Bethany Milne

“I began my training contract at Anthony Collins in August 2023. Immediately before joining, I was on maternity leave with my first child. Anthony Collins values its employees and their lives outside of work and this flexibility and understanding has helped me in the transition to full-time work.

I decided I wanted to study law in my mid-teens following an inspirational talk at my youth group by the founder of Hope for Justice (an anti-trafficking organisation). The speaker encouraged us to combine our passion with qualifications if we wanted to make a difference in areas of injustice. It was this aspiration to ‘make a difference’ that inspired me to do a summer internship with the police in their trafficking department; work in the Crown Prosecution Service on the frontlines of injustice; and ultimately apply to work at Anthony Collins – a purpose-driven firm seeking to improve lives, community and society.

Having worked here for nearly a year now, I have seen firsthand how the work we do really does fulfil our purpose. I spent my first seat in the projects team carrying out non-contentious construction work. Through the drafting and reviewing of contracts, I was able to assist large social housing and healthcare providers in achieving their social purposes. My second seat was in the housing litigation team. This has given me great experience in contentious work and I have been able to draft witness statements, defences and help progress cases which have clear implications for individuals and communities. For example, a lot of the possession work we do for our social housing clients involves serious cases of anti-social behaviour by tenants. Helping bring about solutions for the landlord, improves the neighbourhood communities that have often had to live with extreme disruption for years. It also helps alleviate client resources so that they can continue to provide homes for the most vulnerable in society and give them a better service.

Not only is the work meaningful but the firm itself has a great culture and is supportive and inclusive. On my first day, a partner and head of department offered to make me a cup of tea! Throughout my training contract, I have felt valued as an employee who has a contribution to make. There really is no hierarchy but we all work together to achieve our purpose. I am grateful to be able to achieve my qualifications as a solicitor whilst making a difference.

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