Whilst undertaking my training contract with Lyons Davidson, a leading national law firm and a member of the Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO), I was placed on secondment which has been an invaluable opportunity to actively assist with ACSO’s work whilst expanding my professional skills.
Working with the team at ACSO has been an extremely fulfilling experience that has exposed me to wider issues faced by the civil justice system that I would likely not have been able to tackle had it not been for the secondment.
The secondment has complemented my legal training perfectly as I have been able to engage with leading stakeholders in the civil justice system, from regulators and ombudsman services to law firms and consumer organisations. This has enabled me to understand better the legal industry as well as the interaction between legal service providers and their customers – a key advantage for any aspiring lawyer.
Having had a particular focus on issues relating to legal expenses insurance (LEI) has meant that I was able to have a real impact on ACSO’s work in this area, as well as taking a lead role on certain projects with leading stakeholders.
Charles, Matthew, Rachel, Ben and Anna have been incredibly supportive and are a credit to ACSO and its wider aims. It has been a privilege to contribute to the protection of consumers within the civil justice system, the goal lying at the core of ACSO’s work.
I could not recommend the secondment with ACSO strongly enough. Any future trainees fortunate enough to spend time with ACSO will be better off professionally and personally for having done so.
Author: Jonothan Scollen, ACSO secondee and trainee solicitor at Lyons Davidson.