As a host of new trainees join law firms this autumn, someone ought to warn them of the drink-related dangers they face in the run up to Christmas. Aside from all the usual ones that is. So here we go: Warning – Danger of Drinking Related Foolishness That No-one Will Forget Even if You Turn Out to be a Great Lawyer.

As far as office boozing goes, this first quarter of professional life is almost certainly the heaviest patch one has to deal with. On top of all the client doos; office, department and team drinks and Christmas versions of the same, the newest recruits face the additional burden of the rounds of getting to know each other sessions and various trainee networking evenings parties.

But proving what a bad idea it is to seize such opportunities to live it up to the max on free/subsidised alcohol here’s an example of the worst kind of drunken behaviour from the The Mail :

A financier who sexually assaulted a woman at a work party was jailed for 30 months yesterday.

Investment consultant Justin von Tunzelman groped and stripped the 29-year-old after she had passed out after drinking at least ten cocktails at a free function in a London pub.

Judge Stephen Robbins said: ‘This case illustrates only too clearly the dangers of office binge drinking.’

Now we’re not suggesting that anyone will do anything that bad (although it is possible clearly) but there are many forms of inappropriate behaviour that might not get you jail time. And what they could do is make office life very uncomfortable for the next week or two basically until the next drunken fool takes the limelight away.

So don’t say you weren’t warned (but do tip us off if you hear of any naughtiness obviously).

Judge warns of dangers of ‘office binge drinking’ as he jails financier for groping comatose woman at office cocktail party [The Mail]