The firm is supportive and friendly – this is the feedback we get from staff, trainees and vac schemers. I just checked this with my current trainee to ensure that I wasn't being too "corporately on message". Apparently, I still have a grip on reality! Solicitors do socialise together, but I suspect that as the firm has grown, socialising has become more department-centric." -- Partner, London
• "Work/life balance is good, lots of support given from supervisor/colleagues, feel like you are part of the team and that your input is appreciated. Trainees tend to organise get-togethers themselves, although there are some events organised by the firm." -- Trainee, London
• "Fee earners tend to share an office with one other person, and on the whole trainees will sit in the same office as their supervisor. There is a lot of support provided, both from other fee earners and amongst the trainees. Trainees have a mid-seat meal every 6 months. There are also regular social events for all current and future trainees." -- Trainee, London
• "There are a number of organised trainee/office social events...very supportive and friendly culture – none of the inter-trainee competitiveness you see elsewhere." -- Trainee, London
• "The firm has a very friendly and supportive working environment which creates a good atmosphere for learning. The trainees are all ambitious, but there is no sense of there being a competition. There is a strong support network amongst the trainees. Trainees across intakes are always willing to assist each other when needed. As well as attending events organised by the firm (of which there are many, but not too many), trainees also socialise together out of work, including at the weekends. Not infrequently trainees even go on holiday together." -- Trainee, London
• "Trainees do support each other and socialise together, but it isn't enforced and everyone takes quite a relaxed attitude about it." -- Trainee, London
• "The culture at Trowers is relaxed and much less competitive than in comparable firms. Most partners and all the more senior fee earners treat you as one of the team. The team in which I currently sit regularly goes out for lunch and drinks together and have included me from the beginning. Trainees, particularly within an intake, support each other a lot and there is a fair amount of socialising. There is often a bond between those trainees that go abroad at the same time and I visited all of the other trainees who were seconded in the various countries during my six months abroad." -- Trainee, London
• "The office is closed-plan, so I share with my supervisor. He has been very supportive and is very much willing to answer any questions I have. The other colleagues with and for whom I do work are also very approachable and prepared to answer questions. The culture is quite formal I would suggest, with ties being obligatory (certainly for trainees). However, I have not encountered anyone treating me or any of my fellow trainees in a manner I would consider inappropriate, and people are spoken to respectfully. The most contact I have with my fellow trainees is with those on my floor. I get on well with a number of them, and, as in any other area of life, I spend the most time with those with whom I get on best." -- Trainee, London
• "The trainees are not overly competitive and support each other well. There is, generally, a very good work/life balance, although this differs between departments." -- Trainee, London
• "The other trainees are great and totally required for support. There is very much a sense that we're all in this together and will do what is required to help each other out. With a busy working life, it’s difficult for the trainees to socialise together...as a first seater I know very few of the trainees who aren't in my intake so it would be nice to have more of a chance to get to know them. I can't compare the working environment to any other law firms, except to say that even on my longest days I don't work the hours that my friends at other firms do (I've never been home after midnight and I've never come in on a weekend!). There is not a lot of social interaction throughout the work day, there is very much an attitude of come in and get your head down – which is perhaps why we have such good working hours!" -- Trainee, London
• "The firm culture is very friendly. There is a lot of support available. Trainees do not socialise that much, outside of semi-regular organised events." -- Trainee, London

Hours

• "I bill on average 90 – 100 hours a month. Spend approximately 50 – 55 hours in the office a week. The firm is flexible about hours for those who have rights to request it, but there is still a difficulty in asking for it if you have no right to request." -- Partner, London
• "On average 9 – 6 (roughly 8 hours per day) with the occasional late night (until 10pm), although staying late is very rare and is only required in exceptional circumstances. Hours are better than expected." -- Trainee, London
• "Average 45 – 50 hours per week, and this tends to be what is expected, although if work is quiet then there is not an expectation to stay longer than is necessary, and when work is busy trainees are expected to stay." -- Trainee, London
• "I work about 50 hours per week. I think this is slightly more than expected. I have been asked why I was still in the office at 7.30pm by partners on a couple of occasions." -- Trainee, London
• "9am – 6.30pm is the average day – less than many City firms." -- Trainee, London
• "I work fewer hours than I had expected before I joined the firm and have no complaints. Although it varies from department to department, I rarely work longer than 8.30am to 6.30pm and regularly work a slightly shorter day. I have not had to work weekends or nights and have only had to cancel my evening plans a couple of times in two years." -- Trainee, London
• "I work an average 50 – 60 hours week, which is less than I expected. I work the occasional weekend, but that tends to be my decision and is not expected." -- Trainee, London
• "I work from 9am until 5:45 – 6:30pm, with a few later stays, but none beyond 8pm. Part of the reason for this is the cyclical nature of work my department undertakes, with the months up to March being busy because of the distribution of government funds for the year ending at the end of March. I would say that I work slightly less than I would have expected, and certainly less than my fellow trainees in other departments." -- Trainee, London
• "I work on average 45 hours per week, but I don't think I've ever done more than 60. I expected to be working more hours – so I'm pretty happy with this, but sometimes there are incredibly quiet days where there will be literally nothing to do – at those times, its frustrating to stay around longer than absolutely necessary just to show your face, although that is really not as bad here as at other places." -- Trainee, London

Pay

• "£100,000" -- Partner, London
• "Very happy with salary, and get other employee benefits." -- Trainee, London
• "Overall, I'm very happy with the salary and benefits. It would be nice to have gym membership benefits though." -- Trainee, Manchester 
• "Low compared with my peers at other firms but good given the hours we work and the fact that I actually enjoy my job!" -- Trainee, London
• "I think I'm paid a fair wage." -- Trainee, London
• "We are paid a little less than our peers, but I would not swap this for the working environment at other firms. In light of our work/life balance, we are very well compensated." -- Trainee, London
• "As with all other comparable firms, the amount we get paid is, frankly, absurd for a first job. I don't think it's possible to complain about our remuneration." -- Trainee, London

Interviews & Assessments

• "I only had one interview with two partners, with questions that focused on my interest in the Middle East and previous legal work experience. There was a legal document which I reviewed for fifteen minutes before the interview and was asked to talk about." -- Trainee, London
• "I first met grad recruitment at a university law fair, then applied for an open day. I had to then do the same application (but better) and interview for a vac scheme/TC. During the vac scheme there was an assessment centre. The interview followed a few weeks later. I was given a legal document to look at for 15 minutes prior to the interview and the interview was in two sections, the first half was a general discussion, the second was relating to the legal document." -- Trainee, London
• "There was an online application form, then an assessment day. It was run in a very unintimidating way. The final stage was an interview. I was interviewed by a partner in housing projects and a solicitor." -- Trainee, London
• "Candidates attend an assessment centre and those who are successful have an interview with two partners." -- Trainee, London
• "Assessment centre (with HR), followed by two-partner interview (so two rounds). Assessment centre was good fun! Partner interview questions included personal questions, commercial awareness questions, questions testing awareness about the firm, and an exercise involving looking through a legal document." -- Trainee, London
• "I had one interview with HR and a partner and had to do a short legal exercise and IQ test. Now, there is an assessment day and may be more rounds of interviews." -- Trainee, London