About Amelia Barton: I’m Amelia, a European patent attorney working in the Chemistry team in Appleyard Lees’ Leeds office. I am also a part-qualified UK attorney.
On the 11th and 12th of May, Appleyard Lees held a professional development program (PDP) in Leeds for the trainees at the firm.
The PDP featured talks on various topics, presented by people in several positions across the firm, as well as an external presenter. PDP was an invaluable experience to all regardless of whether we had just started a few weeks ago or a few years ago.
The wide variety of topics covered over the two days provided us with, amongst other things, insight on how the firm operates, how to provide the best client service, information on our training and generally how to become successful qualified attorneys!
Day 1
On the first day, we were given presentations on the following:
- Time recording, time-management and billing – discussing the importance of time-recording and provided an interesting overview of the finances of the firm and how we individually contribute to the profits.
- Managing formalities – understanding how the support teams provide fee earners with the best assistance and what we as trainees can do to work effectively with them.
- Marketing – what we can do to expand our professional network and further our careers.
- Providing good client service – how to ensure we do the best job we can for our clients!
Following the first day of presentations, we were able to enjoy the social side of having all of the trainees in one place by attending a cocktail masterclass 🍹🍸(see pictures below), followed by a meal and drinks. It was a fantastic opportunity for trainees from the different offices to meet for the first time or catch-up!
Day 2
Day 2 started off with an external presenter who helped us with networking skills, followed by presentations on:
- Client relationships – discussing how to maintain the relationships we already have with our existing clients.
- Litigation and solicitors –provided an insight into what the solicitors at Appleyard Lees do day to day and the situations in which we work together for our clients and the logistics of doing so.
- How to handle new enquiries – ensuring that each new enquiry is given the attention it deserves and is handled in the appropriate way.
- Training – discussions on expectations, support and becoming qualified.
I really enjoyed the PDP program. As someone who is (hopefully) close to being fully qualified, the two days helped me understand what is expected of me and how to best transition from a trainee into the role of a qualified attorney. It was also beneficial to hear from attorneys in different stages of their careers, who provided us with invaluable knowledge and shared their experiences. It also allowed the trainees to share their experiences and was a great way to strengthen trainee bonds and boost morale!
