Work experience student Review

I was a work experience student with Pinsent Masons for a week, during which I completed research tasks, drafted documents and emails and I was also involved in real cases that the teams were working on. I sat in three different teams and spoke to a large number of people during my time there.

I learnt many different legal terms that I had never came across before, and also learnt a lot about the procedure of many legal procedures, such as contracts, leases and business sales.

In terms of company culture, everyone at Pinsent Masons was really nice and welcoming, and everyone was willing to help. The work that they gave me, on the whole, was interesting. it exceeded my expectations because I never thought I would get to be involved in the cases that the teams were working on.

Although from time to time I was thanked for the work that I produced, overall a lot of the work that I did was not appreciated (probably because I'm a student).

There was a clear timetable which was followed most of the time, and there was an induction on the first day. My task were delegated by my supervisors, and I always had something to complete. Also, my supervisors supported me and answered all of my questions.

I was always reassured that if I had any questions that they could be answered, and I was able to access guidance about both my tasks and my pathway to law as a career.

HR introduced us to the firm well, and the facilities team did an in-depth tour of the office, followed by a helpful health and safety training session.

As the work experience was only a week, I did not get paid. However, the firm provided a £5 voucher for lunch in their internal deli ever day.

I know that the firm offers lots of events through which the staff can network and socialise, and they also offer sports teams such as netball, however due to the short time scale of my work experience I was not able to get involved with any of these.

Yes

It was really useful and gave me an insight into law as a profession. Also, everyone was helpful and friendly, and offered advice about how to proceed in order to achieve my aim of being a solicitor.

Just go for it, act professional during any interviews, but be yourself. During the experience, ask as many questions as possible and try to involve yourself in the tasks that the team are completing.