Lessons From My Journey to a Traineeship
Lessons from a DLA Piper Trainee
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Lessons from a DLA Piper Trainee 〰️
Hi, I'm Clare, a first seat trainee at DLA Piper in Edinburgh. During my third year of the LLB, I took part in a year abroad. It was an incredible experience, but it meant that I didn't apply for vacation schemes when most of my cohort did. At first, I worried that that would put me behind, however, that extra time turned out to be a huge advantage. The year abroad made my degree 5-years instead of the usual 4, meaning I had an additional year to prepare and apply, while technically still applying as a third year LLB student. I returned to Aberdeen (where I studied) feeling more confident, more experienced, and very aware of what I wanted. This made all the difference in my applications and led to me being successful in obtaining vacation scheme offers. Ultimately, I was offered my traineeship through a vacation scheme with DLA Piper.
So, if you do not feel ready to apply in third year, do not panic! Waiting an extra year might work in your favour.
What surprised you most when moving from university to practice?
The move from university to practice is quite a jump. You go from being so comfortable with writing essays, memorising laws, and conducting research when, in practice, those skills are not overly used. That is not to say that the skills you gain at university are not used in practice at all, they are, just in a different context! The biggest surprise I had was the importance of having commercial or business management knowledge. Understanding how a business operates is vital in practice. Clients aren't always looking for the perfect legal answer, they want advice that fits their commercial goals. Sometimes, that means compromising on the ideal legal position to achieve a better business outcome and being able to apply this in practice will help you stand out.
Any tips for staying commercially aware?
Commercial awareness in the application process is often made out to be some vague and intimidating thing. I'll admit that when I was applying, I didn’t fully understand what it meant. But it ultimately comes down to staying informed. Is there new legislation being introduced? Has a company suffered a major commercial hit, like a cyber breach? What ESG goals are businesses working toward?
Start by following the firms you are interested in on Linkedin, reading the articles on their websites, or listening to sector-specific podcasts. If you're interested in a specific area of law, or an industry, like tech or finance for example, keep an eye on stories or resources reporting on them. What is important, is your ability to link those stories to the work the firm you are applying to does. If a firm has won awards for cybersecurity work, and there's a major breach in the news, that's a great interview talking point.
Which skills do you still rely on in your day-to-day work?
Starting a traineeship can be daunting, you go from being the most experienced student at university to the least experienced in the office. You are not expected to know everything, your team will treat you as though you have never studied that area of law before. They are not predicting that you will be an expert in employment, real estate or tech, what they are looking for is your ability to learn, adapt, and contribute. The skills I rely on most day-to-day aren't necessarily legal, they're social skills, working under pressure, and the ability to take initiative. You won't have three weeks to write a research paper anymore, you might have two hours, and the expectation is that it will still be of a high level. Your potential to adapt to a new environment and bring something unique to the table is what will help you throughout the process.
Can you share some tips when applying to law firms?
When it comes to applying, my biggest piece of advice is simply to be yourself. It sounds cliché, but it’s the most important factor. Firms aren't looking for legal robots with the best grades, they are looking for self-motivated, collaborative and well-rounded individuals. Your hobbies, part-time jobs, and leadership roles matter more than you think. They show initiative and the ability to connect with others, all key traits of a future trainee.
Don't feel pressure to apply to every firm under the sun. Focus on the ones that genuinely align with your values and interests. Look at their culture, practice areas, and recent work. If you can explain why you would thrive there, your application will stand out.
So, take your time, don't undersell yourself or your unique experiences, and be authentic!
