Student Review

I really enjoyed myself. In spite of it being a virtual placement, I felt able to connect with the other participants and my organisers, and I found it a really interesting experience.

I felt very valued. I received live work to do on some occasions which was very interesting and felt like I was being given real responsibility. I also got follow-up emails with thanks for the work I submitted and suggestions on how to improve.

I liked the structure of the placement in this regard. I felt able to contact my supervisors and mentors with any issues I had, and there were several people I could call on with any questions I had. However, I did not feel like the guidance was overbearing, I had room to work and use my own initiative which I also really liked.

I think the skills I developed will be useful. While it was a short placement, the tasks I was given were practical and often live meaning I believe they reflect what I will be doing in 'real life' in the firm.

I felt it was well structured. As I mentioned above, I liked the style of support and guidance which was provided (periodic meetings with several hours between to work on my own tasks). This may be down to my personal preferences and working styles, but I felt this structure fit me very well.

The atmosphere was really good. Everyone was kind and supportive, and people went the extra mile to put me in touch with people in other departments I was interested in learning more about. Even when I felt a little bit unsure of the quality of my work, I felt people understood that I had done my best.

I had several hours of one-to-one contact with trainees, associates and partners which I'm sure is a significant investment in terms of billable hours! In addition, we had daily seminars on aspects of the firm and trainee panels, so I felt that the firm was very invested in my training and development.

I feel that the placement was a very good reflection of what 'real life' would be like in the firm. The tasks I was given felt very legitimate, particularly because some of them were connected with live issues in the contentious construction team.

I feel I was able to get a good insight into the firm's culture from the placement. While this may have been a little hampered by the fact it was virtual rather than in-person, I was able to get an understanding of the firm culture from my discussions with those working there.

I would say this is possibly an area where the placement was less impactful. In terms of careers, I was always interested in working with Dentons from the start of my legal studies - the placement definitely reinforced this however.

Yes, there were plenty of opportunities to network, both with formal events and more informally in ad-hoc meetings. I really appreciated the opportunities to branch out and speak with people in the employment and TMT teams as well, in spite of not being assigned to those seats.

Again these were good. I was not expecting a great deal with regards to social events as it was a virtual placement, but we were able to attend an online quiz and we had plenty of other opportunities to network.

Yes, there was a good emphasis on the activities employees were able to get involved in, with sports teams, pro bono work and plenty of other opportunities available on the social side. As law is often seen as such a stressful and time-consuming field to work in, I found it very heartening that people were able to make time for things like this!

Definitely! I felt it was enjoyable and informative.