We believe that exceptional legal training is built on real-world experience. For our trainees and newly qualified solicitors, secondments offer a valuable opportunity to step outside private practice and gain first-hand insight into legal work from a client’s perspective. As part of this commitment, we recently participated in a secondment swap with the Vale of Glamorgan Council, an initiative designed not only to enrich the experience of the solicitors involved, but also to strengthen our working relationship with the client through shared insight and collaboration.
Elizabeth Godfrey, a solicitor in our Employment & HR Services team, recently completed her side of the secondment swap with the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Legal Services Team alongside her colleague Bethan Edwards. Over the course of the week, Elizabeth and Bethan were immersed in a wide range of work, collaborating with legal professionals across multiple disciplines whilst gaining a deeper understanding of how legal services operate within a public sector environment.
Commenting on her secondment experience, Elizabeth said:
“I was keen to participate in a secondment as I wanted to gain an understanding of how local authorities operate from an in-house legal perspective, particularly the internal processes, governance structures, and constraints that shape decision-making. I also wanted to better appreciate the practical and political context in which local authority lawyers work, and how this differs from private practice. More broadly, I hoped to strengthen relationships with the Vale’s Legal Services team and gain insight that would help me better support our public sector clients in the future.”
Through this experience, Elizabeth developed a more nuanced appreciation of the challenges faced by in-house teams, from balancing legal risk with practical delivery to operating within budgetary and governance constraints. The secondment also enabled her to compare approaches to legal issues across private practice and in-house settings, strengthening her ability to deliver informed, client-focused advice.
Elizabeth continued to say:
“The secondment has enhanced my ability to support our public sector clients by giving me a more informed and empathetic understanding of their environment and priorities. My favourite part was the opportunity to meet and engage with a wide range of people across the Legal Services team. Everyone was generous with their time and open in sharing their experiences, which made the secondment both informative and enjoyable. Building those connections and gaining a better understanding of how we may work together in the future was particularly rewarding. Overall, the experience has enhanced my ability to support our public sector clients by giving me a more informed and empathetic understanding of their environment and priorities.”
As part of this secondment swap, we were also pleased to welcome Joseph Rogers, a Solicitor at the Vale of Glamorgan Council, to our Cardiff Headquarters for a weeklong placement with our Employment team.
Commenting on his experience, Joseph said:
“Having trained in-house at Vale of Glamorgan Council, I was keen to gain a clearer understanding of how private practice operates and how advice is delivered to clients.
During the week, I was involved in a wide range of activities. I observed a Social Care Wales interim order hearing, which gave me a valuable understanding of the legal framework governing the process and the range of disposals available to an Interim Order Panel. I also had the opportunity to watch Amy Carter prepare for and conduct a preliminary hearing with great skill. While I have extensive advocacy experience in the County Court and Magistrates’ Court, I have had limited exposure to Employment Tribunal advocacy, so observing the structure and conduct of an effective preliminary hearing was particularly useful for me.
One of the most insightful aspects of the week was spending time with Louise Price. Her depth of knowledge and experience in employment law made it especially valuable to see how she approaches complex areas of law like TUPE and how she advises clients on a variety of scenarios. This experience has equipped me with knowledge and techniques that will assist me in managing and progressing cases more efficiently in the future.”
Experiences like these highlight the mutual value created through secondment swaps, offering fresh perspectives, strengthening collaboration, and enhancing the way we support our clients. By encouraging knowledge-sharing between private practice and in-house teams, we continue to build stronger, more aligned relationships that benefit both our people and those we work with.
Reflecting on the secondment swap and the valuable learning opportunities it provided, Louise Price, Partner and Head of Employment and HR Services, said:
“It was excellent to see our solicitors take part in this secondment with the Vale of Glamorgan Council, and equally a pleasure to welcome Joseph to the firm during his placement with our team. Experiences like this build valuable insight into the challenges faced by public sector employers and strengthen the advice we provide to our clients. Both Beth and Elizabeth represented the firm extremely well, and we’re very pleased with the contribution they made.”
Together, initiatives like this demonstrate how secondment swaps can go beyond individual development, creating lasting impact for our people, our clients and the way we work together.
