0000 Jones Day GradBro 08

A UNIQUE

PERSPECTIVEINSIDE JONES DAY, A MAJOR GLOBAL LAW FIRM.

BY JOURNALIST DAVID NICHOLSON.PHOTOGRAPHY BY IAIN CROCKART

GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES

0000_Jones_Day_GradBro_08 13/9/07 12:03 Page a1

WELCOME TO JONES DAY,A MAJOR GLOBAL LAW FIRM WITH A UNIQUE

APPROACH TO TRAINING.

WE INVITED JOURNALIST DAVID NICHOLSONTO SPEND SOME TIME WITH US. HIS BRIEF?

TO CAPTURE THE ATMOSPHERE, THETRAINING AND WHAT IT’S REALLY LIKE

TO WORK AT JONES DAY.READ ON FROM PAGE 3

PART ITHE TRAINEES’ 3PERSPECTIVEFirst impressions of the firm and anintroduction to training at Jones Day.

NO MUSICAL CHAIRS 4Trainees talk about what the non-rotational system means to them.

KEY FACTS

TRAINING AT JONES DAY: 5HOW IT’S DIFFERENT, WHY IT’S DIFFERENT

AHEAD OF THE GAME 7More responsibility, faster development.

CUTTING YOUR OWN CLOTH 7Structuring your own time.

KEY FACTS

SALARIES AND BENEFITS 7

WHAT’S THE CATCH? 8Trainees address their initial concerns.

TESTING THE WATER 9Vacation schemes at Jones Day.

KEY FACTS

VACATION SCHEMES 9

PART IITHE FIRM’S PERSPECTIVE 10Russell Carmedy, partner in charge, gives his overview of the firm in London.

THE WAY WE DO THINGS 13The atmosphere and hierarchy.

KEY FACTS

SUPPORT AND 13DEVELOPMENT

MINDING YOUR OWN BUSINESS 14Commercial involvement from day one.

PEOPLE NOT PROPERTY 14A culture of mutual respect.

GOING UP? 16The transition from trainee to qualified lawyer.

KEY FACTS

PRO BONO 16

MAKING THE GRADE 17What kind of person thrives at Jones Day?

AT THE END OF THE DAY 18

PART III 20SOME POINTERS FORJONES DAY CANDIDATESTop tips.

KEY FACTS

APPLICATION PROCEDURE 21

CONTENTSAbove: sculpture byMargaret Wrightson, inTemple Field – the heartof legal life in Londonand a stone’s throwfrom the Jones Dayoffice. The sentiment – from Lamb’s essay ‘The Old Benchers ofMiddle Temple’ (1823) – is particularly apt forJones Day, who taketheir work seriously but themselves less so.

JONES DAY:THE FACTS

AREAS OF PRACTICE WORLDWIDE

FIRM OVERVIEWLAWYERS WORLDWIDE:

2,200LONDON LAWYERS:

200COUNTRIES:

15

• Antitrust & Competition Law • Banking & Finance • Business Restructuring &

Reorganisation • Capital Markets • Corporate Criminal

Investigations

• Corporate Law• Employee Benefits & Executive

Compensation • Energy Delivery & Power • Environmental, Health & Safety• Government Regulation • Health Care

• Intellectual Property • International and Domestic

Litigation & Arbitration • Issues & Appeals • Labour & Employment • Life Sciences • Mergers & Acquisitions

• Oil & Gas • Private Equity • Real Estate • Tax • Trial Practice

A–Z CLIENT SNAPSHOT

A Arsenal Football Club B BP C Citicorp D Deutsche Bank E Energizer F FirstEnergy Corp

GGeneral Electric Company H Hanson I International Paper Company J JPMorgan Chase Bank K Kellogg Brown & Root

L Lehman Brothers MMastercard N Nextel Communications OO2 P PepsiCo QQuantas Airways

R Royal Bank of Scotland S Société Générale T Time Warner U United Services Automobile Association V Viacom

WWasserstein & Co X Xerox Corporation Y Yahoo! Z Zanex

Jones Day ranks among the 10 largest law firms in the world. The London office is one of the largest in the Jones Day network, offering the breadth and depth

of legal services you’d expect of a City firm servicing both national and international clients.

LONDON BRUSSELSFRANKFURT

MOSCOW

NEW DELHI

BEIJING

SHANGHAI

TOKYO

TAIPEIHONG KONG

SINGAPORE

SYDNEY

MUNICH

MILAN

PARIS

MADRID

ATLANTA

HOUSTONSAN DIEGO

IRVINELOS ANGELES

SILICON VALLEYSAN FRANCISCO

DALLAS

WASHINGTON DCPITTSBURGH

CLEVELANDCOLUMBUS

CHICAGONEW YORK

OFFICES:

30

LEX 100 - A STUDENT GUIDE TO THE UK’S PREMIER LAW FIRMS - OCTOBER 2005

FIRST: FOR QUALITY OF WORK AND CLIENT CONTACTLEX 100 WINNER IN SEVEN CATEGORIES - OCTOBER 2006

INCLUDING: CLIENT CONTACT, QUALITY OF WORK AND VACATION SCHEMESJONES DAY WON ‘BEST RECRUITER - MEDIUM CITY FIRM’ AT THE LAWCAREERS.NET TRAINING & RECRUITMENT AWARDS 2007

0000_Jones_Day_GradBro_08 13/9/07 12:03 Page a2

IUSED TO SHARE A FLAT WITH A TRAINEE LAWYER WHEN I

STARTED OUT AS A JOURNALIST.THE TROUBLE WAS, I NEVER

SAW HIM. AND WHEN I DID, HE WAS SO EXHAUSTED AND FED UP

WITH WORK THAT HE JUST WANTED TO SLEEP...

So I was curious to find out if life as a trainee at Jones Day wasany different. Remembering myf latmate, I also recalled that he had to spend two years

rotating between different partners under a‘seat’ system. He seemed to experiencevarying degrees of success, but not muchresponsibility. Par for the course in allLondon firms, right?

Not at Jones Day. Uniquely among majorfirms in London, trainees here don’t trainunder a ‘seat’ system at all but are given an entirely different experience. They haveunusual freedom to prioritise the areas of lawthey are most interested in and are givenlarge amounts of responsibility from dayone, along with their own office and a handsome salary.

It doesn’t end there though. Unlike my f latmate, the trainees I spoke to seemed

energised by the depth of their involvementin the firm’s activities and proud of thecontribution they could make to its business. In short, what I found was a very different cultural landscape to what I was expecting.

Jones Day is located just off Fleet Street, close to the River Thames, in plush modernoffices surrounded by a wealth of eating,shopping and transport options – it’s a buzzy, sophisticated part of the City. In the London office, they have about 200 lawyers, including around 45 partners and 40 trainees. But that’s only part of the story. Jones Day is one of the largest law firms in the world, with some 2,200lawyers in total across 30 locations.

The firm handles major cross-border transactions as well as domestic work. It continually comes out top in variousinternational league tables for the volume

of M&A work it handles, has one of the largest litigation practices in the world, and boasts a market leading real estate practice.

So, for trainees, there is the dual advantage of having the intimate atmosphere of a mid-sized London office combined with the quality of work that comes from being part of a big global firm. Working on smaller matters gives trainees higher levelsof responsibility, while the global dimensionand the larger domestic deals give the opportunity to get involved with major transactions and the credibility thatgoes with them.

The minute you walk through the doors of the spacious lobby, you’re struck bythe calm, friendly welcome of the place.People have time to say hello: this isn’t a production-line atmosphere.

Opposite: first year trainee Ben Bury walksto work along theThames – the peacefulriver facade masks thehive of top-level activitywhich is the ‘City’ .

PART ITHE TRAINEES’PERSPECTIVE

JONES DAY GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES 3

0000_Jones_Day_GradBro_08 13/9/07 12:03 Page 2

NO MUSICAL CHAIRS

The non-rotational training system is definitely a big pluspoint for trainees, allowing themto get the most out of their twoyears. Although it may not be

for everyone, if you think it could suit you,the opportunities are significant.

In essence, the system means that you’reable to work with all partners and associatesthroughout the two year training and workconcurrently on matters from differentareas of law, whether it’s corporate law, realestate, litigation or finance – all from thecomfort of your very own office. Buildingrelationships with partners and associatesis important, in order to develop your ownportfolio of work.

In that context, you are given plenty ofscope to pursue your own interests and the opportunity to explore areas of law you may not have the chance to witnessfirst-hand under a traditional ‘seat’ system.It avoids the lottery of the ‘seat’ systemwhere trainees might not get to experiencean area of law that interests them because there are not enough seats in thatdepartment for everyone.

You’re given mentors and a trainingsupervisor who will make sure you’re ontrack to gain enough experience in eachfield. Beyond this, there is a rare amount offreedom to prioritise your workload.

Instead of spending a set amount of time on aspecific area of law and then moving onto thenext (as with the ‘seat’ system), Jones Day’snon-rotational system means that you canfollow deals and cases through frombeginning to end, getting an unusually largeamount of experience, contact with clientsand responsibility along the way.

Trainees I spoke to at Jones Day were all verypositive about the experience. “I wasinvolved in a large litigation case,” says JohnDisson, a second year trainee “and I wouldhave found it incredibly frustrating if I’d hadto leave it mid-way through.”

He described how problematic some of hisfriends have found the traditional seatsystem in other firms. “You may be stuck

for six months with a difficult partner who gives you menial work, such asphotocopying, just to keep you busy andexpects you to stay late even when there’snot much to do.”

There is mutual respect at Jones Day. Thehours may sometimes be long – as with anyCity firm – but trainees feel more valued and involved, since they are given greaterresponsibilities and client exposure.

Some firms don’t even give you a choice of the legal areas that you are allocated, or theorder you do them. “I have a friend at anotherfirm who wanted to do a seat in real estate, butshe was given litigation, then three corporateseats. I’d be mightily cross if that was me,”says second year trainee, Alice Kershaw.

“I WAS INVOLVED IN A LARGE

LITIGATION CASEAND I WOULD

HAVE FOUND ITINCREDIBLY

FRUSTRATING IF I’D HAD TO LEAVE

IT MID-WAYTHROUGH.”

JOHNTRAINEE

4 JONES DAY GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES

Above: John Disson, a second year trainee,researches some pointsin Jones Day’s library.Lawyers can be observed beaveringaway through anunexpected opening in the f loor of thereception area.

TRAINING AT JONES DAY:HOW IT’S DIFFERENT, WHY IT’S DIFFERENT.

Jones Day operates a different training system to most City firms.Understanding how it works and why the firm doesn’t just follow the crowd

is key to understanding whether it’s a system that’s for you.

HOW?TRADITIONAL ROTATIONAL SYSTEM

TRAINING IS DIVIDED INTO PERIODS OF FOUR OR SIX MONTHS, WORKING EXCLUSIVELY FOR ONE DEPARTMENT AT A TIME, THEN MOVING ON.

YOU “BELONG” TO ONE PARTNER OR TEAM AND SIT IN AN OFFICE WITH A PARTNER OR ASSOCIATE.

1 You can be involved in deals and cases frombeginning to end.

2 It removes the lottery of seat allocation and gives you the opportunity to experience a widerrange of practice areas.

3 You can assist with all aspects of a transactionand get a more rounded training, e.g. you canwork on both the purchase and financing sides of the same real estate deal.

4 People work better in their own space.

5 You get to know more people within the firm and find those with whom you work best.

6 You can pick up different skills and techniquesfrom lots of partners and associates and developyour own style of working.

7 Greater client contact is possible as you’reavailable to work for the same clients throughoutthe two years.

8 You don’t have to do six months intensive trainingin an area that you’ve decided is not for you.

9 It produces a smoother learning curve over the two years.

10 There is a seamless transition throughqualification.

JONES DAY’S NON-ROTATIONAL SYSTEM

YOU CAN DO WORK FROM ALL DEPARTMENTS THROUGHOUT YOUR TWO YEARS OF TRAINING.

YOU HAVE YOUR OWN OFFICE AND CAN WORK WITH ANY PARTNER OR TEAM IN ALL AREAS.

WHY?


“I’M OFTENNEGOTIATING DIRECT

WITH QUALIFIEDLAWYERS ON THE

OTHER SIDE. I ENJOYBEING ON THE

FRONT LINE.”ALICE

TRAINEE

AHEAD OF THE GAME

I’m often negotiating direct with qualified lawyers on the other side. I enjoy being on the front line” saysAlice. “And their trainees are usuallyworking on less challenging work.

It’s very motivating here.”

“I’m regularly asked to present advice I’ve discussed with a partner directly to aclient,” says Tony Whall, a first year trainee“and as you get to know the client they willask for your advice, regardless of whetheryou’re a trainee, because they’ve met youand they know they can trust you.” Beingdirectly involved in important issues addsto the sense of job satisfaction reported byJones Day trainees.

This attitude shines through each JonesDay employee I’ve spoken to. They clearlytake pride in their work and enjoy providing a very high level of service toclients, feeling themselves highly valued as a result. There’s also an impressive levelof maturity even in trainees who haverecently joined the firm. They are clearly‘can-do’ people who want the best not just for the firm and its clients but also forthemselves. And there’s a sense that theyknow how to go about getting it.

CUTTING YOUR OWN CLOTH

Trainees can structure the use of their own time,” says MarkDunkley, a second year trainee.“You can be working on a bigcorporate deal, which can be

quite intensive, then you can focus onsomething different for a change – you canregulate your own time and workload.”

Mark admits that the risk of feeling isolated and lonely in this system hadoccurred to him before he accepted an offer to train here, but says that the practicalexperience hasn’t been like that. “You’re in anoffice with around 300 people and buildingup working relationships,” he says. “If youweren’t willing to go out and meet people, itmay not work, but the recruitment partnerschoose outgoing, confident people.”

“I think most of my friends are envious thatI have my own office.” says Ben Bury, a firstyear trainee. Having your own space adds tothe sense of regulating your own workload– you can make more choices about therhythm of each day, being able to spendsome quieter time in between more intenseperiods without feeling you’re going to getchastised for slacking.

I ask Ben whether the system allows somepeople to get away with putting in less effortthan others. “That happens… but rarely,” headds. “Trainees usually come here to get onwith their careers, not because they’ve misunderstood the place to be a holiday camp.”

The concept of ‘face time’ can be importantunder the ‘seat’ system,” says Ben. “The perception elsewhere is that you need to be seen to be working late whether you’rebeing productive or not. Here, I have toimpress through the quality of the workI’ve done and the contribution I’ve made,and I’m trusted with my own hours. Sowhen I’m satisfied I’ve done my bit for the day, I head off.”

I can’t help but notice, though, that Ben has several take-away menus stuck to hispin board, suggesting that it can sometimestake a good few hours for him to feel likehe’s done his bit.

SALARIES ANDBENEFITS

The rewards reflect the importance attached to the role of trainees in

contributing to the business.

STARTING SALARY: £39,000Salaries rise at six monthly intervals

throughout the training contract:

6–12 MONTHS: £41,00012–18 MONTHS: £45,00018–24 MONTHS: £50,000

NEWLY QUALIFIED: £70,000

BENEFITSThe current benefits package

includes five weeks holiday a year,private healthcare, subsidised gym

membership, season ticket loan and life cover.

SPONSORSHIPAll future trainees are sponsored

through the Graduate Diploma in Law(GDL) and the Legal Practice Course(LPC). Jones Day will pay all your feesthrough the GDL and the LPC plus amaintenance grant of £8,000 a year.

AWARDSThe firm likes to recognise excellentacademic achievement and awards£500 to trainees who achieve a 1st

in their degree, £350 for achieving aCommendation in the LPC and £750

for a Distinction in the LPC.

Above: Many male trainees wear opennecked shirts around the office but keep ajacket and tie hung ontheir doors, in case, like Superman, theyneed to make a quickchange and f ly off to a client meeting.




WHAT’S THE CATCH?

Giving recent graduates such responsibility andencouraging them toarrange their own workcould, I imagine, build up an

overly competitive atmosphere between thetrainees as they look for the juiciest pieces ofwork. Some competition does exist,according to first year trainee Amy Reuben.“If someone is looking for assistance, youhave to react quickly. And you cansometimes think that others are doing moreinteresting work than you, but I’ve foundthat senior fee earners are pretty fair, they’llsay “next time it’s you”. In my experience,they stay true to their word.”

Second year trainee Chloë Nankivell says,“There are a lot of ambitious and very goodlawyers here, but in terms of aggressivecompetition, that’s not the experience I’vehad. In fact I think it would be stamped out; itwouldn’t get results.”

However, whilst there may be some competition for the best work, trainees

don’t have to compete more fundamentallyfor associate jobs, as some trainees at otherfirms have to do – almost all trainees inrecent years have been offered jobs at Jones Day.

No one here seems to think the traditional‘seat’ system is a broken model, or wants tochange the way the legal world operates.The firm simply runs a system it isconfident brings the best out of its traineesand benefits its business most. And theyshould know, having been using the systemfor more than 20 years.

Jones Day recruitment partners frequentlypointed out to me, though, that the system is not right for everyone. As well as being intelligent, trainees here have to be proactive and prepared to take onresponsibility. You also have to be selfaware and confident enough to knock on apartner’s door and ask questions if youaren’t sure about what you should be doing.I get the impression it takes a certainamount of resourcefulness and nerve to dowell here.

Above: Second yeartrainee Edward Monniot is master of all he surveys – atleast within the boundsof his own office.

TESTING THE WATER

Many of the firm’s currenttrainees spent two weekson one of the firm’s vaca-tion schemes which takeplace at Christmas, Easter

and throughout the Summer each year. “It’s a great way to get to know the firm, and the way they train people,” says Tony, a first year trainee who joined the firm after a spell as a vacation student.

Jacqui Megson, Graduate RecruitmentManager, goes on to explain that the vacation schemes involve the studentsengaging in active work. “We want studentsto get a taste of how we operate in practice,”she says. “That means asking them to roll up their sleeves and work for a number ofdepartments at the same time whilst they’rewith us. It’s a sort of mini-training contract.We don’t just give vacation studentsseminars and workshops.”

Vacation students also get introduced to the social side of the firm through drinks and dinners with trainees, associates andpartners. There are also chances to join in the firm’s client sporting events during the Summer.

I get the sense that this is a firm confidentenough to show its prospective traineeswhat is really in store for them if they end up joining. The fact that so manytrainees did a vacation scheme with thefirm is convincing testimony that theschemes are a good way to make aninformed decision about life as a trainee at Jones Day.

VACATION SCHEMES


SCHEMES FOR NON-LAW STUDENTSChristmas vacation scheme

Open to final year students or graduates of a non-law degree.Apply between 1 August and 31 October.

Easter vacation schemeOpen to penultimate and final year students or graduates of a non-law degree.

Apply between 1 November and 31 January.

SCHEMES FOR LAW STUDENTSSummer vacation scheme

Open to penultimate or second year law students. Apply between 1 November and 31 January.

Please note that offers for vacation schemes are made on an ongoing basis throughout the application period.

We may, therefore, complete our recruitment for all positions before the application deadlines.

NOMINATED FOR

BEST VACATION SCHEME IN THE LAWCAREERS.NET/

TRAINEE SOLICITORS’ GROUP TRAINING ANDRECRUITMENT AWARDS 2006 AND 2007

“WE WANT STUDENTS TO

GET A TASTE OFHOW WE OPERATE

IN PRACTICE. IT’S A SORT OFMINI-TRAINING

CONTRACT.” JACQUI

GRADUATE RECRUITMENT MANAGER

Left: Second year trainee Chloë Nankivell enjoyslunch in Temple Field with fellow trainees.Competition for choicework doesn’t impactfriendly relationsbetween trainees. The relatively smallnumber is certainly afactor, plus a seeminglygenuine desire to helpeach other out.

“I THINK MOST OF MY FRIENDS

ARE ENVIOUS THAT I HAVE MY

OWN OFFICE.”BENTRAINEE

The vacation scheme will show you what it’s like to be a trainee at Jones Day and how the training system works.

You’ll be given real work and not just a diet of seminars, visits, presentations and group exercises. You’ll receive work from trainees, associates and

partners and you’ll be encouraged to introduce yourself to lawyers in the firm with a view to experiencing particular kinds of work that you think

you might enjoy.

You’ll also meet trainees, associates and partners at a range of social events.

SALARY: £400 PER WEEK


10 JONES DAY GRADUATE RECRUITMENT 2006

Partner in charge of Jones Day,London, Russell Carmedy is aveteran of 24 years at the firm.He was amongst the first totrain under the non-rotational

system and certainly seems to have donewell out of it. He has an eye for the big picture, as you can imagine when the firmis spread from New York to Shanghai, butlikes to get to the point.

He explains how the merger in 2003 (whenit merged with established City firm,

Gouldens) has boosted the office’s profile.“We’re in a growth phase that ref lects theimportance of London, as a centre for legalservices, to a truly global practice,” saysRussell. For trainees, in turn, this means aneven greater chance of getting involved inmajor international deals at an early stage,compared with the very large firms.

“We’re not a factory,” says Russell. “We’relooking for versatile, able lawyers to dealwith a great range of work involvingEurope, the States and Asia.”

PART IITHE FIRM’S PERSPECTIVE

“WE’RE NOT AFACTORY”

RUSSELLPARTNER IN CHARGE


SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENTWhilst there is a strong emphasis on early responsibility,

the need for you to have a thorough grounding in the main subject areas and basic skills is taken very seriously.

Your progress will be monitored and you will have all the support you need.

MENTORINGYou’ll be assigned two mentors (a partner and a trainee) to provide support

and answer any questions you may have.

SEMINARS AND COURSESYou’ll attend six seminars each month. These are delivered by senior lawyers from the different practice areas. You must also complete the

Professional Skills Course ( PSC).

FEEDBACKLearning by actually doing the work is the best form of training.

All lawyers are encouraged to provide on-the-job training and feedbackto the trainees they work with.

MONITORINGTRAINING RECORDS

The firm has checklists that you must complete in each principal practice area to meet the Law Society’s requirements. You will review your checklistsquarterly with the Training and Development manager to ensure that you’re

progressing properly and to identify priorities for the next quarter.

GROUP REVIEWSGroup review sessions are held once a month to give you an opportunity to

discuss your workload and any administrative or other issues.

FORMAL APPRAISALSYou will also have three formal appraisals during your two year training

contract, to give you the opportunity to review the progress you have made and set objectives for the following months. These will take place in approximately

month 6, month 12 and month 18 of your training contract.

“AROUND HALF THE PARTNERS

CAME UP THROUGH THE

NON-ROTATIONAL SYSTEM”

DAVIDPARTNER

JONES DAY GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES 1312 JONES DAY GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES

THE WAY WE DO THINGS

David Smith, partner in chargeof recruitment, explains howall fee-earners operate an ‘opendoor’ policy, so that anyoneneeding support can come to

see them whenever they need to, andproducing a collegial atmosphere throughoutthe firm. And his door was indeed openwhen I arrived.

Across Jones Day, in fact, there is a remarkable lack of official hierarchy. Partners,associates and trainees are on first nameterms, and often get together after work

for social events or sports fixtures such ascricket and softball matches against clients.

A friendly camaraderie runs through thewhole firm, with an annual Christmas pantomime written and performed bytrainees and a whole range of extra-curricular activities, adding to the sensethat the firm’s culture revolves aroundmuch more than case-work. People aremore productive if they are happy and well rewarded.

David adds, “The informal atmosphere isvital to getting the most out of our systembut we also have well-established processes

Left: A lunch seminar for second year trainees,regular events which areboth educational andsocial – a chance forpeers to catch up.

Left: Work/ life balanceis an important goal atJones Day – familyphotos and drawings byhis children sit alongsidelegal documents and certificates inDavid’s office.

in place to ensure that all trainees receivethe formal training that they require.Around half the partners came up throughthe non-rotational system.”

From the firm’s point of view, because the system turns out more confident, experienced lawyers who have had moreclient contact than their peers, they canmore quickly become effective fee-earnersthemselves. They are also encouraged to be more entrepreneurial in their approachto dealing with clients, getting involved in marketing the firm’s services and building new business.


MINDING YOUR OWN BUSINESS

As recruitment partner JamesGoold remarks, “When Ijoined the firm as a trainee I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a lawyer in the longer term.

I suspected I’d turn to running my ownbusiness after a few years. But then I found that I was running my own business,taking responsibility for transactions,developing new business and so on. Sowhen I reviewed the position, I found thatmy career ambitions were on offer here.”

James had initially been put off a career inthe law, having seen an array of younglawyers in several firms who lookeddepressingly unhappy with their lot. Theopportunities at Gouldens (which becameJones Day in 2003), convinced him tochange his mind though. “I liked theprospect of doing a real job and building areal career from day one, rather than being a glorified photocopy assistant,” he says.

James himself, as a partner specialising inprivate equity, has plenty of work to handout to his colleagues, both associates andtrainees. One large (€400 million) M&Adeal he’s working on is taking up the time of 45 lawyers in a number of jurisdictions,while six other transactions are currentlyon the boil, each employing further staff.The day we met, he had put out an ‘all person broadcast’ email, inviting people toput themselves forward for a piece of work.He had 12 replies, so naturally some will be disappointed, but he feels there’s alwaysenough good work to go around.


“I WASN’T SURE I WANTED TO BE A

LAWYER, I SUSPECTED I’D TURN TO RUNNING MY

OWN BUSINESS. BUT THEN I FOUND THAT I WASRUNNING MY OWN

BUSINESS”JAMES

PARTNER

PEOPLE NOT PROPERTY

John Phillips, a partner specialising incorporate work (as well as being arecruitment partner) stresses howimportant it is to treat trainees well.“They’re not chattels,” he says. “Ifyou want to encourage trainees to do

good work, you have to treat them well, andlike the adults they are. If you treat thembadly, they’ll avoid you when you next try togive them work. People here are respectful to one another, whether partner, trainee orsupport staff.”

While trainees have to promote themselvesto a department if they want to join it onqualification, the same works in reverse,with departments making the effort to market themselves to trainees.

Also, under a rotational ‘seat’ system, itcould be far harder for trainees to end up intheir chosen department: the earlier you doa seat, the less you’re likely to get out of itand the less well you’re likely to perform;whereas at Jones Day, you can continueyour involvement with a practice areathroughout the two years of training.

The simple fact of numbers is one advantage. Here, you are one of 15 to 20trainees per year (the number varies as thereis no fixed “quota”), certain to get to knowall the others quite well, and to developstrong business ties with many of the partners. In a larger firm where there maybe an intake of 80 or 100, you might noteven speak to some of the other trainees,never mind the hundreds of partners.

“TRAINEES AREN’T CHATTELS.

IF YOU TREAT THEM BADLY,

THEY’LL AVOID YOUWHEN YOU NEXT

TRY TO GIVE THEM WORK.”

JOHNPARTNER

Top right: James Goold, off guard.

Middle right: John Phillips, one of the moresenior partners, retains aheavy involvement withrecruitment, highlightingthe importance the firmattaches to finding theright people.

Bottom right: respectacross all levels inspiresloyalty. KatherineWhite, bottom right,personal assistant in thecorporate departmenthas been with the firmfor over 19 years.


GOING UP?

As a trainee I knew quite early onthat I wanted to qualify intothe corporate department andonce I was confident that I’d beaccepted into that department,

I did mostly corporate work for my final sixmonths,” says Jinal Shah, a senior corporateassociate. “By the time I qualified I’d done alot more corporate transactional work than Iwould have been able to do in a four or sixmonth seat. I simply continued with mydeals after qualification.”

At Jones Day, you have all the skills necessaryfor life as a newly qualified lawyer even beforeyou finish your training contract and thereisn’t a discernable jump in responsibility onqualification. By all accounts, there isn’t thestress or the sense of foreboding that youmight experience at other firms.

JONES DAY GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES 1716 JONES DAY GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES

MAKING THE GRADE

While there’s no ‘typical’Jones Day person,individuals I met doshare a few obviouscharacteristics. Suzanne

Davis, one of the partners to have trainedelsewhere, was surprised by the quality ofthe trainees when she first arrived. “Whatstruck me most was how motivated anddriven they all were. Much more so than in my previous experience.”

We talk about the hardest questions thatcandidates might be asked and Suzannereveals that she sometimes asks what theywould do if a client asked them to destroysome documents. “It’s not only a questionof coming up with a right answer, it’s morehow you talk through the issue. We’reinterested in getting to grips with how yourmind thinks through and around issues.The law is rarely black and white,” she says.

Several recruitment partners emphasisethat the ability to gain quick rapport is animportant quality. It marks you out assomeone who will be able to work well with colleagues and clients at all levels. “Wehave people come in who are incrediblyintelligent, but we also have to ask: would Iput them in front of a client?” says Suzanne.

“We’re looking for robust, well-roundedcharacters here,” says Sion Richards,Business Restructuring and Reorganisation(BRR) partner. “They’ll get a lot of client contact.” Colleagues joke that Sion is drafted in when an injunction has to beserved, as he goes to boxing sessions. “Weneed people with good judgement,” he says.

He wants to see people who’ve reallythought about why they want to be a lawyer,and filter out those who aren’t really surethey want to do it. “It’s not always easy,” hesays. “You need to be resourceful, motivatedand have a mature attitude.”

“BY THE TIME I QUALIFIED I’D DONE A

LOT MORE CORPORATETRANSACTIONAL WORK THAN I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN A FOUR OR SIX MONTH

SEAT. I SIMPLY CONTINUED WITH MY DEALS AFTER

QUALIFICATION.”JINALASSOCIATE

“WHAT STRUCK ME WAS HOW MOTIVATED

AND DRIVEN THEY ALL WERE.”SUZANNE

PARTNER

After qualification, the firm continues totrust its associates with a high level ofresponsibility. Partners are open to freshideas and will help qualified lawyers totarget new opportunities that interest themor work on new areas or aspects of law.

“I qualified into the property department but maintained a niche practice providingdata protection advice,” Dominic Hornblow tells me. “In the end, it became such asignificant part of my workload I transferredto the IP department.”

Associates are encouraged to developclient contacts and arrange and attendmarketing events. “There are some clientsthat I’ve been working with for years andit’s good to be able to get to know a bit moreabout them and to chat to them aboutthings other than work,” says SheldonMills, competition associate.

Below: Senior associateJinal Shah told me that he’d barely noticedthe transition fromtrainee to qualified, “My first day as aqualified lawyer wasexactly the same as mylast day of training.”

Above: Suzanne Davis, a partner in the realestate department,wants trainees she canput in front of clients.

Right: Sion Richards, a BRR partner I interviewed…cautiously.

PRO BONO

Jones Day strongly encourages all of its professionals to participate

in pro bono and other public services activities.

WATERLOO LEGAL ADVICE CENTRE

In London, the firm has supported the Waterloo Legal Advice Centre, a voluntary organisation, for over

20 years.

Trainees can learn a lot about clientand case management at the Centre.Almost all areas of law are dealt with,from personal injury and landlord and

tenant work to matrimonial andimmigration matters.


AT THE END OF THE DAY

People here genuinely enjoyworking together,” says DavidSmith. “It is a real priority toencourage people to get to knoweach other.”

Within their first week the new trainees are introduced to the firm with informaldrinks and a dinner. Shortly after this, I’mtold, they are whisked off to the States tomeet the new starters from other officesaround the world.This social effort is notjust a one-off for the incoming trainees

Trainees watch England draw withSweden in the WorldCup 2006.Participation in socialevents is doubtlesslyencouraged by the fact that bar tabs tendto be picked up bypartners. Remarkably,partners still seem keento socialise.

though. There are sports teams playingregular fixtures, particularly during theSummer when the firm challenges clientsto cricket and softball matches. There arealso weekly events organised during thevacation schemes.

The highlight of the year for most people though is the pantomime. This is written and performed by the traineesbefore the Christmas party. The script is loosely derived from a traditional tale but with characters based on people at the firm: fortunately most of the partners have very thick skins.


PART IIISOME POINTERS FORJONES DAY CANDIDATES

1 It goes without saying that the firm is looking for bright people. You will need to be predicted (or haveachieved) at least a 2.1 in your honoursdegree (which needn’t be law).

2 Almost as important as academiccredentials is your attitude.Initiative, confidence, commercialsavvy and the ability to cope with a lot of balls in the air at any onetime are key attributes for traineesat Jones Day.

3 Think about the type of firm youwant to be a part of. At Jones DayLondon, you get the quality of workyou’d expect from one of the world’slargest law firms but the friendlinessof a medium sized office.

4 Be prepared for big responsibilityfrom day one. It’s a big challenge butone that can bring great rewards forthe right person.

5 Keep your CV and covering lettersimple and to the point. Let the factsspeak for themselves.


APPLICATION PROCEDURE

We don’t use a standard application form because we’re not looking for standard applicants.

HOW TO APPLYGO TO:

WWW.JONESDAYLONDON.COM/RECRUIT1. REGISTRATION

To apply for a vacation scheme or training contract please log in and register your details.

2. CVYou’ll then be asked to attach your CV electronically, in either Word or PDF format.

3. COVERING LETTERYou’ll also be asked to attach a covering letter, which should be addressed to Jacqui Megson, Graduate Recruitment Manager.

Please ensure that we will be able to open your attachments – send recognisable file formats with correct suffixes.

Alternatively, you can send your CV and covering letter to 21 Tudor Street, London EC4Y ODJ marked for the attention of Jacqui Megson, Graduate Recruitment Manager

WHEN TO APPLYWe have now completed our recruitment of trainees for September 2009 and March 2010.

TRAINING CONTRACTS COMMENCING IN SEPTEMBER 2010 OR MARCH 2011

If you wish to apply for training contracts commencing in September 2010 or March 2011, we will be accepting applications from final year law and non-law students from 1 November 2007.

Interviews start in January 2008.

PENULTIMATE YEAR LAW STUDENTS Apply between your penultimate and final years of study from June 2008 onwards

(once you have received your second year exam results).

FINAL DEADLINEThe final deadline for training contract applications is 31 August 2008.

However, to ensure an early interview date, we would encourage candidates to apply by 31 July 2008.

PLEASE NOTEOffers for training contracts and vacation schemes are made on an ongoing basis throughout the application period.

We may, therefore, complete our recruitment for all positions before the application deadlines.

IT’S A BIG CHALLENGE

BUT ONE THATCAN BRING

GREAT REWARDSFOR THE RIGHT

PERSON.


WWW.JONESDAYLONDON.COM/RECRUIT

David Nicholson is a freelance journalist who has written forpublications including The Observer, The Guardian, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal and GQ.

Jones Day 21 Tudor Street, London EC4Y 0DJUnited Kingdom

T: +44 (0)20 7039 5959F: +44 (0)20 7039 5999


Documents

0000 Jones Day GradBro 08