Summer Intern Review

I have very much enjoyed my summer internship at DLA Piper. The internship was a perfect combination of interesting project work, networking and social events and skill workshops. It was designed to provide an insight into day to day life at DLA Piper and the friendly and welcoming atmosphere really shone through.

I felt very well valued and the recruitment team made the effort to interact with every single one of us, getting to know our names and more about us. Every single staff member I meet seemed to be genuinely interested in me and was happy to provide useful advice and guidance.

I felt well supported throughout. The recruitment team were always available for support via the phone or email in case we had any issues during the duration of the scheme. Furthermore, on this first day, I was assigned a trainee buddy, as well as a dedicated line manager, who was a great support throughout my time spent at the firm.

The skills and knowledge that I learnt will certainly help me in the future. During this time, I developed a number of key skills, such as networking and communication, as well as how to carry myself in an office environment. Furthermore, I developed my legal research skills, which will certainly help me on my return to university.

The vacation scheme was very well structured, starting with a UK wide induction in the London office, followed by 2 seats lasting 1 week each, in our chosen office. In total, we spent 3 weeks at DLA Piper and I felt this was the perfect amount of time to spent at the firm.

There was a really great atmosphere at DLA Piper and I was certainly surprised by how friendly all of my fellow summer students were. As the atmosphere within the office was so open and friendly, I had a lovely time getting to know everyone from DLA Piper and more about their own personal experiences.

DLA Piper certainly invested a great deal into this scheme, with a lot of time and energy going into allowing us to meet the senior leaders and management of the firm. Similarly, for the first introductory week, all of the interns from offices across the UK were brought to London so we could network and link with our cohort.

The scheme certainly helped me to understand what it would be like to have a full time role at DLA Piper. As the office was constantly busy and I had the opportunity to complete work which was genuinely of use to the firm, I felt like part of the team and got a real sense of what it would be like to work here on a day-to-day basis.

The scheme helped me to understand more about the culture at DLA Piper and it was clear that it is something that is very important to the firm. We had talks ranging from pro bono to mental health and I had the opportunity to attend a brunch event focused on diversity at the firm.

The content was fantastic and being able to sit in 2 different departments and speak to firm members across all practice groups has given me a very valuable insight into the life of a commercial lawyer. Furthermore, I feel this scheme has given me a realistic impression of the career path of a lawyer and reaffirmed my intention to pursue a career in this field.

I was paid for my time spent working at DLA Piper.

Yes, there were plenty of opportunities. We spent the 1st week with our UK wide peer group in the London office, which was a fantastic networking opportunity. Every effort was made to make us feel included and everyone was very approachable. I have formed some close bonds during my time spent at DLA Piper.

I really enjoyed the networking and social opportunities at the firm.

Yes, there are plenty of opportunities, such as sporting, pro bono and charity work.

Yes, I would 100% recommend this insight to a friend.