Callum Ritchie Qualifies As A Solicitor
We are delighted to announce that Callum Ritchie has recently qualified as a solicitor. This is a very exciting moment for the firm as Callum is our second trainee to qualify, with our other three trainees set to follow in his footsteps over the next two years.
Callum said:
“Since my first days at The Jonathan Lea Network when I joined as a paralegal back at the start of 2019, the firm was based in a small loft above an estate agents where, to enter the office, everyone had to duck down to avoid getting hit by a beam. Within such a short space of time, the firm now find themselves based in a large office in central Haywards Heath (and no need to duck at the entrance!) and it has been a pleasure to be a part of the journey so far.
The responsibility placed on me when I first joined while simultaneously having approachable senior fee earners in the background as and when needed, has provided me with the ideal platform with which to develop the skills needed to become a solicitor. The responsibility includes leading on various transactions, being the main point of contact for an array of clients, carrying out introductory calls with clients, managing other junior fee earner work as well as drafting documents and providing advice to clients.
The firm’s focus on developing its trainees has really stood out for me and I certainly wouldn’t have the experience I do today without the responsibility and client exposure the Jonathan Lea Network affords to its trainees.
The team here at the JLN are also fantastic with a great spirit and atmosphere amongst the team. I look forward to spending many more years at a growing and exciting firm.”
Jonathan also added:
“Callum has been a key part of the firm’s success to-date and it’s fantastic that he’s decided to stay at the firm on qualification. We regularly receive unprompted praise from clients and other solicitors and barristers about the high quality of our trainees. In fact, clients who want to instruct us on a new matter will often get in touch with one of our juniors in the first instance instead of a more senior solicitor. This increasingly validates our emphasis on recruiting and developing recent graduates at a time when other firms have been more reluctant to do so given many of their solicitors continue to work from home. From my own experience, I believe the best run firms with the most satisfied clients are those where work is readily delegated to fast learning, well motivated and closely supervised trainee solicitors. Now that Callum has decided to stay with us it’s exciting to see this increase our ability to hire more law school leavers which will in turn lead to improved career advancement opportunities for Callum.”
