Rhys’ Journey: From Retail to Solicitor

The legal industry often evokes images of traditional paths, well-trodden by law school graduates and those who followed the expected trajectory. But what if your journey into the legal world took a slightly different route?

In this blog post, we share Rhys Bresland's story of how a passion for challenging himself and a desire for a fulfilling, dynamic career led him on an extraordinary path to becoming a solicitor...

My route into the legal industry was slightly less traditional than usual. After completing my GCSEs, I left school and began working in retail, rather than following the same, more common, path as my peers who undertook A-levels instead. After a few years of working in various customer facing roles, I realised that I wanted a more dynamic career which encouraged me to think critically and constantly challenged my ability. Which is when I considered the possibility of a legal career and ultimately decided to embark on my journey of becoming a solicitor. It was at this point that I signed up to an Access to HE Diploma (as a substitute to A-levels) which subsequently provided the qualifications I needed to apply for my LLB Law Degree.

During my second year at university, I began applying for training contracts. I chose to apply for a trainee position with Wolferstans because of their friendly and well-established reputation for providing exceptional legal experiences, and I was confident that training alongside the firms’ experienced team would give me a running start into my career as a solicitor. I was delighted when I was offered an interview with the Firm to progress my application further.

At my interview I met with the Firm’s Training Principal and Head of HR. I was pleasantly surprised during the interview itself as it felt more like a friendly introduction to the firm where they genuinely wanted to know more about me as a person and my interests, in contrast to other interviews I have had in the past which focused more on experience and the contents of my CV. If I could give any advice in relation to the application and interviewing process, I would advise any applicants to simply be themselves and not try to fit a mould of what they think the Firm is looking for. Originality and honesty are key traits of Wolferstans’ ethos.

A week after my interview I was informed that I had been successful and that the Firm wanted to offer me a training contract commencing once I completed my undergraduate degree and LPC. As this was still two years away, the Firm also kindly offered me a paralegal position in their Court of Protection team to bridge the gap between completing my LLB and LPC. This role was invaluable in providing me with an insight into Wolferstans and getting hands on experience with the Firm’s internal processes and case-management system, which undoubtedly assisted my smooth transition into a trainee solicitor.

I have now been with Wolferstans for 16 months and the Firm has been incredibly supportive throughout the entire process. My training contract has since commenced, with my first seat being in the Firms’ Residential Conveyancing department, and I am thoroughly looking forward to continuing my training with the Firm and one day qualifying as a solicitor under the guidance of the Firms’ people.