Vacation Scheme Participant Review

I really loved my time spent at DLA Piper! Three weeks was the perfect amount of time to gain a really thorough insight into the culture and working atmosphere at the firm. I had the opportunity to spend the first several days at the London office with all other 89 interns, followed by the reminder of the programme in the Manchester office, which was a great office to be based in!

I felt very well valued and I was made to feel as part of the team! As I had the opportunity to work on live projects, I was contributing to the team and therefore, felt like a valued member. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to attend training sessions, networking sessions and to attend court.

There was plenty of support and guidance on this vacation scheme, with support particularly given by my line manger. Whilst I had amble support and guidance, I also had the opportunity to work independently and prove my worth at the firm. Furthermore, I found the Graduate Recruitment Team particularly supportive during my time at DLA Piper.

Very much so! My time spent at DLA has taught me so much vital information about pursing a career in law and I believe this information will be invaluable in the future. Furthermore, I learned more in a few weeks about commercial law than I did during my time at Uni.

This vacation scheme was fantastically structured, beginning with a UK wide induction at the London office followed by a 2 week work placement at our chosen office (I chose the Manchester office). The Graduate Recruitment Team stayed in contact throughout and my team made sure I got the most out the vacation scheme!

I really enjoyed the atmosphere at DLA Piper! I really felt at home with DLA Piper team and everyone from the CEO to trainees and all support staff were respectful and just really friendly. It felt like a massive team effort at every level, and it was wonderful atmosphere to be a part of.

DLA Piper invested a great deal into this programme and we were provided with professional skills training sessions during the first week. I personally found these to be very beneficial. All of the social events, project work, and activities were aimed at our personal development and I got a lot out of this vacation scheme!

This vacation scheme helped me to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the firm. As the work I was completing was genuinely of use to the firm and similar to the work trainees undertake, I got a good insight into what it would be like to be a trainee at DLA Piper.

As of all the events and interaction were with a wide variety of people, I had the best possible exposure to the firm and the culture. I felt like I truly understood the firm after I had finished the placement. The best thing was being able to organise meetings with members of staff (informally) in order to question them and learn about their lives at the firm.

The content and activities were very valuable. I got involved with some good live work when at the firm, and naturally had to work with different members of the teams to get things done. I also sat in on client calls and conference calls and so the overall exposure I received helped me a lot in confirming that a career in the law was for me.

I was paid a very competitive salary for my time spent at DLA Piper.

There were plenty of opportunities for networking and meeting a diverse range of employees from the firm. The first four days of the internship in London were dedicated to networking and engaging with presentations from very senior members of the firm. Also, whilst in London we were taken to dinner which was attended by partners of the firm, which was a fantastic opportunity to ask questions in a relaxed environment. In the Manchester office, we also had a dinner with partners of the firm and on the first evening the office put on a barbecue on the balcony.

I really enjoyed the networking and social events at DLA Piper!

Yes, there are plenty of sport teams to join as well as various network groups.

Yes, I would absolutely recommend this insight to a friend!