Insight Participant Review

I really enjoyed this insight programme. It gave a good overview as to the experience of a trainee lawyer, coupled with talks from partners from the firm. There were a number of workshops for commercial awareness and employability. By the end of the programme we were sad it was over.

Everyone who was at the insight programme was really friendly, the partners, the recruitment team and the other participants. There were many opportunities to ask questions and give our opinion, and we were made to feel valued by the people we spoke to. The trainees were happy to answer any questions we had.

There were lots of opportunities to ask trainees and partners questions, so there was a lot of guidance available. There was not a lot of individual support but there were 80 of us so this would not have been feasible. Financial support was provided as the firm paid for my train and hotel.

The skills I developed from this programme will assist me in my career planning and development, not so much in my studies. However I would rather it was this way round as the main reason I came to this programme was to have an insight into a commercial law firm.

There was a clear structure to each day and we were informed what we would be doing at the beginning of the programme when we were provided with an itinerary. This meant that we knew exactly what we were doing at what time and who would be leading the session.

The general atmosphere was great. Everyone was very friendly including the other participants. The long days meant that we were tired by the end of the day but this was so that DLA Piper could fit a lot in, so it was worth it in the end even if we were tired.

As it was merely an insight programme, there were not many opportunities for personal training and personal developments for DLA Piper to personally invest in us, the participants. However, they made it clear that we would be really invested in as a trainee at this firm which was very encouraging.

Both trainees and partners spoke to us a lot and we had many networking events. These opportunities meant we could learn a lot about everyday life as a trainee at this firm, and then further on as a senior associate or partner. This was extremely useful for us as participants.

Everyone at the programme was really friendly and emphasised that this friendly atmosphere continued on when we moved further along our career path, so when (hopefully!) we successfully complete our vacation schemes. We were shown how our work as trainees would complement work done by associates and partners which was useful.

As everyone at the programme showed us various ways to qualify to work at DLA Piper, it meant we did not feel that there was a certain route we have to follow in order to work here. We were told a lot about different routes taken by partners here which helped.

DLA Piper reimbursed my expenses for both my train fare and my hotel. A lot of the participants stayed in the hotel, and the hotel was nice so it was great to mingle with the other participants. This was well organised by DLA Piper and good of them to reimburse.

There were absolutely tonnes of opportunities to network with trainees, associates, partners and the recruitment team and they gave lots of advice on how to get further up in the legal profession, both at DLA Piper and elsewhere. They also gave advice on how to stand out on vacation schemes.

As previously, we were given many opportunities to meet employees of the firm and they gave lots of advice on how to get further up in the legal profession, both at DLA Piper and elsewhere. They also gave advice on how to stand out on vacation schemes. These opportunities were at meals and in the firm.

No, we didn't find out about many activities employees can get involved in outside of work. We learnt that the trainees have a big social circle and all hang out after work with each other, and do activities for charities like bike rides and fundraisers for charities which was good to know.

I would definitely recommend this insight to a friend. This experience gave me a good insight on the day to day running of DLA Piper, how to improve my CV, key skills I would need and how to improve my commercial awareness and negotiation skills. I had a great time.