Legal Work Placement Review

Each day we would have a morning meeting with early careers in order to ensure we had no issues or questions we wanted to ask. Then we would have a meeting with an associate or solicitor in that day's specific department, they would introduce us to that department and the task. Then we would begin working on the task, and throughout the day, alongside our work we have other meetings with employees at IM from diversity, wellbeing and solicitors from different departments at IM. Each individual would tell us about their work, their goals, how we as trainees could get involved etc.. At the end of the day we would submit our task.

I definitely developed the skills expected of trainees at IM. Skills such as legal drafting and legal research, which were developed on each of the daily tasks assigned. Additionally, I developed my commercial awareness, team working skills, and my ability to react to new and varying tasks. Finally, through exposure at IM's office I improved skills such as such as networking, engaging in meaningful conversation with a variety of levels of seniority and interviewing skills under high amounts of pressure.

It was very useful and insightful. I felt like I developed a much more holistic understanding of IM in general, as well as how it functioned as a business. I also felt like I had a much better understanding of the areas that I was interested in, having spoken to IM professionals in those areas who were able to give me greater detail about IM's work in those departments. Finally, I thought that understanding the potential roles available was really useful in assisting me to visualise my place at IM and how I would fit.

I felt it was a very genuine, diverse, equal, non-hierarchical culture. Where everyone was encouraged to be their best and most hardworking self, but not pressured to perform in a specific way. It felt very inclusive, very welcoming and very supportive.

I thought that the insight was very valuable, and really allowed me to best understand IM, it's culture and it's work. As well as my place at IM should I be accepted.

Yes

Be genuine, be yourself, work out why you want to work there and why the culture and work type interests you. If you are interested in client work, motivated by helping clients, sociable and interested in a warm and welcoming team then let that show throughout the recruitment process.