First year insight student Review

I found the insight scheme very enjoyable. There was a good mix between social/networking activities and work based tasks and as a result the scheme was both engaging and informative. The escape room and meal on the Wednesday evening was particularly enjoyable and a good way to meet the other people on the scheme.

I felt very valued whilst at the firm by everyone from partners to canteen staff. All the employees were more than happy to answer questions and I felt particularly valued during the talk with partner Sunny Mann as he took time out of his very busy schedule to speak to us.

There was a good amount of support offered at the placement. During the presentation task a trainee guided each group to ensure they knew what they were doing, however, the trainee did not get over involved and allowed us to make our own decisions. Similarly, whilst shadowing a trainee on the second day I was given plenty of support but was still given the freedom to make my own decisions.

I feel like the skills I learnt will not be of much use in my legal studies but will be very valuable when writing future applications and ultimately when beginning a career in the legal profession. This is because the bulk of the placement was based on the practical application of the law and thus it will be more useful in a future career than current studies.

The insight was well structured. The first day was based on networking and learning more about the firm whereas on the second day I shadowed a trainee. This was a good structure because it allowed me to understand the firm and the skills needed to succeed on the first day and then put what I had learnt on the first day into practice on the second day.

The atmosphere was very friendly throughout the whole placement, everyone was very helpful and everyone was more than happy to help and give advise. In addition to the friendly atmosphere, the firm and employees were also professional - allowing me to experience a processional working environment.

The firm gave a reasonable amount of training however due to the short duration of the placement there was only limited time for training. A particularly useful element of the training was the networking skills session which gave me skills which I will use in the future.

The insight gave me a good representation of what it is like to work in the firm. The opportunity to shadow a trainee allowed me to experience a day in the life of a trainee and also take part in some of the work the trainees do. In addition to this, the staff were honest about the working hours and work life balance.

There was significant emphasis on the culture of Baker Mckenzie during the scheme and the staff were keen to demonstrate that the firm was a diverse and welcoming working environment.

The content of the scheme confirmed that I wanted to pursue a job in a city law firm as my future career. The opportunity to shadow a trainee allowed me to have a realistic insight into the type of work carried out in such firms and it was very interesting.

I was reimbursed for my travel.

There were plenty of opportunities for networking and meeting employees whilst at Baker Mckenzie. On the first day there was the opportunity to speak with a partner at the firm and this was followed by a networking lunch with trainees and graduate recruiters. On the second day, shadowing the trainee gave plenty of opportunity to speak to employees at the firm.

There was a networking lunch on the first day. In the evening of day 1 there was a large amount of socialising because the group took part in an escape room and then we went out for dinner at a restaurant.

The firm stressed the opportunity to participate in pro bono work, in addition to this a trainee told me about the different sports teams at the firm and the social activities which this offered.

Yes, the insight was well run and there was a good mix of work and networking. Everyone at the firm was friendly and welcoming.