Paralegal Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the internship. The programme was meticulously organised and interns were kept informed of updates to the programme at all times. Everyone at the firm, both during the London induction and whilst on location in Manchester, went out of their way to make sure the interns felt comfortable. Overall it was an excellent experience.

During the internship everyone at the firm, from paralegals to partners, treated us interns as valuable members of the team. The work I did was live and relevant and I saw firsthand how it helped to further the case at hand. I was able to sit in on client phone calls and on one occasion a partner even relied on me, during the call, to remember a case name as I had told him I had studied that area of law recently.

I received plenty of support from everyone around me when sitting in the various departments. This support came from IT staff (when my computer crashed a few times), the trainees and associates in my team, my supervisor and the graduate recruitment team. Furthermore, throughout the whole internship I was assigned a buddy who was always there in the event I needed some assistance.

The internship programme was incredibly helpful in enabling me to further develop my understanding of what it is like to work at a leading commercial law firm. Almost everyday of the internship started with a conference call where interns were able to learn about a specific practise area from an expert. This was very useful as it helped me develop my knowledge of these various departments and gain a more thorough and holistic understanding of the law firm as a whole. This has already helped me secure a paralegal position in the banking department of another leading law firm as I was able to demonstrate my knowledge of the kind of work done in that practise area.

The programme was incredibly well structured and the interns were always aware of what was happening. On the first day of the programme all interns were given a booklet which contained a schedule for the three weeks. Where there was an unexpected change, for example a change in the daily conference calls, such a change would be communicated to interns straight away so everyone was kept informed.

The general atmosphere during the internship was very positive and welcoming. There was a great atmosphere during the induction week in London as it was a chance to get to meet the interns from all the different offices and learn about the firm together. This atmosphere only continued whilst on location as everyone in the office went out of their way to make the interns feel comfortable and helped us make the most of the internship. All the interns regularly went out after work with trainees and associates from the office and it was a great way to get to know people outside of work.

The firm heavily invests in the personal development and training of its interns. During the internship I learnt about all of the firm's practise areas from experts which was incredibly useful in developing my understanding of commercial law. More personally, whilst sitting in the litigation and regulatory team in the Manchester office, I was invited to go to the High Court with my supervisor and watch a sanction hearing. This was after having spent a large part of the week researching schemes of arrangement and so it was great to see my research come to life. This was an incredible opportunity and I doubt whether other firms would invest so heavily in their interns in the same way.

The three week internship enabled me to truly understand what it would be like to be a lawyer at DLA Piper. The week-long induction in London was a great way to learn about the firm's sector approach, the firm's commitment to being a responsible business and the types of pro-bono opportunities that are available. The following two weeks spent sitting in two different departments, working on live and relevant tasks, enabled me to fully appreciate what it would be like to be a lawyer at the firm.

The induction in London was invaluable in helping me to understand the firm's culture as I was able to learn, for the first time, about the firm's responsible business practise and about its commitment to mental health support. The various planned social events enabled me to get to know trainees, associates and partners in a more relaxed setting and to get a feel for what life is really like at the firm. From the internship it is clear that the culture at DLA Piper is one where everyone is supportive and there is no one-upmanship.

The internship was very helpful as, through my exposure to the various practise areas via the daily conference calls and my experience in two different departments, I was able to see how the law I had studied at university actually operated in the real world. I found the work interesting and intellectually challenging and my experience on the internship confirmed my interest in pursuing a career in commercial law.

I was paid generously for my time on the internship. The firm also covered various expenses such as my accommodation in London, my travel to and from London and even food whilst in London.

Yes. During the internship there were various social events in the evening where I was able to get to know trainees and associates from different practise areas. Also, during the working day all interns were encouraged to speak to fee earners sitting in teams other than their own to gain a holistic understanding of the firm.

The networking opportunities put on by the firm were very well organised and were great fun. During the internship there were various evening dinners where interns could talk to lawyers sitting in various practise areas and learn about their legal career and their reasons for choosing DLA Piper.

Yes. During the induction in London I learnt about the various pro bono opportunities that the firm offers in general. In Manchester I learnt about the specific pro bono opportunities that are available in the North West such as the Hope for Justice programme. I was also able to learn about the various social activities the firm offers in Manchester such as weekly yoga sessions, weekly choir sessions and the various sporting teams.

Yes. I would highly recommend the summer internship programme at DLA Piper to a friend as I was able to fully understand what it would be like to work at a leading law firm. Furthermore, it was an excellent opportunity to meet a great group of people; a lot of whom will be lifelong friends.