We spoke to three Trainee Solicitors at Rollits about the law firm’s work experience scheme.
The work experience scheme at Rollits is for those who have completed either the second year of a law degree or the third year of an academic non-law degree. This year’s scheme is open to applicants who are available for two weeks in summer 2023 and looking to start a training contract in September 2025. Work experience at Rollits takes the form of two sets of two-week programmes in June and July, with a minimum of four people per cohort. The scheme is highly competitive due to the large volume of applications received by Rollits, which need to be sent in by the end of March.
To give a feel for what work experience at Rollits involves and the many benefits it offers, we spoke to Molly Bloom, Josh Hobson and Zaneta Andraszczyk, three Trainee Solicitors who took part in the scheme in recent years.
“I took my work experience in 2019 and found it really useful to see the day-to-day activities of solicitors,” said Molly. “I spent time in all four departments – Property, Company and Commercial, Dispute Litigation, and Private Client – and everyone would take time out of their busy days to answer my questions and give feedback. This allowed me to learn how the law firm works as a whole, as well as on a departmental level.”
Josh said: “I was in the same cohort as Molly and we were paired up, which I found very useful because it was great to meet people in a similar situation. I went to the University of Manchester and didn’t know anyone of my age studying Law in this area, so the work experience helped me to create connections in Hull and East Yorkshire.
“The main benefit for me was gaining a clear understanding of what daily life in a workplace in general and at Rollits in particular is actually like,” continued Josh. “It was very different to what we were learning at university and what you see on TV. You probably won’t know which area of law you want to work in to begin with, so being able to sit in a specialised department and tap into the knowledge of experts gives you a clear idea of what’s required.”
Zaneta carried out her work experience one year earlier than Molly and Josh, in 2018. She had this to say about the scheme:
“It was incredibly helpful to get genuine insight into what kind of work trainee solicitors are expected to do, which also helped me to decide whether I wanted to pursue it as a career. In the process, I got to see how the office culture and focus on collaboration at Rollits fuels best practice and individual career progression. These factors contributed to me deciding that yes, this was definitely what I wanted to do for a living. Other aspects were really helpful too, such as having team lunches where I could chat with Rollits employees in an informal atmosphere and ask questions about anything I wasn’t sure about.”
Hull Is This has interviewed multiple people at Rollits over the last year and there’s a specific element of the law firm’s company culture that is regularly mentioned: the friendly and supportive atmosphere. We were delighted that all three Trainee Solicitors brought this up without being prompted:
“The open-plan offices ensure that everyone is approachable, regardless of their position within the firm,” said Molly. “Arriving at the premises as a student can feel daunting, but the layout of Rollits makes you feel instantly at ease.”
“I agree with Molly,” said Josh. “Everyone is so approachable and they go out of their way to talk to you about your tasks, your degree, and how you envisage your career. Some of our work experience cohort even went to court for the day, gaining excellent experience into how that side of the sector works.”
“Same again,” said Zaneta. “During work experience, it was made very clear that everyone was happy to talk to me. We could even go into a quiet room with people to ask them about their careers or talk through tasks in privacy. This was extremely helpful and reassuring.”
We also asked Molly, Josh and Zaneta for a piece of advice they would offer to students considering applying for work experience at Rollits this year:
Molly: “Ask lots of questions, don’t be afraid, everyone’s been in the same position and gone through the training process. Don’t be daunted by people who are highly qualified, as they’re always happy to help. Use those two weeks to work out if the law firm’s right for you as well as vice versa.”
Josh: “Rollits is a commercially minded firm, so being commercially aware is a good start. Keep an eye on what’s happening in the world, in the local region, and also at Rollits specifically by doing some research and watching the news. Also, don’t be afraid of rejection, as it’s very common in the law sector because it’s so competitive. I initially had twenty rejections but I got here in the end. Rollits are very amenable to giving feedback, so don’t be afraid to apply again the year after. There are some people here now who didn’t get accepted the first time around simply due to demand and now they’re solicitors and Associates.”
Zaneta: “Give it your all and get involved as much as you can whilst at Rollits. Work experience is a fantastic opportunity, so don’t shy away from things and make sure to ask as many questions as you need to. Above all, be yourself, don’t pretend to be someone you’re not, as the firm needs to work out if you’d be a good fit.”
To find out more about work experience at Rollits, please visit www.rollits.com/careers/work-experience