Kate Dineen

Name Kate Dineen
Job Trainee Solicitor
Employer A&L Goodbody, Dublin
Education LLB (2005), Trinity College Dublin; LLM (2006), University of Cambridge

At school I enjoyed all of the humanities subjects – particularly English – and debating. A career in law made good sense for me; the practical aspect especially appealed.

My firm specialises in all areas of law for the corporate sector and I currently work in banking law. It's my second rotation (my first was in litigation) and I was very nervous before starting as I didn't study banking law at college. I never expected to like this area, but I'm really enjoying it.

It sounds like such a cliché but my role is completely varied. I work for a fairly large team and I'm involved in some very sophisticated commercial work including complex aircraft securitisations, which you wouldn't necessarily associate with banking. I spend a lot of time liaising with counsel, filing forms with the Companies Registration Office, drafting documents (under supervision) and compiling 'bibles' – folders containing all transaction documents.

It's not always possible to see all projects through on a six-month rotation, but there's always a smooth transition from one rotation to another as the teams are so well organised. Leaving a rotation can be a wrench as you get really settled, but it's all part of the experience.

At the moment I share an office with a partner and learn so much via osmosis. I'm getting a real insight into client service by picking up how partners deal with clients, which is incredibly useful and not something you can be taught without this type of exposure.

The best thing about my job is the variety of work that I get. When I was at college I knew I wanted to be a solicitor but I wasn't sure what I wanted to specialise in, so the variety on offer at A&L Goodbody was especially appealing. There can sometimes be a fear in a bigger firm that you're going to get lost in the system, but that's not the case here. Every project you work on has its own dedicated team of which you're a part; it's like working for a small firm within a bigger firm.

Job-hunting tips

At the risk of sounding obvious, make a copy of your application forms before submission. This helped me to refresh my memory before I interviewed and to think about potential questions that could be asked in relation to my CV.