Seat moves are exciting and busy times. Here's a little insight and a helping hand should you rotate into Real Estate Dispute Resolution.
What tasks have you particularly enjoyed in this seat?
My favourite tasks have been attending hearings and court, as it helps you to understand the whole litigation process and to contextualise the work you do everyday. I've also enjoyed drafting particulars of claim, witness statements and letters to the other side of a dispute.
Real Estate Dispute Resolution is a great seat because you have the dual aspect to it. You're exposed to how the litigation process works from start to finish, whilst also learning about the various statutes that govern property. I think I underestimated how broad Real Estate Dispute Resolution was, and how it can stretch to cover areas such as bankruptcy and insolvency. A litigation seat does allow you to explore different areas of the law, and you end up learning about some really nice areas, which is valuable for a trainee.
What have you learned in this seat that will help in your career?
This seat has really improved my drafting and legal writing. It's a cliche, but the best way to improve is to practice, and I have had opportunities to do so throughout this seat.
I also developed my interaction with clients. The language of litigation can be like a foreign language to many - it was to me at the beginning of this seat. Understanding how to break down the overarching process for clients and explaining why everything that is being done is important was a challenge at the beginning, but something I now really enjoy.
What are your top tips for other trainees to hit the ground running in this seat?
I would recommend doing some research into the litigation process and the chronology of a matter - from issuing a claim right through to attending trial. I appreciate that there can be lots of little intricacies and each matter is different, but having a rough guide in your head will allow you to contribute from the beginning.
Make sure you ask questions as well. As I said before, it can sound like a foreign language to many, so the more questions you ask early on, the better placed you will be to succeed over the six months in this seat.
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