Work Experience Student Review

I found it very enjoyable as I was given a lot more responsibility than I was expecting. This gave me a lot more insight to what it is like working in a law firm, especially the employment sector, and whether it is the right career pathway for me. Before this week I had not had much exposure to law however this insight has shown me the different aspects of both being a lawyer/solicitor and the law itself.

I felt extremely valued as I was asked and hence trusted to do research for my trainee, and if he didn't feel I was up to it, he would not have asked me. People always had time for me, to go through any work I had done, answer any question or even just sit with me and talk about my education etc. This made me feel like I was part of the work place instead of just a student who is leaving in a week and therefore always felt valued.

At the start of the week I received a lot of support and guidance in terms of where to look for research and what I should be doing throughout the day. As the week carried on, both my trainee and supervisor were extremely busy and could not support me to the same extent, however this was not so much of an issue as I had a lot of guidance throughout the first couple of days, meaning I could carry on easily with my work, and only interrupt them for guidance if need be.

I feel throughout this week I have gained research, communication and a higher level of note taking skills. By doing higher level research for my trainee, I have been able to read and understand more complex research and then have managed to make it understandable for someone like me who has not yet got that level of understanding of the law. I think this will be useful for my studies as I have started reading lots more complex research for class and in order to revise the work I will have to condense it down into more understandable notes.

From when I walked in I had instructions on what I was doing and what was happening. The induction on the first day was extremely useful as we got all the information we needed along with all our computer access so I could get on with my work straight away. The buddy system was flawless as he always had in mind some work I could do to help him and I was never confused about what was to be done as there is a clear communication system (Skype for Business) making it easy to ask any questions.

So friendly, especially my office. Everyone in the department was smiling and happy to see you and the people in my office were always willing to talk and were very friendly (even if they were stressed!) We all easily broke the ice as we had things in common to talk about and there is a mini basketball hoop in our office which was amusing as nobody except one person could get the ball through it! I never felt like a burden and always very welcomed.

The firm did not give me personal training as I was only here for 4 days, however they invested a lot of their time in me, making sure I was always on track with what I was doing and whether I needed any support or help with the more complex tasks.

Considering I was only here for 4 days, it was difficult to see fully what it would be like having a full time role with the company, however I got a good insight of the different jobs trainees do when they have a seat in Employment law and how their jobs differ from what the more senior lawyers do on a daily basis.

Baker McKenzie pride themselves on how friendly they are and throughout the 4 days that I was here, that was one of the things that really stood out for me. Although it is a stressful job, all the staff are ready to have a laugh and enjoy a pleasant conversation, especially when making a cup of tea in the kitchen!

As I have not done much work experience in the field of law before, I have found it extremely useful in terms of showing me what happens behind closed doors of a law firm. Whilst you can always guess and see what is happening with criminal law, other forms of law are more in the dark and therefore I have learned a great deal and realised it is something I could potentially really enjoy.

Work Experience

Yes, although I was in employment law, I met all the other trainees from the different areas of the company at the lunch and learn where the trainees talk about their experiences in the are they have been doing their seat in for the last 6 months. When my trainee did not have much work for me, he put me in contact with another trainee from a different department who I am going to keep in contact with; there are always opportunities to meet other employees and network.

I only experienced one social event,the lunch and learn, this was very useful and extremely interesting as it gave me an insight into all the different areas of the law firm and how they all work/ what opportunities each trainee gets. It meant I could network with both other trainees and other work experience students to get their views on what they liked and disliked about different areas.

For anyone thinking about going into law, this is the perfect insight to have and there is not many places that would give you as much responsibility and work to do that lets you have a real insight into what people do. Calls are highly confidential however I have been able to sit in on many calls, taking notes and learning through the work.