Jonathan Young LLB (Maritime Law)

Trainee Solicitor at Ince & Co (September 2017 intake)

Ince & Co’s largest practices are shipping, insurance, energy, international trade, and aviation but there are no rigid departmental structures.

My academic background gave me a distinct advantage when applying for the training contract at Ince & Co, which is recognised globally for their expertise in maritime law.

Trainees are encouraged to approach partners and get involved in all aspects of the practice areas throughout the training contract.

The areas themselves are broad, for example shipping law can involve anything from the financing of a vessel to advising on a collision at sea.

Trainees are expected to take on real responsibility early on. We can be working on different matters at the same time, contentious and non-contentious and can be running our own cases within a supportive environment.

How/why did you get into that role?

I had not secured a training contract when I graduated from Southampton in 2014. However, I wanted to utilise the knowledge I gained from the Maritime Law LLB and took a role as a Compliance Analyst for an American oil trading company, and later as a Contracts Analyst for the same company. It was during this time I gained an understanding and interest for energy and international commodities trading.

In July 2016, I completed the two-week vacation scheme at Ince & Co. During the scheme, I had the opportunity to complete a wide variety of tasks including drafting a letter of claim, discrete research and marketing tasks. After a successful interview at the end of the vacation scheme, I was offered the training contract.

What is interesting/unique about it?

With a small annual intake of ten, the trainees play a vital role in the success of the firm.

The training contract itself is unique as there's a lot of fluidity between practice groups, and work flows freely to trainees from various departments in each seat. We are physically sat in one group but are encouraged to get work from anywhere. The benefit of this is that if we're enjoying working for one department we don't have to hand our cases back when moving seats.

How did studying at UoS Law School prepare you for your role?

Studying the Maritime Law LLB gave me a deep insight into the shipping market and developed my understanding of contract-based maritime law with an international aspect.

My academic background gave me a distinct advantage when applying for the training contract at Ince & Co, which is recognised globally for their expertise in maritime law.

Has studying Law helped to shape your thinking and attitude to life?

Studying Law was a steep learning curve for me and academically challenging. I learnt quickly that commitment and perseverance were essential to achieving my goals and this is something I carry with me today. This attitude helped me whilst applying for training contracts, which included rejections and step-backs. However, achieving a 2.1 at university gave me the self-confidence needed to motivate me throughout this time.

Can you say why studying at Southampton was special? Did you create a network of friends for life or meet an amazing lifelong mentor?

What really got me through the more difficult periods of study was sharing my experience with the friends I made on the course and relying on each other for support. Surprisingly, I now look back on those times as the most positive throughout my time at Southampton because of the people in them and the challenges we overcame together.

Three years at university is not long at all, but it is during this period that I believe we do the most growing-up. I graduated from Southampton with not only my degree, but also as a more confident and mature person.