First Year Insight Scheme Review

by DLA Piper

Best Student Employer

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.4/5
  • About You
    4.6
  • The Company
    3.8
  • Everything Else
    4.9

    About You

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
  • I participated in the DLA Piper First Year Insight Scheme.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
  • Everyone at the firm took time to talk to us, even partners from the Hong Kong office.

    5/5

  • 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
  • Particularly during the deal workshop, each group was assigned a trainee supervisor. Our supervisor was proactive in prompting us and explaining to us legal and commercial implicationa of each provision in the draft contract.

    5/5

  • 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • As a law student considering a career in commercial law, the insight scheme was a good learning experience since it taught me commercial concepts which I cannot learn from my degree ( my degree studies have been very theoretical).

    5/5

    The Company

  • 5. How well structured was the insight?
  • The insight was very well-structured in the sense that it strictly followed a fixed timetable. Yet, I feel that given the programme lasted three days, it would have been more meaningful if we got the chance of work shadowing trainees for one day rather than merely listening to lectures.

    3/5

  • 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
  • The atmosphere was very relaxed.

    5/5

  • 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • As mentioned above, it is clear that the graduate recruitment team had taken incredible effort in putting together the insight scheme, as evident from the variety of workshops ranging from introduction to different practice areas to law and ethics and diversity ans inclusion workshops. Nevertheless, it would have been more enriching if it allowed us to get some hands-on experience through actual work shadowing.

    4/5

  • 8. To what extent did the insight help you to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the company or firm?
  • We talked to trainees during networking lunch and speed networking sessions. However, as mentioned earlier, we did not work-shadow trainees.

    3/5

  • 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
  • Through the networking lunch, it is not difficult for us to observe the dynamics of the firm. People were very chill and relaxed. The culture was far from being toxic.

    5/5

  • 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
  • The deal workshop was particularly useful in giving us a glimpse into the day-to-day responsibilities of full-time lawyers. Our team did contract drafting which was the usual daily task of junior lawyers like trainees or young associates.

    5/5

    Everything Else

  • 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?

  • 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
  • Yes, during networking lunch, speed networking sessions and the deal workshop.

    5/5

  • 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
  • Full of networking opportunities aince there were a lot of tea breaks during the day. Because a significant number of us were not from London and lived in the hotel provided by DLA Piper, we went out to have dinner together.

    5/5

  • 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
  • According yo the Responsible Business Workshop, DLA Piper has been heavily involved in pro bono work. There are opportunities of doing a pro bono secondment to Africa or doing human rights research for the UN. Moreover, according to one of the trainees, the firm has established sports teams like football and touch rugby which even trainees can be involved in.

    5/5

  • 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
  • Definitely! A very enriching programme with a very straightforward application process. Participants have fast-track opportunities in the firm’s vac scheme application.

    5/5

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Details

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

Commercial Law

London

April 2019


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