FINAL SEAT TRAINEES
THE TRAINEE-TO-NQ TRANSITION
The trainee to NQ transition is a pivotal, and often challenging, time for junior solicitors as they navigate the competitive qualification process and longer-term career decisions with limited visibility over career pathways.
Additionally, moving from a structured and supervised environment to one where they must take on greater responsibility and work autonomously can also present challenges. It’s not uncommon for NQ’s to report feeling daunted by increased billable hours targets and direct working relationships with clients, whilst also balancing their professional development obligations in line with the SRA Statement of Solicitor Competence.
A failure to proactively provide targeted support at this critical point of change and uncertainty can significantly undermine talent engagement and retention at your firm:
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A Law Society survey found that 81% of trainees believe that effective career management programmes would improve overall job satisfaction during the trainee-NQ qualification stage
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86% of law firm associates reported that their firms did not provide sufficient formal career development or career transition programmes
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The NALP Foundation found that associates who have a clear understanding of their firm's promotion and advancement criteria are less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere
Investing in your final seat trainees demonstrates your commitment to their continued success as they approach a transient period of their career. Additionally, starting the qualification conversation early is vital to:
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Align juniors aspirations with the expectations of the legal profession
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Provide clarity on notoriously unclear NQ career pathways in line with your firm's progression opportunities
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Build reflective junior lawyers who can self-assess on challenges and create action plans to achieve their development goals in line with SRA competency frameworks
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Drive peer learning and support within your junior lawyer population
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Identify gaps in internal procedures to inform comprehensive onboarding processes for juniors at qualification
To find out more about our Trainee-NQ workshop, schedule a consultation in the form below.