Grace O’Connor

When it came to applying for a Traineeship I was determined to train with William Fry. I knew the ethos of the Firm suited me because I had done an internship here so I think this cemented my fate!

My path into William Fry was traditional. I studied BCL with French law at UCD and after I passed the FE-1s I joined the Firm for my first rotation in Corporate. I wasn’t sure what to expect and had visions of 100-hour working weeks and Trainees sleeping at desks so the reality was a relief! You are expected to work hard but the tasks are interesting and it’s very rewarding to hear about work you’ve been involved in, in the news. Nonetheless it was great to have Blackhall to look forward to!

At PPCI I found William Fry to be exceptionally supportive of extra-curricular endeavors such as the international moot court competition in which I competed.

Upon returning, I went on secondment with one of the Firm’s multinational clients, which was a fantastic experience. My next rotation was in Insolvency. It was great to meet a whole new team of people I hadn’t worked with before and the natural interaction between company law and litigation during this rotation was right up my street.

I’m currently in my final rotation in Financial Services and giving a lot of thought as to where I hope to qualify into. It’s a tough choice! It’s not all work though. Friday drinks are great and we have an active social committee. We have weekends away and the William Fry summer barbeque is an opportunity to see everyone let their hair down!