From secretary to solicitor: Kirsten’s route into law
Kirsten Boettcher is a Solicitor in our Private Client team in Edinburgh, having completed her traineeship at Lindsays. Having initially begun her career as a legal secretary, Kirsten then joined Lindsays as a Paralegal in our Commercial Property team where she studied part-time to gain her LLB and Diploma.
My early career in law
I was always interested in law but didn’t get the grades at high school to study it at university. Instead, I did a degree in Business Management, with a specialism in Business Law; after graduating, I got a job as a legal secretary at a small sole practitioner firm in Leith.
What changed?
The longer I worked as a legal secretary and then as a paralegal, the more complicated the tasks I was involved in became, and I began to think to myself, “If I'm handling this level of work, why am I not qualifying?” It felt like a big step up but I was surrounded by incredibly supportive colleagues who all said, “Just go for it”.
So I found the LLB and Diploma courses at Robert Gordon University which allowed me to continue working during the day and study in the evenings. I did the LLB over three years and then Diploma over two years, which was certainly challenging at times, and then applied to Lindsays – where I was already working – for a traineeship.
My traineeship at Lindsays
I’d been a paralegal in Commercial Property and loved it, but also wanted to broaden my experience. So I asked for my traineeship to be as varied as possible, and Lindsays were fantastic, putting me in Litigation for my first seat and Private Client for my second. After two months in Private Client, I knew that’s where I wanted to be.
The benefits of my route into law
Having worked in law firms for 12 years by this point, I’ve definitely gained experience that other newly qualified solicitors may not have. I know how the systems work and I know how to communicate effectively to clients.
The culture at Lindsays
Everybody at Lindsays is so supportive, and everybody wants you to do well, even if you're in a different team. And I feel valued: it's a big thing, especially as a junior lawyer, when partners ask for your opinion.
The support and development opportunities are also good. In one of my performance reviews, I mentioned that I was lacking experience in one area of work and wanted to develop my skills in it. Some time later, one of my partners said, “You said you wanted more of this type of work. Well, I’ve got some – do you want it?” You really feel listened to and heard.
Beyond the desk
In terms of social stuff at Lindsays, there's always something in the calendar - summer drinks, Christmas drinks, team activities – which is great for meeting the other early-stage solicitors in Glasgow, Dundee, and Perth, and building connections.
