Jo qualified into the Competition practice in September 2010.

I arrived at Edwards Wildman after studying law at the University of Birmingham, and then completing the LPC at Guildford College of Law. I had a year to wait before my Training Contract started, so I split this time equally between travelling and working as a paralegal. Both fantastic experiences, but for very different reasons!

As first years, we landed at the Firm in times of real and significant change just after the merger. Another merger on and from an insider's point of view, this has created a stronger, broader firm, that has managed to retain the personality I was initially attracted to.

My path to a training contract with the firm was not straight forward. I had decided fairly early that the firm was one which appealed to me.

I began the arduous quest to gain one of the highly sought after training contract places, thinking that applying for the Summer Vacation scheme was a good a place as any to start. After applying, much to my delight I was offered an interview, but was not then selected for the scheme.

It would be at this point that most of us would have given up and trotted along our merry way. However, due to a combination of my real determination to work for the Firm and their continued interest in me, I didn't give up hope.

After my interview, I was invited to attend an open day where I gained a better understanding of the work done and continued to be impressed with the genuine friendliness of everyone in the firm. Following the open day I was invited to an interview for the training contract. The interview itself was tough, however, I really felt that the partners were trying to get to know me as a person, and what made me tick. It made my decision easy, then choosing between different offers, as the Firm had always made me feel relaxed and completely myself.

My first seat was in Insurance Litigation and I was straight in on a very complex and absorbing matter.  Just a few short weeks into the Training Contract, I knew I had made the right decision all those years ago. Everyone was very approachable, from the partners to the PA's, there was a real sense of team amongst all members of the firm. The Firm has gone from strength to strength, and the opportunities for truly exciting work in which trainees can get involved are very real.