Student Review

The structure of the day was perfect, meeting different representatives of the firm from graduate recruitment to Dentons lawyers, hearing about the firm's values, what the application entails, and plenty of time for questions at all stages. I particularly liked the virtual mock negotiation experience, which was far more interactive and enjoyable than I ever imagined it could be! It was also a great way to meet and even collaborate with some of the trainees.

Rather than the experience being one-sided just listening to the speakers, the mock negotiations gave us the chance to contribute our own ideas and commercial awareness to the mix and demonstrate our capacity for teamwork. This made me feel like a valued participant of the open day, particularly as we received targeted group feedback after. This meant the day helped me actively develop skills that I can take forward into my applications, and made me feel like the firm felt I was worth investing in.

Trainees helped us during the mock negotiations with any questions we had. We had plenty of opportunities to ask questions to graduate recruitment and the lawyers, both on the chat and through microphones, so it felt really interactive. Maybe some more informal chats with trainees or grad recruitment in smaller groups would be beneficial, as it was sometimes hard for all our questions to be answered due to there being many participants with many questions!

The mock negotiation gave me an understanding of the commercial issues involved when an oral contract goes wrong, and really helped me contextualise some of the things I've been learning on the GDL in my contract modules. It has also prepared me for assessment centres, many of which have similar group scenario assessments or case study components. Hearing Esther talk about Dentons strategy really increased my commercial awareness with regards to understanding how law firms work as a business.

Very well structured with different types of varied talks and regular breaks. It was really interesting to talk to future trainees as they're in the same boat as us and had loads of helpful tips on the application process. However, I think a current trainee panel would be a really nice addition, as it was great to meet them during the mock negotiation but there wasn't very much time to ask them questions about their training contract experience.

Everyone I met virtually was really friendly, both Dentons people and the other students I interacted with during the negotiation. The graduate recruitment team members seem really open and kind, which genuinely makes such a big difference at firm events and reveals a lot about a firm's culture and it wants to portray itself. Even though the event was held on Zoom, it still gave me a really good feel for Dentons and has made me keen to apply to the firm for a training contract.

I've really answered this question in a previous one, but the mock negotiation was clearly well thought through to improve our communication, commercial awareness, teamwork and analysis skills, so it felt like a significant investment in us. Having Esther take time out of what must be a really busy day was really appreciated, especially because she gave such a great overview of the firm's global strategy and model. The day felt well structured and organised.

The exposure to the firm's culture, strategy, information about the new training programme and the lawyer's work e.g. Esther's recent matters, has confirmed to me that I want to apply to Dentons for a training contract. Again, perhaps it would have been good to hear from the trainees about their day-to-day experiences at the firm, what kind of work they do, etc. on a more micro level, as the future trainees could not really answer those questions.

Answered this in the other Qs!

It has helped me decide what kind of firm I want to work at, namely an international, full-service firm like Dentons!

Event virtual so no expenses.

Apart from being in a small group with a trainee for the mock negotiation, there wasn't really an opportunity to network individually as such, but I understand this would have been very hard to achieve on Zoom. Perhaps by using the breakouts, this would be achievable. But due to the interactiveness of the format with time for questions, it felt like I had enough exposure to Dentons employees to get a feel for the culture.

See above.

Yes, [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] talked about all the firm's different networks, social committees, and firm-wide events such as a virtual escape room, which all added to my understanding of the firm's culture. This gave me the feel that Dentons is more than just a workplace but also a well-rounded lifestyle, which I consider to be really important as a career in commercial law will inevitably mean spending a large proportion of life in the office! I would be interested to have heard more about sports opportunities at the firm.

Yes for anyone interested in a career in commercial law!