Amalie Amundsen was a trainee at Svensson Nøkleby in 2022, and in 2023 she started as an associate. We asked her to share her experience as a trainee at Svensson Nøkleby and the advantages a traineeship brings.

What was it like being a trainee at Svensson Nøkleby?

I found it very exciting to gain insight into the working life of a lawyer or associate, and it was an educational break from my everyday studies. I got to try my hand at various tasks within several areas of law. One of the most exciting experiences was helping to prepare for a main hearing in the district court, which I also got to observe. During my traineeship, I had the opportunity to attend sessions in the District Court, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court!

What was your first impression of Svensson Nøkleby?

My first impression was very positive, and I felt warmly welcomed. I also noticed that the lawyers were excellent at utilizing each other's expertise, frequently consulting with one another to discuss legal issues.

What do you consider to be the greatest benefit of completing a traineeship?

The traineeship was educational in many ways. I gained a completely different understanding of the law after seeing the issues in practice. For example, experiencing a main hearing was entirely different from reading about the process in textbooks. Overall, I think the traineeship provided me with a broader understanding beyond the specific tasks I was given, and that understanding was valuable throughout the rest of my studies.

What did you appreciate most during your traineeship?

I greatly appreciated having a mentor who closely followed my progress throughout the program. There were several associates and lawyers of the same age, which made it easy to integrate into the environment quickly. The work assignments were varied, and the workload was manageable, allowing me sufficient time to complete the tasks. In one of the assignments within an area of law I found exciting, I encountered an issue that I ended up using as inspiration for my master's thesis.

What was it like to start as an associate after being a trainee?

I found it very beneficial to have some practical experience before starting my job as an associate. The transition from study to work was smoother since I was already familiar with the firm's working methods. Additionally, it was a social advantage, as I already knew several of the employees.