I graduated from Oxford University in 2009 with a BA in Classics. I did a vacation scheme with EAPD (as it was then called) in the summer of that year. I can't recommend the scheme highly enough. I attended an assessment day shortly afterwards and luckily I was offered a job. I then completed the GDL and the LPC at BPP Law School in London and started my training contract in September 2011.

The first contact I had with Edwards Wildman was at a presentation given by the firm in Oxford during my final year. I met Chris Pease (a trainee at the time, now an associate in Commercial Litigation) and Sarah Warnes (our Trainee Recruitment Manager). They couldn't have been more approachable and were happy to answer all my questions. I was immediately attracted to the idea of being part of a relatively small intake (usually around 8 trainees each year) as it guarantees early responsibility as part of a close-knit team.

During my two week vacation scheme I sat first of all with a trainee and then with a senior associate. I was immediately impressed by both the quality of the work I was given, and also how quickly I felt at home in the office. The firm organised several social and sporting events so I really felt that I had got to know a lot of people at the firm. A particular highlight for me was the legendary 'World Cup' event (especially since I scored a goal for the Partners team, which I thought couldn't do my job prospects any harm!). As well as working on tasks set by my supervisors, I also attended various training sessions put on for us. These included a negotiation exercise and a mock summary judgment hearing. Not many firms make such an effort to ensure vacation schemes are so enjoyable and useful.

The training contract selection process itself was extremely thorough and rigorous. We spent the morning completing a challenging but enjoyable team exercise followed by critical reasoning tests. In the afternoon some of us were selected to be interviewed by partners. I was fairly exhausted by the end of the day but when I found out I'd been offered a training contract I felt a real sense of accomplishment.

While I was at law school the firm kept in regular contact. I received a lot of emails updating me on the new partners and associates joining the firm. It's an exciting time to be starting a training contract at Edwards Wildman because the firm is growing both in terms of size and capability. There were also several social events each year, including the Trainee Winter Social and the firm party in the summer. It was great to feel included in the life of the firm even though I wasn't due to start work for quite some time, and also to catch up with people I'd worked with during my vacation scheme.

I'm currently sitting in Insurance Litigation. I'm pleased to report that it's been interesting and engaging so far. I spent my first few days"reading in" to the main case my supervisor and I are currently working on. There's a mediation coming up so it's important that I get up to speed as quickly as possible so I can assist in the preparation. I've also written a couple of research memos on various points of law so that we can be in a position to advise our client with regard to case strategy. I'm one of only three trainees in the IRD department at the moment and as a result I've already had people other than my supervisor coming to me with work. It's great to feel like a valued member of the team and also to have the opportunity to work on a variety of matters.