The Trainee of the Year category is always a tough one to judge as there are always many dedicated and dynamic trainees keen to make their impression on a firm. However, this year’s panel were unanimous in their praise and respect for Audrey Dishington of Pagan Osborne.
Divorced mother of three Audrey has been with the firm of Pagan Osborne for ten years, initially working in the lettings department before going on to undertake the Law Society of Scotland exams while still working. Audrey then completed her Diploma and returned to Pagan Osborne to begin her traineeship.
While Audrey admits that her journey to this point has been very tough at times, she acknowledges that it has been intensely rewarding and she remains grateful to the firm of Pagan Osborne for not only being flexible enough to allow her to pursuer her goal of becoming a lawyer, but simply for believing in her during the process.
That belief is now already being paid back in spades as Audrey has implemented a number of practical changes, which aim to make the day-to-day experience of clients and staff at the firm even more enjoyable.
Since her arrival back at Pagan Osborne Audrey has worked closely with the Human Resources Manager to devise a trainee induction process. Audrey went on to co-host the three-day induction event and she is also planning a training event in which managers can receive training in how to get the best from their trainees. Who better to provide that than a trainee? She was also involved in the induction of the Family Law team that joined the firm in October 2006 from Mowat Hall Dick.
Throughout her traineeship Audrey has been highly proactive and has identified potential areas for improvement within the firm. This has seen her compile a detailed paper on improvements in the Wills and Incapacity Team, suggesting practical steps that could be taken to allow the development of the paperless office in the Will and Incapacity Team and developing practical measures that could be taken to maximise storage within the firm.
The judges concluded that Audrey is clearly determined to succeed and has already made herself an invaluable member of the team, so much so that she has already secured herself a full time job on qualifying. No doubt, Audrey will be a contender in the Up and Coming Lawyer of the Year category too.