Virtual Internship Review

I really enjoyed undertaking the virtual experience programme. We had the opportunity to hear from a range of fee earners across the business, as well as the executive team. Graduate Recruitment were very welcoming and reassuring every morning - and the Q&A sessions felt really relaxed. Everything was so well planned and executed, from our trainee buddies to our group allocations! Even though I was sat on my desk in my bedroom for 5 days I felt as though I had spent an actual week at the firm!

Everyone who spoke to us during our time on the virtual internship made it their mission (for lack of a better word) to make us feel comfortable and relaxed - even during the group presentation, which I was quite apprehensive about, the Partners made us feel really comfortable and weren't trying to catch us out at all.

We recieved excellent support throughout the virtual experience - the Graduate Recruitment Team were always available to guide us throughout the week. Because of the format of most of the larger group sessions being via zoom, it made it more difficult to speak up and ask questions in the same way as if we were in the office, but this was definitely through no fault of the Grad Rec Team.

The Group Presentation was the main piece of work we were given to prepare during the Virtual experience, which as a law student will definitely help me with my issue-spotting skills. The group presentation by its nature encouraged innovative solutions to client problems, which I hope to apply during my final year.

The virtual experience was really well structured. The talks and sessions were great, especially the question and answer sessions as we were able to speak candidly with senior people at the firm. There were also a lot of trainee drop-in sessions during the afternoon, which were great, but the waiting room often meant that time was wasted while we were waiting for trainees - it may have been useful to book trainees for a specified time. Other than that, the structure of the sessions in general were great!

The overall atmosphere really gave a good impression of DLA Piper and revealed how friendly and welcoming its culture truly is. By meeting people across the business, we gained an insight into what DLA lawyers are like, and the fact that there is no DLA 'type', unlike other law firms. One minor recommendation may have been to have added some more social-type events during the week to get to know other interns - but that's very minor!

Given the fact that the vacation scheme was virtual - the opportunities for personal training and development were limited. However, in preparation for the group presentation, we were given some brief advice from the Graduate Recruitment Team about ways to deliver a presentation with confidence. This was really helpful, though brief! We also further support from a trainee who presented on the final day, he gave us guidance and advice for confidence when public speaking, which was also really useful.

The virtual internship gave a fantastic insight into what DLA's graduate programme (Training Contract) will be like, and what it is like to work at the firm in the long-term. We gained an insight into secondments, clients, the type of work, management structure, sector expertise and practice areas. We gained a lot of information about the firm in such a short amount of time!

The virtual experience gave a really good insight into DLA's culture as a law firm, and how it stands out from competitors in the market. DLA's global nature and sector approach came across during all the sessions. Trainees were really friendly and available during drop-in sessions and via email. The level of support really showed us how approachable people are at the firm, and the friendly culture at DLA.

The scheme, though virtual - confirmed my desire to become a commercial lawyer. From the tasks we did, to hearing from trainees - the internship confirmed my interest in commercial law. The group tasks were also really interesting (though daunting at first), and it was really great to look into both commercial issues, but also fee structures and how client relationship partners are pitched. I really enjoyed this more entrepreneurial and innovative aspect of the week, and it was really fun to work in a team as well!

We were paid the agreed rate for one week of the virtual internship. Though we did not complete the full three weeks, as we would have at the firm during a formal vacation scheme, we were paid for one week and were given food vouchers which was a lovely surprise!

We had the opportunity to network formally with fee earners during an office speed networking session - we met a range of associates and were able to ask lots of questions. This session went by really quickly but it was great to hear from such a range of people across the business! We also had a quiz to meet trainees. We met other fee earners throughout the week.

There were formal and informal opportunities to network with people across the firm. The opportunities were mostly formal, in the context of trainee drop ins during preparation for the group presentation, but also more casual - as we had access to our trainee buddies throughout the week, and were able to arrange zooms with them. We also had a quiz evening to meet other interns, as well as formal speed networking during our office specific sessions.

We gained an insight into the employee networks and committees across the firm, as well as opportunities to participate in sports, music and arts outside of work. The employee networks session was particularly moving and inspiring, and again spoke to DLA's inclusive culture. During other sessions, we were able to speak to lawyers about their outside interests.

I would definitely recommend DLA's virtual internship to a friend - there were a range of opportunities to meet fee earners and staff across the business, and the talks were really beneficial. The group presentation was also really enjoyable to work on throughout the week, and it felt really enjoyable to present to Partners at the end of the week! Our trainee buddies and Graduate Recruitment were very supportive throughout the week too!