Al Tamimi & Company trainee solicitors have shared an inside look into their lives at the largest law firm in the Middle East.
Courtney Brewster and Ena Tahric, second seat trainees in the firm’s Dubai office, take viewers through their day in a video shared on the firm’s social media.
The video (embedded below) begins with Brewster’s morning routine. “I start my day by getting ready and heading into the office,” she says, as footage pans across her waking up, getting dressed, and driving to the firm’s office, based in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
Tahric then takes over, giving viewers a “sneak peek” of the office, which occupies a floor in Central Park Towers, DIFC.
As Brewster gets coffee and checks her emails, Tahric attends a client call, before they meet with a real estate partner who introduces them to a new contentious matter involving both of their seats in real estate and international litigation.
After lunch they take part in a training session, which viewers are told take place weekly for all trainees, and later, they attend a networking event.
They head out for dinner at The Palm after work, following which Tahric concludes her day with study for the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE).
Speaking to Law Middle East, the trainees said: “We wanted to capture the variety of tasks we do as trainees, including our learning and development.”
Insights like these aren’t so easily available for aspiring trainees in Dubai, or the Middle East, they said, continuing: “There is a lack of information on training contracts and the opportunities for international solicitors in the region, and we wanted to provide an insight into what tasks and responsibilities a trainee has as this was something we sought to find out during our application process.”
“Pursuing a career in law is becoming more accessible (especially with the new qualification route) and we wanted to demonstrate that law has no borders, and you can become an England & Wales qualified solicitor from abroad, specifically in the UAE,” they said.
There are a total of 35 England & Wales trainees in addition to 40 trainees qualifying under their local jurisdictions at the firm, which is the largest in terms of lawyer headcount in the Middle East. They take part in the ‘Tamimi Talented Trainees’ programme, which is part of the firm’s wider training hub, ‘Tamimi Academy’.
Al Tamimi was one of the first law firms in the region to be authorised by the UK solicitors’ regulator, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), to undertake the England & Wales training programme.
“Essam Al Tamimi, our founder, is extremely passionate about the development of the future profession and nurturing and guiding them is absolutely key,” said the trainees.
When asked whether they will share a further glimpse into their lives as Al Tamimi trainees, they responded: “Most definitely—we have some content ideas planned out for the future to help aspiring solicitors navigate their legal career paths.”
They said they would like to show how tasks differ for trainees depending on the department they are in, as well as arrange a series of events with the aim of helping students navigate the route to becoming a lawyer in the region.
“Keep an eye on our social media for further updates,” they said.
Founded by Essam Al Tamimi in 1989, the firm has since grown to over 420 lawyers across 17 offices in the Middle East.
