Katie Jacobson

Degree: Theology, Birmingham University

Joined Lovells: February 2007

Doing now: Financial Institutions

Office location: London

Profile (as at March 2008)

My first contact with Lovells was at the Birmingham Law Fair where as an undergraduate seeking a training contract I was eager to find a law firm that would offer me a good training scheme, a great work culture but most importantly - a job ! Wandering around the stands, each firm trying to entice applicants with a bigger goodie bag of stationery than the next, I realised that there were hundreds of people desperate for the same opportunity.

I was attracted to the Lovells stand as the lawyers appeared approachable and after speaking to them it appeared that they also seemed to be people I might actually want to know outside of work. My law firm selection and application procedure were both fairly straightforward. My aim was to attend open days at the law firms that I had come into contact with and then to take it from there. Shortly after my open day and interview with Lovells I accepted their offer of a training contract and then happily cancelled my other interviews and vacation schemes.

I am currently in my third seat on secondment at Merck Sharp & Dohme. My experience in both the Real Estate and Intellectual Property departments has given me a strong foundation on which I can take on the challenges offered on a client secondment. This third seat is providing me with a valuable insight into understanding client objectives. I am really enjoying the challenge of applying the knowledge acquired in my previous seats and the demanding duty of running my own files. Although entrusted with a seemingly daunting amount of responsibility I have been supported by colleagues in my previous groups who are always approachable. Whilst the work can be demanding I have never felt intimidated by the job or the people.

If I had to give one piece of advice to applicants I would thoroughly recommend attending open days. As a theology student who had little contact with law at university, the application procedure was a complete daze and I genuinely assumed (having read the PR blurbs) that there was little difference between all of the market-leading City firms. The law students were buzzing with firm knowledge and plenty of direction when assessing which was the 'right fit' for them. Attending open days, as opposed to vacation placements, allowed me the time to investigate more options and really highlighted the cultural differences between the firms.

Having just begun my third seat I can genuinely say that I enjoy coming to work, which is lucky as I am tied in for another year! Of course it goes without saying that the reputation of the firm within the City provided the impetus for my training contract application but four years on, the positive vibe, friendly atmosphere, diversity of trainees and the value it places on its employees has convinced me that I accepted the right training contract offer.