Intern Review

The 3 week vacation scheme was well-balanced in terms of exposure and time spent in the practice areas and professional skills development. We had a one week induction with all intern across the different regional offices in London which was really useful in getting to know everyone on the scheme. I really enjoyed myself and got to meet some of the nicest people at the scheme.

The workshops in the first week evidenced how much DLA Piper invested in us. The various international group heads and even the Global Co Chairman Simon Levine was invited to introduce us to the firm. We regularly interacted with partners and associates and trainees across all events, even in our day-to-day tasks. It was really fulfilling to interact with everyone from the company even the secretaries and have everyone welcome us and be so patient with us.

The support from graduate recruitment and everyone working at DLA Piper was more than what I expected. It was never hard to ask for help, be it a secretary or a partner. It was easy to just speak to a partner and ask them for coffee to ask for some guidance on a career at the firm or in the legal industry itself. It was very obvious that everyone cares about you as a student and potential lawyer more than just trying to convince you to stay at the firm. Most important of all, everyone consistently told us to not stress about getting a TC and just enjoy our time here and learn as much as possible, which I found really reassuring.

The professional skills workshop from induction week was really useful in helping me develop lifelong networking skills. I really enjoyed that as I think I became more relaxed and comfortable with the idea of approaching a partner I'm unfamiliar with after. The practical legal skills such as using Companies House, creating Condition Precedent checklists would be very useful as a future trainee. But more importantly, my overall skills in interacting with a team, being positive and just being communicative to those around me have really strengthened over my time at DLA Piper and Im excited to see it carry forth into the other internships I will be doing this summer.

The insight was well structured with enough workshops, enough introductory talks into the different practice groups, enough social events, enough time to manage on your own to coffee chat a partner or even just do your work. The group project was also a crucial aspect of the vacation scheme which took up quite a bit of time such that we were always doing work of some sort.

The general atmosphere was always informal with no tension or discomfort. Everyone is really friendly and willing to help. Associates come up to you to chat about your experience so far and I genuinely enjoyed interacting with all members of the law firm over my time here. The interns had lunch together at the cafeteria (which had great food) because we had a lunch allowance which was really good.

We had a professional skills workshop and numerous other workshops like getting to know the practice groups etc. Everyone at the firm took time to get to know us and teach us stuff about the actual law. It was really helpful and we had access to the firm's Fusionpage.

Trainees gave us tasks that they do regularly so in some way it helped us understand the tasks that we would do if we became trainees.

Very good. We interacted a lot with everyone at the firm in our own capacity and got to know the culture mostly through its people.

Super helpful. I think it made me know that I would like to pursue a career at a firm like DLA Piper but not so much the general legal industry because everything I learned was relevant to and catered towards the firm.

We were paid 300£ a week with lunch allowance at the cafeteria and 2 or 3 dinner allowances.

Yes there were a few. Networking dinner in the first week, drinks and dinner in the third week as a celebratory dinner after the group project.

It was good. We had dinner at two nice venues and a fourth of july barbecue. We also had a pool and snooker bar social with the trainees.

Yes. The firm has sport leagues and an annual practice group singing competition with the other international offices.

Yes definitely.