Legal Placement Review

I really did enjoy the insight. The work and the tasks I was asked to complete while I was there will be useful in the future when working at a law firm but most of all I enjoyed working the staff in the corporate department that I met, who went out of their way to help and to provide assistance or answer any questions that I had about working as a solicitor at Shoosmiths.

I felt that me contribution was valued during the time that I was there, When work for a company purchase that the department was managing came in at short notice the partner in the department did not hesitate to give me work related to it which made me feel valued.

I received lots of support both from the graduate recruitment team, the training principal in the office and the corporate law team themselves.

I have completed my degree studies previously so it will not help me in that regard, however the experience of working in a large law firm and in a busy corporate law department will certainly help me in my chosen career in the future.

The placement was well structured, I was provided with two assignments to complete, a project to design a newsletter for the firm and I also had to make a short presentation on this project. The partner in the department also made a lot of effort to ensure I was included in the ongoing work of the department and tasks related to it, including the opportunity to attend a large client meeting. This gave me valuable insight into what life as a trainee solicitor in a corporate law department would be like.

There was a good atmosphere within the department in which I was working, everyone from the partners to the trainee solicitors were friendly and willing to provide tasks for me to complete and provide support and answer questions when I needed it. The firm has an open plan office which contributed to the open and friendly atmosphere, the different teams in the firm all sit together which made you feel as part of the team as well. I spoke to other members of staff out with the Corporate Law team when researching my projects and people were more than happy to assist.

I was given a detailed reading list of topics that may help during working in the Corporate department, as well as access to legal databases that would provide more information on the laws that I would need to know to complete my tasks in the department.

The work I was given during my time on the placement was the work I would be expected to do as a trainee in the firm, such as undertaking due diligence, researching companies on the companies house website or attending a client meeting, and in that way I given a clear insight into what working in the Corporate department would be like.

The firm is keen to have staff that share its values of, for example, teamwork and commercial knowledge and this was apparent during the week I spent with the Corporate team. Staff all sit together in an open plan office and there is a very collegiate atmosphere, People were happy to help me if I had any questions. I was also given material from the firm setting out its culture and values.

I had already made the decision that I was looking to become a solicitor in the future, however a week working in the Corporate Law department and getting to experience life as a solicitor in a corporate department did give me the opportunity of experiencing working in a specific area of the law that I might be interested in working in the future.

They pay I received for the week was adequate and I did not claim expenses as I live in Edinburgh where Shoosmiths' office is located.

I got to go out for lunch with trainee solicitors and ask them some more about the firm and there was also an opportunity to meet people from outside the department when researching my project tasks.

As the insight lasted for a week, there were no social events planned during my week in the department, however I did get to meet some clients of the firm during a meeting planned for the week.

The firm plans lots of social activities with its staff, often in order to raise money for their charity partners as well as for a chance for staff to get together after work. They have after work drinks at least once a month and they also do activities like quizzes, sponsored runs or bake-offs.

I would recommend this placement to anyone with an interest in working in a national law firm in the future. I thoroughly enjoyed my insight and gained a lot of knowledge of experience in the time I was there.