Student Review

As part of this work experience programme for 4 out of the 5 days we had presentations in the mornings before joining a practise group for the rest of the day. For the first two days I was in the same department and then for the remaining 3 days I was in a different department with a different trainee. I completed tasks assigned to me by my trainee. For example, in my first two days I helped my trainee find the information which she needed to use in the weekly newsletter she created for her team in order to keep them up to date with new advancements.

Through this experience I was able to develop my research skills. Furthermore, I developed my summarising skills as I often had to condense large amounts of information so that it was easy to access and understand for those from a non-law background. I was also able to improve my interpersonal skills through meeting different people on a daily basis.

The programme was very enjoyable as I was able to gain an insight into the reality of day to day law. The people and the trainees I completed the programme with were also very lovely.

I felt very valued as I was able to complete real work that was actually contributing to the business such as the newsletter and summaries of legal concepts which were going to be given to clients.

The programme is very well structured and it is clear that a lot of thought had been put into how to make sure that students were able to gain the most out of the programme.

Pinsent Masons were very supportive. The trainees were always open to questions and the other members of staff were willing to converse with you if you needed help or just to get to know you more in general.

The trainees were always wiling to take time out to explain the task and they didn't expect you to know everything, or in fact anything at all about the law. They tried their best to give you tasks which were within your ability to complete, giving you as much time as needed to do so. we were also given the details of the HR team in case we had any concerns.

There was no salary/package , but this is explained on the website, so I had to pay for travel into work everyday and also pay for my own lunch. But my trainee did buy me lunch on the last day.

There are opportunities outside work but as I was only there for a week I didn't have an opportunity to take part in them. Although the work experience students did go out together.

Yes

It's a very good opportunity to gain experience in a city law firm environment. The team are very welcoming and it's an invaluable experience to add to your CV. Also, the trainees are also great on providing advice for the future regarding uni, work experience etc

Research the company using their own website in order to get to know their key areas of practise, the company culture and what makes them stand out from other firms. Make sure to explicitly mention this in your application. Use specific examples in your answers. Finally, if you're unsure of whether to apply or not just go for it - you have nothing to lose.