Four aspiring lawyers have joined the two-year legal trainee programme in the Bermuda office of international law firm Appleby.Ashley Bento, Amber Farrington, Kier James and Monica Kelly join the programme, which involves being Called to the Bermuda Bar and completing four, six-month seats in various practice groups including the corporate, dispute resolution and private client and trusts departments in Bermuda. The goal of the programme is to provide trainees with a thorough legal foundation and expose them to a variety of practice areas, helping them identify the areas they may wish to specialise in, the firm said. Each trainee is assigned a senior attorney, often a partner, as a mentor in every seat throughout the two years. Ms Bento obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Greenwich in London in 2018, graduating with first class honours, before completing the legal practice course at BPP University in London Holborn. In 2016, she received a bursary from Appleby and in 2018, received the firm’s legal education award and training contract. Ms Bento said: “My experience working as a legal student with Appleby was incredibly rewarding as I was able to experience the firm’s inviting work environment that I heard so much about. With commencing my pupillage with Appleby, I am striving to hone the skills and knowledge achieved throughout my various seats to be able to contribute to Bermuda’s legal community in the future.”Ms Farrington obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Bristol in 2018. She completed the legal practice course at the University of Law in London Bloomsbury. Ms Farrington was a summer student at Appleby in 2017 and 2018.She said: “Appleby felt like the right match for me even before starting. In 2016, I attended an Appleby networking event and was warmly welcomed.” In 2017, Ms Farrington received the legal education award and training contract which she says “sealed the deal” for her. She also represented the firm in the Hector Barcilon Memorial Moot mock trial, which her team won. Ms Farrington said: “My career goal for the next two years during my pupillage is to embrace every seat and opportunity. I am excited to get a flavour of each department so I can make an informed decision about which area(s) of law to practice.” Mr James obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of London in 2014 before completing the legal practice course at the University of Law in London. Prior to his legal studies, he pursued a doctor of philosophy degree in biophysics and biotechnology at the University of Leeds. Upon completion of his research, Mr James entered the reinsurance industry where he held analytics positions over a period of ten years. He also has an advanced diploma in insurance and the CISI diploma in commodity derivatives. Given the opportunity to pursue a training contract with Appleby, Mr James said: “I didn’t hesitate to take the opportunity due to the exceptional reputation the firm has and the opportunity to learn from experienced and accomplished lawyers. “During my pupillage I intend on relishing every opportunity that Appleby provides. This I hope will place me in the best possible position to decide which specialism I would like to practice.” Ms Kelly obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Kent in Canterbury, Kent in 2017 before completing the legal practice course at the University of Law in London Bloomsbury. She received Appleby’s legal education award in 2018. Ms Kelly said: “I had the privilege of working at Appleby as a summer student and as a legal intern in the corporate and compliance teams respectively, where I was exposed to an array of tasks. “These experiences helped to equip me with the tools necessary to successfully complete my legal practice course. I am very much looking forward to continuing my legal career with Appleby so that I can continue to develop new skills and be a benefit not only to the firm but to the overall legal community as well.” Tim Faries, Bermuda managing partner, said: “Our trainee programme has proven to be highly successful over the years with attorneys going on to practice in all areas of the firm, in a variety of different specialisms. We are delighted to have Ashley, Amber, Kier and Monica join our team and look forward to watching them grow.”