Meet the Trainee: Roanna Cooling

In the upcoming months, embark on a journey with us as we delve into the diverse and unique experiences of our current trainees at Hughes Paddison. In our "Meet the Trainee" blog series, you'll discover the individuality that defines each trainee, with a distinctive blend of talents and pre-training contract experiences.

At Hughes Paddison, we celebrate the rich diversity that shapes our team, and this series is a great opportunity to learn the varied paths each trainee has taken before joining us on their legal training journey. Stay tuned for a series that highlights the exceptional qualities that make each trainee's story truly one of a kind.

Firstly, we’re delighted to share one of our current trainees, Roanna Cooling’s inspiring story. Roanna's journey is a testament to the supportive environment we cultivate at Hughes Paddison. With her invaluable previous experience, she has seamlessly transitioned into her Legal Training Contract, laying strong foundations for a promising career.

Q: What experience did you gain before starting your training? 

After graduating from my undergraduate Law degree in 2018, I wanted to gain some practical legal experience before starting my LPC and LLM. I began working as an in-house litigation paralegal, where I stayed for 2 and a half years. In 2021 I went on to complete my LPC and LLM whilst working part-time.

Once I graduated from my LPC and LLM I secured a role as a family paralegal in a local firm for 5 months, before obtaining my training contract with Hughes Paddison.

Before commencing my training contract, I had the opportunity to paralegal at Hughes Paddison for a short while. This provided me with the perfect time to learn the systems and settle in.

I wouldn’t be the trainee I am today without the prior hands-on experience. It has really helped me hit the ground running and I couldn’t recommend gaining experience enough.
 

Q: How would you describe the culture at Hughes Paddison? 

Friendly and supportive! From my very first interview I knew I wanted to train with Hughes Paddison, and it honestly felt like a ‘when you know, you know’ moment. Everyone is always willing to help, and as a trainee this is very important because you WILL ask a lot of questions! I have always felt the firm is invested in my development and future career.

There is a supportive culture amongst all the trainees and so you can always reach out for guidance and support from those in the same position as you. We are all rooting for each other to succeed. 

We also have our very own social committee, and the firm encourages everyone to get involved. This really makes you feel part of the Hughes Paddison family.
 

Q: What advice would you give to a prospective trainee?

Be open-minded, be yourself and ask questions. You only have one training contract and so don’t be afraid of asking questions because it is the perfect opportunity to do so. Remember that the academic and practical stages of training are very different and just because you loved (or disliked) an area of law at university, that doesn’t mean it will be the same in practice. In any event you will learn in any seat you do, and this will help make you a well-rounded solicitor when you qualify.
 

Our Trainee Recruitment window is now open!

Training with us is exciting, interesting, challenging, and full of opportunity. We love that every trainee is different and brings with them their own unique qualities and experiences. To support this, we now offer two different routes to qualification.

1. Training contract

2. Paralegal with the potential to progress onto a Graduate Solicitor Apprenticeship for the completion of the SQE

Learn more about the different routes and how to apply on our Hughes Paddison Training Contract Programme pages.