Vardags trainees meet the Law Society Council

Heather Lucy and Kate Taylor – Graduate Trainees in the Manchester office – were fortunate enough to be invited to an exclusive event at BPP University on 20 March 2018. They were part of a select group of 10 students who attended the event.

The current President of the Law Society is Joe Egan, pictured. He hails from Bolton and founded a mixed high street practice in the area. He brought the meeting of the Law Society Council closer to his home as a change from the usual London setting and described the trip as a ‘cultural experience’ for some council members! The event at BPP was part of the Council’s busy schedule making the most of their time in the North West.

Both Kate and Heather are in phase 2 of the Graduate Training Scheme at Vardags. The firm’s innovative training structure was of much interest to the Council members who noted a clear differentiation between their studies and learning about the practical implementation of their skills. Deputy Vice President, Simon Davis, noted how different the Vardags scheme was from his own time at law school. He did, however, note that the downside that Vardags trainees would not have as much time to study the valuable art of table tennis which he perfected in his law school’s common room. The Vardags scheme was noted to be intense and demanding but an excellent combination of practical skills and legal learning.

The event commenced with a talk on the President’s career in law. Students and Council members then divided into groups for discussions - over a beautiful cake - on the future of the legal profession – covering topics such as the proposed ‘super-exam’ – as well as the changing nature of entrance into the legal profession. Discussion centred on the Council members’ routes into the law and how they differ from the highly competitive nature of seeking training contracts today as well as what motivated them to take part in the Law Society.

This was a valuable experience for Kate and Heather who had the opportunity to make new connections in the Law Society, to represent Vardags, and to learn about the benefits of taking part in Law Society events and how they can impact the wider legal community.