Jan 14, 2019

Birmingham Trainee Solicitors' Society

Jan 14, 2019

The BTSS is an organisation focused on uniting junior lawyers in Birmingham. We are made up of over 360 Trainee Solicitors, Paralegals, Legal Assistants, NQs (up to 3 years) and Post-Graduate Law Students from across Birmingham and the West Midlands. Unlike other networking groups, the BTSS has been around for over 110 years. Our networking socials have proven to build long lasting relationships within the legal community and our links with non-lawyering groups such as BCASS mean we can help our members create important contacts and links for the future.

Every year we host joint NQ seminars with some of our sponsors. The NQ seminars are intended to inform our members about the NQ market and how to approach applications following completion of their training contracts. We also host (with recruiters) advice clinics and CV clinics which all tend to happen around January to March each year, in line with graduate and NQ recruitment. In addition, we put on events such ‘how to network’ and this year had Nick Davies as the guest speaker.

The BTSS organises a variety of social events throughout the year, usually taking place on the last Thursday or Friday of the month. This year our socials have included ‘Beer-TSS Pong’ at the Button Factory in Digbeth, Gin Tasting at the Alchemist, a Secret Garden Summer Party at Fazeley Studios, the New Intake Bar Crawl as well as many others. We also have the Annual Winter Ball every November - our biggest event of the year with over 300 people in attendance is! The Annual Ball is a chance for guests to get dressed up in black tie attire and party the night away to celebrate their hard work over the preceding year. It’s a huge success and always gets better and better each year. The 2018 theme is ‘Rio Carnival’.

It's not all socials though as members also get the chance to compete for the ‘Inter-Firm Sports Trophy’ or the IFST as it is more commonly known. The IFST is a tournament comprising six sports events that run from June to November each year. This year we have 18 law firms entered in the tournament, each competing to win that top spot and take home the Trophy at our Annual Winter Ball. A milestone for our committee this year is the introduction of Laser Tag and Virtual Racing. Other sports in the IFST include rounders, netball, football, dodgeball and bowling.

The best thing to do when moving to Birmingham as a new lawyer is joining the Birmingham Law Society initially and depending on level of qualification joining either the BTSS or the Birmingham Solicitors Group. These organisations host a variety of events each month and there’s always opportunities to extend your network as a result. It is a fantastic platform to start networking and have fun whilst doing it!

“I think that the social events are great, it’s a casual way to get to know other professionals who are at your level. It is also a good way to get to know how life is at other firms as speaking with a variety of juniors gives you a more realistic insight as to what life will be like at that firm for you.”

“The professional network in Birmingham City Centre is fantastic. You soon start to notice regulars, whether that be during lunch breaks or after work at the local bars. The legal market is very well connected and everyone seems to know everyone. As the City is big but still relatively small, it’s a great place to build your career and retain professional relationships.”

“BTSS helps to ensure that we network with other firms in our region.”

For all enquiries, please contact the Chair of BTSS, Jas Atwal. Jas can be contacted on the following email address: jas.atwal@anthonycollins.com

We have a blog that is updated once a month which can be found on our website: www.thebtss.co.uk

Twitter: @BTSSEvents

Instagram: @BTSS.events

LinkedIn: Birmingham Trainee Solicitors’ Society

Facebook: Birmingham Trainee Solicitors’ Society

Junior Lawyers Division