Direct Employers

Thomas Murdock, Trainee, Tods Murray

When did you join Tods Murray as a Trainee?

I joined Tods Murray as a trainee on 31 August 2010.

What seat(s) have you been in so far?

My first seat is in the Banking department, and on 7 March I’ll be moving to the Glasgow office for my next seat, in Commercial Property.

Is there a good social life as a trainee?

Absolutely! There are always opportunities for after-work drinks, and plenty of events in the firm social calendar. First-year trainees at Tods Murray are tasked with organising the annual firm Treasure Hunt (basically a pub crawl), which is a great way to meet colleagues across the firm and in other departments. We first year trainees have also become good friends and frequently go out for lunch or drinks together.

Why did you choose a career in law?

I was looking for a career that would be challenging, to provide many opportunities, that would allow me to use my brain and think logically, and ultimately be rewarded for doing so. I think it’s an exciting time to begin a career in law – lawyers are changing the way they practise and having to evolve.

How did you find the application / interview process?

Tough! But I don’t think there’s ever been an easy path to becoming a lawyer. You have to really want to do it, and be committed to it. If you aren’t, it’s fairly obvious to prospective employers and you might get weeded out at an early stage. There are of course a few Einsteins out there in huge demand for their sheer academic ability, but for the majority of applicants success will come from having a wide skills base and being a great communicator.

The best possible advice I could give would be that you have to make your own luck – create your own opportunities. Follow up any and all contacts you may have. Think creatively about how you can get involved with firms. Show your enthusiasm.

Can you give a brief account of a typical day?

On a typical day I’ll arrive at my desk for 0900, and I’ll usually have lots of emails to work through. I’ll then prioritise my work for the day – at any one time I’ll usually have between 5 and 20 tasks on the go, so it’s often a case of juggling these. We take lunch any time between 1200 and 1400, and afternoons can often be spent tying up any loose ends and delivering Companies House forms. Unless I’m working on something with an urgent close, I’ll usually leave by 1730 or 1800. There isn’t a culture of working crazy hours for their own sake at Tods Murray.

Can you give an idea of the kind of work you are currently doing?

The Banking department has given me a breadth of work, from discharging standard securities for large lenders, preparing the monthly Banking Update, to undertaking due diligence reports for opinions. Recently I’ve been working on an assignation portfolio of 900 standard securities, which has been hard work, but great responsibility.

I’ve also received work from my cross-departmental team, including drafting an agreement for a comedy promoter and advising a record company about to broadcast music videos on Connecticut PBS. I’ve also written a few articles published in the local press, been asked to guest lecture at Edinburgh Napier University, attended a number of client-development events and conferences, and have been judging debates for the Law Society.

Return to 'New Lawyers Careers' homepage