History graduate first to start new model training contract

Accutrainee, the flexible training contract scheme launched in September last year, has confirmed it has placed its first trainee, with boutique private client firm New Quadrant.

Flora Hussey, who converted to law from history and took her LPC at BBP Law School has been working at New Quadrant Partners in London since the latter part of the summer and will transfer to a top 20 City firm for three months to complete her compulsory contentious seat.

The announcement comes a few months after Accutrainee’s CEO Susan Cooper (pictured) told Solicitors Journal’s sister publication Young Lawyer that, subject to various factors, “It’s certainly the case to say we very much hope to have the first trainee up and running in the next few weeks”.

In a statement released today Cooper said: “After launching last year, this represents a real milestone not just for Accutrainee, but also the legal profession as a whole. This training contract model gives the lawyers of the future a chance to experience different types of work in different legal environments, helping to shape them for the legal sector of tomorrow.”

Under the new model trainees are employed by Accutrainee and seconded to firms and in-house legal departments to do Solicitors Regulation Authority-approved training contracts.

Cooper said the Accutrainee model meant creating a bespoke training contract, not only responding to the needs of firms but to the particular interests of the trainee.

Once Accutrainee have secured secondments that meet the regulatory requirements of the training contract and the needs of the clients, the trainee is recruited, registered as a trainee with the SRA and can begin the contract.

Cooper added: “We won’t recruit any trainees until we’re confident that we know where they’re going to be going for the two-year period – we don’t want to find ourselves in a position in six months’ time where a trainee is suddenly left in the lurch not knowing what they’re going to do”.

Joan Major, Partner at New Quadrant Partners, said: “Accutrainee provides us with the perfect solution to meet our trainee needs, allowing us to grow our team and ensuring trainees can also develop knowledge in the areas we do not cover ourselves.” A second trainee is expected to be announced shortly.

Cooper launched Accutrainee in September 2011 in response to the large number LPC-qualified graduates struggling to find training contracts and the fluctuating demand for trainees in firms.

By providing a flexible alternative to the traditional law firm training contract Accutrainee says it can deliver specially selected trainees in line with client’s business needs while removing the risk and administrative, regulatory and financial burdens of taking on trainees.

Accutrainee is authorised by the SRA as a training establishment.