ACCESS Intern Review

We had a week of online work experience in February 2021, which involved information about the firm and its practice areas, networking with trainees and lawyers, guest speaking sessions, and a group project where we were tasked with arguing for why our legal team should be hired to work on a multinational M&A deal and presenting to a panel of partners. Throughout the two years, we have also been offered coaching sessions, tuition, a reunion, and a place on ACCESS SPARK, among other things.

I am a naturally shy person and I think all the networking, projects and the process of meeting new like-minded people massively improved my communication skills. We were informed right from the start about the skills a good lawyer needed, and we have been continually boosted on this information through Rare coaching and other things focused on our personal development. I also learned how to improve my organisation through both access to modules on how to avoid procrastination and generally working through improvement of my commercial awareness around my school work.

I really enjoyed it, I definitely wouldn't be where I am today without it as a corporate London job was never on my radar, so I would've missed the head start and the confidence boost I got from getting onto the scheme and having access to the job and what it entails before I went to university. There was definitely times when it was a challenge for me personally, as I get anxiety in group situations, but that is not a reflection on the scheme.

I think it was well organised, especially with everything having to be moved very quickly online due to COVID, the online work experience we did was still very beneficial despite some of the content having to be obviously modified. There were some aspects that were piloted that I think could've been rethought - many of us discussed how we felt we weren't given enough time to complete the 4 virtual internships as they were quite challenging and we were expected to do them when many of us had essays and exams due at the same time.

Right from our first online work experience in early 2021 we were given insight into the firm's work and culture through information sessions and networking. This was obviously massively compounded by getting to visit and tour the office for the reunion, as it is much easier to visualise working life and the people at the firm in person, especially as I had never been to London before and was hence able to discover more about the lifestyle in general.

It helped a lot. I was in college and didn't really know what I wanted to do. and applied to ACCESS assuming I wouldn't get a place, but in learning about the firm and its practice areas I decided I liked the look of going down that sort of path. I decided early on that I had no interest in being a barrister, but getting to understand the work of a solicitor and the qualifying process was very helpful. Although I am still not completely clear on whether I want to go into commercial law, I feel as if I have enough information to make this choice due to ACCESS and the doors it opened.

The scheme itself was unpaid as much of it was online and focused on building up our knowledge and skill set as opposed to actually doing work at the firm, but we were reimbursed for all travel and accommodation expenses when we traveled to London for the reunion, and the upcoming ACCESS SPARK scheme that we gained a place on as a result of our time on the ACCESS programme will be a paid placement.

There were plenty of options to network with and ask questions of people at the firm, both trainees and lawyers. Organising this was made much harder when everything had to be shifted online, but we still had access to lawyers at the firm through group calls and got the chance to network with them. Everyone on the scheme is in a group chat, and we all also got to know each other through that. At the reunion in September, we met with trainees face to face during both the day itself and at the evening meal, where we asked them questions about the firm and what to expect upon starting University.

Yes

From what I've seen, the firm seems genuinely committed to its diversity and inclusion, which is important to me in particular, and I have met and become aware of lawyers at the firm from all backgrounds who all say that the firm is a very accommodating and inclusive environment to work in. When I visited the firm, I really liked the office and the culture and everyone there seemed very friendly and willing to help.

You don't have to have everything figured out, I applied knowing next to nothing about the commercial sector and with the assumption I wouldn't be successful, but the scheme has helped me build on myself and my skill set. There is no right type of candidate, or a specific mould they're looking for, I met all kinds of people during my time on the scheme and everyone was included and fit in well at the firm.