City law firm lets top staff go part-time to boost role of women

[Stix Chix]

mentions Chelsy....

City law firm lets top staff go part-time to boost role of women--This is London

[wannabe]

Yet anoter article confirming she's taking a Gap year. 

[Ursula]

Yup!   

"In September Prince Harry's Zimbabwean girlfriend Chelsy Davy is set to begin training at Allen & Overy. The 24-year-old was due to take up her post last September but deferred her start date so she could travel the world."

[gec]

Probably a good idea to travel now. I wouldn't imagine there would be much time for it once you got started there, judging by the hours discussed in the article.

[wannabe]

You must be kidding.  When she starts, they are stating, afirming that A&O have for females half time. Or full time with almost 60 days of vacation  

She took the lazy choice, travel = gap year = fun (some say experience in what exactly), whereas could have worked for real = pro bono = law career.

[gec]

Interesting. Uni friends from both UK and Australia work at these type of law firms. The hours are crazy. The main reason being that the level of partner is offered (to experienced members of staff), but they have to pay to get to this level, through their clients. So the graduate staff work horrific hours in their departments to allow for their superiors career progression to take shape.

I'm not sure if you work in the legal area, because I do not. So your knowledge of it might be more accurate if you are employed in this industry.

Out of the 13 friends in the legal field, none work less than 60 hours a week. Anecdotal evidence is where I am drawing my conclusions from.

If the hours are equivalent to at least two full time jobs, then for OH&S reasons, the holidays should be longer too.

I believe the part time work (4 days a week) in the article was referring to female partners. Chelsy is a long way off this level. While it does state the flextime has been available to lower down staff, it doesn't detail the particulars, which in reality may not be so "flexible".

[someonewholovesharry]

I can't get the idea of it...  

[wannabe]

She's in for Corporate Law...so as we are told.  Her choosing the gap year is also very telling.

I'm sure her contact book will take her to partnership faster than any other lawyer (if she really will and wants to be a career lawyer).  A friend where I live changed firm and took the entire petroleum industry to the new firm, with her other lawyers followed suit.

[gec]

My understanding was that deferment payments were offered. If she is to take this career path seriously then a gap year isn't such a bad thing. She/anyone will never have time off like for quite some time when developing a career. It will be the last opportunity for a while to live without constraints and will hopefully limit any burnout which can occur in the early years.

Contacts will take her only so far. Showing a strong work ethic will be required to take her the distance. Whether or not she has that, we will have to wait and see.

Your friend, illustrates perfectly where hard work will get someone. Other lawyers would not have followed if this person did not dislay exceptional work ethic, dedication and ambition.

[wannabe]

2 options where offered: deferment (bursary) = gap year or pro bono = law career. The later IMO = experience  

Actually my friend is very well known in Society - name dropping and influence is the real deal - she did move from one magic circle law firm to another magic cirle law firm. She does normal working hours. If she ever had done extra hours (60 = 12 hours a day or 80 = 16 hours a day / a week) I doubt we'd ever see each other - sleep it out during the weekend  

Partnership is equal to the size of the company you bring in to the firm, which would equal paying your way up.

[gec]

Totally agree, wannabe, law is a body contact sport where connections are vital. But if you have no idea about the law and daddy got you there, you aren't going to move very far long term.

Interesting experience that your friend has. Is she very very very high up?

Being at a similar life stage as Chelsy, I understand her wanting a break. I've done undergrad, including studying overseas and have completed post grad at the end of last year. And let me tell you, I am exhausted. I need a break. And this stage of life is the best time to take it, before your career dominates.

I don't want to risk burning out in a few years like I have seen so many others do. It's unhealthy to demand too much of yourself when live is changing. The transition from study to work is a challenging time and a break is healthy. 

I would be very interested to hear your background, wannabe. Please PM me!

[wannabe]

Yes she is very very high up, her daddy too

Anyway inside a firm, is like inside any other company - its a pyramid and each person has their functions/responsibilities - now a days a company where a majority of its employees work the normal hours means the company is functioning as it should.  Instead if the majority work extra hours - then there is something not functioning well in the methodology. I have seen big firms hiring when partners bring in more business...there is no need for extra hours really.

I studied uni in the States, actually living in South America and working for the government/Ministry (Department). Used to be an athlete (through sports I got my uni scholarship), sports woman for the National Selection team of my country, did professional sport, then progressed to be a trainer, team manager parallel to working as a business admin grad. Its rewarding here to be bilingual, trilingual...

I'll be back on topic now, sorry folks. 

[gec]

Thanks for sharing! You have some very interesting experiences!

[wannabe]

Yes, I'll PM later (having my 2nd cup of morning coffee). Will be gone to the beach after lunch, back late evening tomorrow or monday - got plenty of kids - teaching them some healthy, fun and good sport 

Now really back on topic, I was thinking she MAY make use of her travel, really depends on what she will do during her visits.

[someonewholovesharry]

I can't get the idea of it...  

[wannabe]

Can't get the idea of her Future work in A&O or can't get the idea during her gap year?

Anyway, I foresee the press (via the paparazzi) taking shots of her when she is partying or at the beach in Australia, Asia (Thailand perhaps) and so on....

[anitalalala]

If she is to take this career path seriously then a gap year isn't such a bad thing.

Being at a similar life stage as Chelsy, I understand her wanting a break. I've done undergrad, including studying overseas and have completed post grad at the end of last year. And let me tell you, I am exhausted. I need a break. And this stage of life is the best time to take it, before your career dominates.

I don't want to risk burning out in a few years like I have seen so many others do. It's unhealthy to demand too much of yourself when live is changing. The transition from study to work is a challenging time and a break is healthy.

I share the same view...i mean this is a unique chance she have..coz once she starts things will get crazy...and i dont think is a bad idea i mean once the firm have given her and others the chance to take a break before things start for sure...i guess she made the right choice then if thats what she wanted...
And i guess it was...coz aparentlly shes been studying without stoping for years..so i guess a rest is very well deserved..
And nothing to deal with nothing  
But i also the to believe that maybe this thing has much to deal with world cup in south africa...it might not be a big deal for some people but im sure that being a south african it must be for her..i guess..
Im brasillian and soccer here is a nation obssession..the world cup will be in 2014 and thats all people talk about today!!!
So imagine how things are there in south africa where the cup will happen in june!!!!
Its the biggest event that ever happenned over there and maybe she aproached the oportunity of taking such time off to be there in her country living this especial moment with her people.Coz it will be once in a lifetime.

All supositions of course....i dont even know if shes actually a fan of soccer  

But it makes sense to me believe in such things..and if its true then i see its a completlly normal thing...
i mean for people from other continents it must be something normal to have olimpics and world cups..
but is the fisrt time some event of this magnitude will take place in africa so its absolutlly diferent..and if the feeling that theyre haveing there is the same that we have here than i totally understand if she wanted to be part of it...coz im very excited about having a world cup in my country/continent also...for the first time in south america!!!!...Others who are used tio have such events taking place in theyre continents mught not understant..but to people who have it for the first time its something very serious and big to us!!!!
And I assume it might be for the africans as well...and for chelsy also...
Who knows...

[wannabe]

During University years, she has about 5 months of vacation between summer and winter...

Another gap year sounds lazy IMO.

[anitalalala]

I think ure being to critical wannabe..i dont think it sounds lazy...
I mean iof she has such oportunitty why not take the time off???
I find it completlly normal if the oportunity is being given to her and completlly comprehensible once she passed the last 2 years and some months away from homes, familly and friends..and even have winter/summer vacations she must be exausted as well...
And i also believe its very inteligent of her to take such oportunity and time to get ready for starting her professional life with all energy and focus!!!
Its always freat to take time off coz u come back recharged and with new ideas...if the firm is given students such oportunitys is  something that should be aproached i think....

[wannabe]

Its normal for all uni students the about 5 months off every uni year.  Not everyone has 2 gap years in their lifetime holidaying in nice spots around the planet, rather most of the people have to work, exhausted or not.  She is one lucky lady.

I'd still have taken the option of pro bono if I were serious about law career. It opens more windows in meeting people at the right places (organizations, companies, government) that A&O have in their portfolio.

[Hale]

"In September Prince Harry's Zimbabwean girlfriend Chelsy Davy is set to begin training at Allen & Overy. The 24-year-old was due to take up her post last September but deferred her start date so she could travel the world."

Thanks for posting the article Stix Chix, but I think This is London has it wrong.  We know Chesly did not defer last September because she has been doing her LPC exams in London.  My guess is she shall defer this year in Summer at the end of the Uni year.    

As we all know the reason A&O are offering cash incentives to defer for there new incoming staff is because of the recession.  They simply do not have enough work in the present climate and they have already laid off some of their staff.   When you consider the starting salary is £30,000, it is better to defer and offer some cash incentives because it saves them money in the long term.  

[mousie_kins]

True Hale

Plus for those saying it is a 2nd Gap Year. The reason she had time off earlier was because SA Universities finish in Jan/Feb so she had several months to wait before she could start at Leeds. Also can we not bash Chelsy for what she may do on her supposed gap year before it has even started. 

[Ursula]

It's not what she will do, it's the fact that she opted to take one by deferring.  It was a choice, not a requirement.   

[Hale]

Actually Ursula, in fairness to Chelsy I do not think it was a choice, and believe me anyone will tell you here I am no fan of Chelsy.  The thing was A&O have laid off several people, they were bound by contract I assume to take on their new influx of trainee solicitors, but it was cost effective for them to encourage deferrals.  I think I read that they are giving cash incentives of as much as £3000. Well when you consider that the starting salary is £30,000 it doesn't take a genius to work out that A&O are better off.

[Ursula]

Hale, I understand the math and the benefits for A&O, yes, but I know an article posted in one of these threads was clear about it being optional.  I think this is just one more way for her to delay adulthood.