I am currently working in the firm’s litigation department and last week I made my first court appearance. Throughout university, I have always had a fairly good idea that I would like to be a court lawyer so this was a moment I have been looking forward to! I had very much expected to pick out my best tie and suit for my first court hearing, but instead, I was in a pair of jeans! This was not because I have adopted a cavalier approach to the formalities of court dress, but because this hearing – like so many others now – was held by teleconference. This has benefits and disadvantages. It is good because it removes the need to travel to court and wait for your case to call, saving time for everyone involved – the Sheriff simply calls your phone number when they are ready to hear your case. However, there is clearly a drawback from not being able to look all parties in the eye when discussing the matters at hand. Regardless of this, it seems that at least some element of virtual proceedings will remain after Covid-19 becomes a distant memory (a time that cannot come soon enough) – and if that means that justice can be administered more efficiently then this should be welcomed.
Traineeships themselves have also been disrupted due to remote working. The main element of a traineeship is on-the-job training, gaining valuable experience from shadowing senior solicitors: watching and then doing. This has obviously become more difficult, but the likes of Zoom – which has become a staple of 2020 – has made things easier. I am currently a member of the Law Society’s New Lawyers Reference Group which has frequently discussed how trainees can still benefit whilst remote working is a feature of office life. It is also excellent to see the Law Society publishing useful guidance for trainees and their employers with regards to combatting this disruption whilst still attaining the experience required to become a solicitor.
The speed at which the legal profession has adapted as a result of the global pandemic is impressive. The ramifications of the changes are still becoming clear, but Miller Samuel Hill Brown stands ready to help. We continue to work as normal, providing a full service to our clients. If you require any advice arising out of Covid-19, or any general legal advice, please do not hesitate to get in touch – all of our departments (Litigation, Commercial Property, Residential Property, Licensing, Private Client, Family and Employment) stand ready to assist.
