Summer Intern Review

I had an amazing time during my three weeks. I felt welcome, happy and interested for the entire time. Everything was organised very well and ran smoothly, I quickly felt at home.

I felt an extraordinary effort was made by everyone to ensure that I felt welcome and valued. DLA managed to turn what can be a very daunting and nerve wracking experience into one where I felt I could just completely be myself, have fun and learn lots about the firm!

During my time working in the offices in Manchester, I received lots of support from my line manager as well as the trainees at the firm. There was no such thing as a stupid question. After the first week, the review meeting also helped me to know what I needed to improve on in the next week, as well as acknowledging the things that I had already done well which was very encouraging.

My ability to network improved dramatically throughout the programme. We were also given lots of time to talk and get to know each other on the programme. As well as this I managed to develop team working skills during the group project and time management when working in the offices whilst balancing different tasks.

At the beginning we were given a programme containing all the information we could need for the three weeks. The whole programme ran smoothly with no hiccups. We also knew where we supposed to be and with who, which ensured that nobody ever felt out of place or in the way. I literally can’t fault the graduate recruitment team for even managing to organise lots of social events!

The atmosphere was very relaxed and happy. The graduate recruitment team managed to create an atmosphere where I felt completely comfortable to relax, be myself and enjoy myself. Happy music was always playing, we were always provided with lots of refreshments and the people in the firm who I spoke to were very inspiring, without being too serious.

During the first week in London we were lucky enough to have a presentation skills workshop which I thought was really useful. This involved learning how to pull off a successful pitch with some clever tricks to keep an audience interested - I certainly learnt skills that I will use in the future.

By giving us 1 week in the London office and 2 weeks in another regional office, I felt like I could properly understand the culture of the firm. Whilst i was working for two weeks in Manchester I still felt like I was part of something much bigger because I had seen the London office. The daily video conferences with all the regional offices also gave this effect.

I was particularly impressed that the programme involved an entire day dedicated to talking about the firms culture in terms of its commitment to social responsibility, pro bono work and its emphasis on encouraging good mental health in the workplace.

By experiencing two weeks of real work in the Manchester office, doing tasks for associates, trainees and partners, as well as balancing the organisation of the group project I felt that I really experienced what it’s like to work in a busy work environment where juggling tasks is essential.

During the first week in London we were provided with accommodation and reimbursed for our travel to London. We were also provided with breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea and a £20 dinner allowance each evening. In Manchester we were also provided with breakfast and lunch and were taken out for dinner for social events. This made the experience very stress free and enjoyable.

There were opportunities every day for networking. We were often given the opportunity at lunch times to chat to partners at the firm, and were encouraged to approach people working in the firm and ask them for a chat. Everyone I encountered seemed genuinely interested in me and very willing to share their experiences.

I had so much fun whilst in London as we were taken out for dinner with partners and I made some really good friends with the other people on the internship. In Manchester we were taken out for dinner again, and I even managed to go out for the day with the real estate department and get to know the team better.

Yes I enquired about the weekly yoga sessions at the Manchester office and was encouraged to go along. My day out with the real estate team to Media City in Manchester to do an assault course was also really enjoyable. Hearing from the head of pro bono in the Manchester office also showed me how employees can contribute to this aspect of the firm.

Absolutely - it was a great experience.