Summer Intern Review

I absolutely loved the insight I received throughout the internship. The most fulfilling part of it was the level of commitment Grad Rec had when designing the program to ensure that we received the largest spread of knowledge we could receive. We had regular Practice Group Insight sessions from partners in various offices (including Hong Kong!) who gave detailed breakdowns of their roles and groups.

Having experienced the working culture in the UAE, it was an absolute pleasure to see how much partners at the very high end of the pole appreciate and value interns who have not even secured a job at the firm. I think this shows the lengths the firm goes to show how much they value us. I also got to experience what it was like being valued personally while I worked in various departments which was lovely.

I received a lot of guidance and support during my internship. Grad Rec, legal directors, associates and trainees all made clear that their doors were always open for any queries whatsoever. The only barrier to receiving support was myself, in terms of actually going ahead and asking for it. DLA has made it clear that they have an open door policy and it was here to stay.

I personally believe that the skills I developed will help me accomplish a lot of my goals ahead. The key skill I learnt was how to network with people at various stages in their career. Having the confidence to go up to someone and talk to them was a bit nerve-wrecking at first, but I feel that I have become so comfortable with doing it now that I might be doing it too much!

The internship was incredibly well structured! Having a first week in London with talks from really incredible partners was so valuable for the rest of the internship. Grad Rec did a phenomenal job with making sure we had enough breaks to network and have a breather at exactly the right moments. I never felt over-whelmed or over-worked which I think is a really impressive ability as it shows how they were able to balance providing insight as well as allowing us enough time to digest it.

The general atmosphere throughout the internship varied at different stages. It never stayed the same, especially due to the change in locations which made sure we were always on our toes. The first week was filled with excitement and nerves, and this both slowly faded until it was replaced by curiosity and intrigue as we learnt more about the firm. While the excitement fluctuated throughout the internship, the apprehension of the final day when we hear if we get the job only grew.

The firm invested a lot of time and money into my development. This was impressive, especially given that we were in the firm for just 3 weeks. Grad Rec ensured we received the best possible training they could provide us and I found it incredibly helpful as it genuinely helped me develop my skills.

The firm ensured that everyone in the offices understood that the interns were coming to the office to experience what it is like to be part of the firm. As a result, everyone invited us with open arms. From the little things like being invited to come along for the weekly tag-rugby games to the people at the cafeteria remembering our names, it was a pleasure to learn what it was like to work full time in this firm.

The insight was very helpful in understanding the company culture as Grad Rec did it's best to ensure we received as many opportunities as possible to get our faces around and network as much as we could. As a result, I really appreciated every opportunity I had to learn more about DLA Piper.

The content of my day to day tasks was really helpful in helping me decide on my career path because I was able to ask myself if I could see myself working in a firm like this doing the type of work I was doing everyday. And I loved it!

Definitely paid well, though we had to get our own accommodation which ate up some of the money we received.

There was every possible opportunity to network and meet other employees in the firm. When we weren't doing work or having talks, Grad Rec made sure they were able to fit in as many opportunities for us to network with trainees as much as possible. The best example was having trainees come talk to us during our breaks in between talks in London.

Grad Rec loved networking and social events! And they did them really well! They organised some incredible dinners and networking events!

We were always invited to external events whenever they came about.

I definitely would, but I would also wish them the best of luck because it is incredibly hard to get in!