Internship Review at Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP

The Role

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Excellent variety of work, including set tasks and ad-hoc jobs for colleagues. This allowed me to experience what daily life is like in the office, but also showcase my skills eg presentations, reports.

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Everybody was very welcoming, helpful and friendly. The trainees came out for drinks with us (on the firm!), we played ball together: there was no "us-and-them" attitude. I was thanked for any tasks I undertook for colleagues, and praised when I did them particularly well.

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I rarely had to seek help as everything was well-organised, but on the occasions I did I found everyone happy to help - from HR to Partners. I contacted a Partner and an Associate Director on my own initiative, to find out more about their departments. Both were very giving with their time and answered my questions fully.

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

My workload was well-balanced, ensuring flexibility. It was great to be busy, but I was also grateful to concentrate on my own research and prep before my Partner Interview.

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

There was a lot of responsibility for self-directed tasks and team-work, but only within the remit of being a vacation student. I would have liked to have slightly more involvement in the actual work, but this would have been at the expense of other aspects of the scheme (such as assessment!).

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rated 8/10

Considering the placement was for a mere two weeks, it was surprising how useful it turned out to be. A number of educational/training sessions were run, with varying degrees of practicality.
The feedback from HR after the placement was extremely valuable, praising where due, but (thankfully) pointing out omissions or errors which I hadn't noticed. It was refreshing to get a positive, yet honest review!

The Organisation

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rated 7/10

The general atmosphere was very friendly. There was tension during my placement as those trainee solicitors about to qualify were being interviewed. In the middle of a recession, there was always going to be more applicants than places. Moreover, as it was summer many staff were on holiday, and people found themselves with increased workloads.
That said, I was glad to see what "real work life" was like, rather than a fake brochure fantasy.

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Absolutely seamless. My hat goes off to HR.

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

The firm devoted a very significant majority of the placement to development and training lectures and workshops. Many of these (and especially feedback from them) were highly useful to me.

Having jumped all the hurdles and secured a training contract, the firm have paid all my course fees (some £17K), given me maintenance money (£14.4K), and included a generous benefits package for when I start work.

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

• Subsidised Canteen
• Company Parties/Events

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

I secured a training contract with the firm, and am genuinely excited about joining them after I complete my legal studies.

Other Information

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

There was a good rapport between most of the students - the majority of students were comradely, despite us theoretically being in competition with each other. There were one or two "bad eggs", but fortunately they didn't get hired! Personally, I made several good friends on the placement whom I am still in touch with.

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Rated 6/10

It's London, what do you expect? As I was already resident in London, it didn't make any difference.

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

★★★★★★★★★★

Rated 10/10

Again, it's London, baby! As long as you don't mind clubbing with a bunch of suits, there's plenty to entertain.

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

★★★★★★★★★☆

Rated 9/10

Lots of sports opportunities, and scheduled socialising.

In addition to these questions, is there any extra information you would like to leave about your experiences on your work placement that other students may be interested in?

Even if you do not think BLP are the firm for you, I would recommend the vacation scheme as a well-organised, educational and enjoyable experience.

Review 1/16 for Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP

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