Trainee, 2023 - 2025
Departments to date: Construction; Commercial Property
University: University of Toronto
Degree: Bachelor of Arts with a major in Urban Studies and double minor in Human Geography and Sociology, High Distinction (equivalent to 1st Class)
9.00am: I am on the way to the office via bus which takes longer than if I were to walk from my flat, but my morning coffee hasn’t kicked in yet for me to squeeze in the few miles. Once I’m at the office I have a quick catch up with my colleagues and review my to-do list for the day.
9.30am: This morning, the partner asks me to create a document tracker which lists the consultants and the relevant documentation we will need to draft. The foundation of construction is creating and maintaining document trackers; in a single transaction there can be dozens of documents. As a trainee it is my responsibility to ensure trackers remain updated throughout the duration of the project.
Once I complete the tracker, I send it to the partner for review. In the meantime, he asks for me to respond to appointment comments received from an architect. Post-pandemic, the construction industry remains extremely volatile, so each individual consultant requires different market standards. I review the comments but mark down any queries that I get stuck on. The construction team at MT is extremely approachable, so I don’t hesitate to run my questions past them. Once I am happy with the responses to the architect’s comments, I send them back to the partner for review.
12.00pm: I head upstairs to the boardroom to prepare my training session that I’ll be leading for the construction team. Running your own training session is a great way to understand the law and commerciality of the market while overcoming the common fear of public speaking. I do not feel nervous, as my colleagues continuously provide a supportive environment. This training session is only targeted at the construction team, but our professional support lawyer asks me to re-run the session to the wider commercial property team which is our largest department in a month’s time.
1.00pm: I lock my computer and head to our building’s rooftop with colleagues to eat lunch. The rooftop provides panoramic views of the City which swims among a slew of lunch places. To save my bank balance (which then gets evenly drained for a blueberry matcha latte two hours later) I am currently on day 280 of eating a PB&J sandwich.
2.00pm: One of my construction colleagues is working on an adjudication. He asks me to attempt the first draft of a witness statement to include in our reply, which is due in two days. This is my first attempt at contentious work as a trainee. The witness statement involves me reading through the document bundle received for the adjudication and further evidence received from our client. Once I draft a skeleton argument, I present my thoughts to my colleague. He provides instant and corrective feedback, resulting in me conducting more research on a few points.
4.00pm: As we are up against tight deadlines for the adjudication, I continue to work on the witness statements. I conduct further research that my colleague proposed using Practical Law and reading Keating on Construction Contacts. MT has an array of subscriptions ranging from newsfeeds, books and legal platforms (such as PLC). These resources allow trainees to conduct extensive research for both self-taught learning and support in different tasks. The firm is always open to further suggestions to improve our learning as a trainee, as well to the entirety of the fee-earning staff. Once I am happy with my first draft, I send the witness statement for review and carry on with my non-contentious tasks.
5.00pm: My supervising partner asks me if it’s a good time to have a quick catch-up to discuss my current tasks and capacity for the rest of the week. Trainees sit beside their supervisor which allows for open conversation and assistance when needed. He also reviews with me the appointment comments I completed before lunch. Once discussed, I amend the document and send it to the consultant for approval.
6.00pm: I create my to-do list for the next day, and I log out. I meet up with a few other colleagues to walk to the Uber Boat. Tonight, I am attending a client dinner and show. There is plenty of opportunity at MT to attend events with fellow colleagues while networking and maintaining relationships with future and current clients.
