who_we_are
Jerry Healy
- LLB in Law and European Studies, University of Limerick
- ERASMUS Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
A native of Cork, I chose to study Law and European Studies at the University of Limerick. It was there that I got my first exposure to life in a law firm during my co-operative education work placement. After a semester of study and socialising in Prague, I decided to pursue a career as a solicitor and I applied to Arthur Cox for a traineeship in my final year of University.
Having completed the FE-1s, I took a break from the books and headed off on a round-the-world trip for a year taking in parts of 5 different continents. On my return it was time to exchange the shorts and flip flops for a suit and begin my traineeship. My first of 5 rotations was in the Funds Department. While I was somewhat apprehensive of working in an area that I knew relatively little about, I soon learned that at Arthur Cox you are encouraged to develop skills that are easily transferable across all areas of law. It was also a great help that the department, like many others, has weekly group training sessions to discuss various aspects of the law pertaining to their everyday work. In addition to these meetings the firm holds training talks for all trainees on different areas of practice to give everyone a feel for the wide spectrum of services that the firm provides.
While working in the Funds Department I was struck by how approachable everyone in the firm was and their relaxed nature certainly creates an excellent environment for learning. My second rotation in the firm was in the Environment & Planning Department. I thoroughly enjoyed working in this specialised practice group and was continually surprised by the level of involvement a trainee can have. My work was also hugely varied and each day presented different opportunities to gain exposure to environmental litigation, planning appeals and giving technical advice. I am currently working in one of our Corporate Departments which specialises in M & A. This is an example of how varied our training can be as the rotation system in place ensures that a trainee gets an opportunity to work in Corporate, Litigation, Finance and Property.
I chose to join Arthur Cox because of its renowned reputation, its diversity of practice areas and people and their overall dynamic outlook and I am happy to say that I made the right choice. Working here also brings endless opportunities to partake in golf and tennis lessons, lunchtime language classes, join the firm's sporting teams as well as to make some great friends. With a busy social calendar too, life as a trainee with Arthur Cox brings with it challenges, rewards and a great deal of enjoyment!
