Summer intern Review

The vacation scheme was conducted in trying circumstances, with the COVID pandemic and the quick switch to virtual, but the graduate recruitment team made it a thoroughly enjoyable and personable experience. It was organised immensely well, with fascinating talks from senior partners and from junior trainees, as well as the opportunity to meet fellow interns and engage in group projects. It was a shame that we couldn't meet each other and the firm in person, but given the circumstances, it was amazing.

DLA has always been so kind to me, and the vacation scheme was no different. The grad rec team were immensely helpful in dealing with questions and technical issues, and understanding of the strangeness of the situation. [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] made all 99 of us feel like a big family, even though we were all over the world, and the fact chatting and interacting was encouraged made the experience much more pleasant and comfortable.

The graduate recruitment team was happy to answer any questions, problems and concerns - ranging from technical difficulties to personal situations that required some additional help and guidance. The firm was similarly willing to answer questions, no matter the subject, and there were plenty of opportunities to get to know each other and ask questions to senior partners and other staff too.

Given the fact this was a virtual internship, and therefore we didn't have the opportunity to come into the office and work in departments, as we had expected to do pre-COVID. Most of the sessions were talks, Q&As and presentations, meaning that the only opportunity we had to develop skills was in the group presentation. That being said, the group presentation gave us a fascinating opportunity to work as a group and develop our teamwork skills more than anything else.

The virtual scheme was organised extremely well. The transitions between events were seamless, and the graduate recruitment team clearly had a strong grasp of how to use Zoom. While there were inevitably some hiccups, the scheme was, for the most part, enjoyable and well organised, and the graduate recruitment team should be very proud.

The atmosphere was fantastic. It was a shame we couldn't get into the offices and meet everyone in person, but the grad rec team was eager to encourage us to talk to each other, introduce ourselves, and have a good time. The atmosphere was relaxed the majority of the time, while retaining the professionalism that DLA is known for.

The firm invested in ourselves as people - they clearly spend a lot of money and time organising the vacation scheme. The fact they had the global co-CEO and other senior members spend time with us and answer all our questions showed they care about us. Not only this, but we also got a free takeaway!

It is challenging to understand this without going into the offices and spending time in the departments, as we would have done if it hadn't have been for the pandemic. That being said, DLA made an effort to get to know us, and teach us a great deal about them. While we may not know what a full time job is like, we have been taught the structure, ethos, and environment of the firm, and DLA did the best they could in the trying circumstances.

DLA's values clearly run throughout the firm, and everything they do. Every person we spoke to reaffirmed their values, not just of supportiveness, collaboration, boldness and excellence, but of inclusivity and community. It was heartening to see such a powerful institution care so much about making its employees feel at home.

The virtual scheme has left me with no doubt that I want to go into the law, and it has opened my eyes to the possibilities of going into sectors I hadn't considered before. My buddy set me up meetings with partners and trainees across departments I had an interest in, which was incredibly helpful.

DLA, thanks to its inclusive culture, is aware that many of its interns don't come from rich, upper class families. They are happy to reimburse reasonable expenses for travel and more, and give us treats like free takeaways to show that they care. we were also paid for our work.

The entire week was built on meeting members of the firm, from partners to trainees and everyone in between. My buddy was also immensely helpful in connecting me with people in departments that I hadn't had much contact with, so I could ask them questions and get to know their work even better.

The networking was inevitably harder thanks to the virtual nature of the scheme and the fact we couldn't physically meet people. However, DLA made an effort to introduce its interns to the highest number of people possible, from [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] to trainees and incoming trainees. The firm made it clear we could ask any questions we had, and they were answered properly and helpfully.

DLAs culture means that it has tons of opportunities for employees to get involved in. These range from its employee networks, such as Iris and PACT, to social clubs like office choirs and art sessions. This was one of the reasons I applied to DLA in the first place, and I wasn't left disappointed.

Without a doubt. The scheme was well put together, interesting, fun and we had tons of opportunities to talk to current employees and ask all and any questions we might have. It was intellectually challenging when working on the group presentation, and it was just a comfortable and exciting experience.