Student Intern Review

I really enjoyed the insight scheme. It was really well organised and there was a good range of activities from work shadowing to talks to dinners. There was a good chance to meet lots of people from the firm and experience working life at the firm. I really enjoyed the catering too!

I felt very valued during my time at DLA Piper. I was given meaningful work in the two practices in which I worked and I felt the associates and partners really valued the work I had done. Everyone I spoke to was also genuinely interested in speaking with me and asking about me.

We were given lots of support during our time at the firm. For example, each office had a member from Graduate Recruitment who was assigned to our office who we could contact if there was a problem. We were also given a line manager for each of the practices we worked in and the line managers gave us lots of support.

I worked in the employment practice whilst I was at DLA Piper and I am doing that as a module in my final year at University. The work experience confirmed that I will really enjoy the module. Equally, it gave me a chance to practice my corporate social skills, which will stand me in good stead for the future. We were also given a skills session on corporate socialising and presentation skills, which was very helpful.

I cannot fault the Graduate Recruitment for the work they put in to the programme. It was extremely well structured and everything was planned out. We had guides for the entire scheme with a programme of events, pictures of everyone on the scheme, contact numbers etc. We had calendar reminders for all the events we had to intend. The Recruitment team’s planning and organisation made the programme work in all honesty.

It was very friendly and approachable. It didn’t feel too serious or stuffy, which I liked. You felt you could talk to everyone on the scheme, the Graduate Recruitment team, and all the partners and associates who came to speak to us. There was a social with the trainees one evening and it was very relaxed and like being out with your friends.

We were given a range of tasks to do during the work shadowing, which allowed us to develop our skills in things we might do as lawyers. For example, doing research tasks, writing emails and learning email etiquette and sitting in on conference calls and taking notes. There wasn’t loads of training and development, but we were only with them for 3 weeks. I think for the amount of time we were with the firm the tasks and events gave us sufficient scope to develop our skills as a lawyer.

It really helped me understand what a full time role and training with DLA Piper would be like. Not only were we given real tasks to do that were similar to those that would be given to a trainee, we were also paired with a current trainee. This allowed us to ask questions and gain their view on being a trainee at the firm

It was extremely helpful because we spoke to people from all levels and parts of the firm. Everyone was really helpful and willing to talk, meaning the culture is the same across the firm. We also got to see people from the firm formal and informal situations, which was very insightful.

After having completed the Internship, it was confirmed in my mind that I really want to be a solicitor at a corporate law firm. I was not fortunate enough to be offered a training contract this year at DLA Piper, but I will definitely be re-applying for the next intake of trainees.

We were paid £400 a week for three weeks of the internship and we were also reimbursed 1x train ticket to and from London, as well as dinner for two evenings. Equally, we got lunch in the canteen every day and we also had catered lunches and meals out on some of the days. The food in the canteen was really good and there was several choices. This was good because the days were long.

There were opportunities almost everyday for networking with employees from all levels of the firm.

They were really good. For example, we had a dinner one evening after our presentations at M Restaurant. It was a really lovely restaurant and we had dinner with partners and the Graduate Recruitment team, giving us a chance to network.

Yes, I chatted to some people during the work shadowing parts of the Internship and I found out they ran a netball team. They also do socials and events for the trainees at the firm so everyone gets to know each other.

I would definitely recommend this insight programme to someone else.