2022 Insight Programme Review
at DLA Piper
Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)
Legal/Law
London
Review Submitted: April 2022
Overall Rating
3.2 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
3/5
-
Overview of Experience
3/5
-
Skills Development
3.8/5
-
Company Culture
3/5
-
Overall Experience
4/5
-
Recommendations and Advice
Overview of Experience
Please give an overview of the insight and what was involved on a day-to-day basis.
The Insight Programme was delivered using the following methods:
a) Panel discussions
b) Presentations
c) Workshops.
The content of the sessions was focused on the firm's values, it's position in the changing legal market, internal projects and committees as well as the services DLA offers to its clients.
The days varied anywhere from the programme starting at 9-10 and ending at 4-6. There were no socials per se but there were multiple beaks during the programme where people often got to network. Food was often served during these times.
a) Panel discussions
b) Presentations
c) Workshops.
The content of the sessions was focused on the firm's values, it's position in the changing legal market, internal projects and committees as well as the services DLA offers to its clients.
The days varied anywhere from the programme starting at 9-10 and ending at 4-6. There were no socials per se but there were multiple beaks during the programme where people often got to network. Food was often served during these times.
What was it like understanding all about the business and potential roles available?
This is the part I think DLA did really well in. The firm was quite honest about the types of roles available at the firm, even beyond being a lawyer. The various workshops really helped me to understand DLA as a business, not just a law firm. This opened my eyes to the varied expertise required to keep the business running.
Please rate how insightful you found the insight
4/5
How would you rate the structure of the insight
2/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
I learned to read contracts better during the Litigation Workshop. Other than that, I felt that the programme wasn't particularly skills-focused but rather information heavy.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
2/5
How would you rate the knowledge learned around industry-specific skills during the experience?
3/5
How would you rate the knowledge learned around personal or professional skills during the experience?
3/5
Please rate how the knowledge learned has helped you with regards to your career development
4/5
Company Culture
How would you rate business leader involvement during the insight
5/5
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
The culture seemed very friendly and quite informal as everyone from the team seemed to really enjoy their jobs.
In terms of the people in more senior roles, they seemed very relaxed and engaging. They had many stories to share and felt approachable.
In contract, the trainees, while insightful and nice to talk to, seemed a little bit more muted in terms of personality. In comparison to other firms where trainees are bursting with enthusiasm, there was not much humour involved. Having said that, everyone treated others with respect and were pleasant to talk to.
In terms of the people in more senior roles, they seemed very relaxed and engaging. They had many stories to share and felt approachable.
In contract, the trainees, while insightful and nice to talk to, seemed a little bit more muted in terms of personality. In comparison to other firms where trainees are bursting with enthusiasm, there was not much humour involved. Having said that, everyone treated others with respect and were pleasant to talk to.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
5/5
How would you rate the networking opportunities?
3/5
Please rate how valued you felt during your insight?
2/5
Overall Experience
To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
I enjoyed the Scheme to a considerable degree but I think there were some fundamental issues that limited the level of enjoyment and utility I could draw from the experience:
1. The cohort size of 122 people was too big: The experience was not individualised because you were just a face among many. Further, this prevented people from asking questions because there were simply too many to answer.
2. Talking rather than doing: Because of the cohort size, we were limited to lectures with relatively little interaction. The speakers tried to engage with the audience but the size of the group prevented this from happening. Further, some interactive tasks, such as trainee shadowing, could would not be possible with the current makeup of the Programme. The Litigation Worksop was the only part of the Programme where I genuinely felt like I was developing my skills.
3. Slow pace: The Programme had breaks almost every hour, which made the pace quite slow. Further, many of the talks engaged with the topic of diversity and radical change. These sessions could've been condensed into one or two different ones. This way, we could have done work on new topics rather than recycling some of the old ones.
1. The cohort size of 122 people was too big: The experience was not individualised because you were just a face among many. Further, this prevented people from asking questions because there were simply too many to answer.
2. Talking rather than doing: Because of the cohort size, we were limited to lectures with relatively little interaction. The speakers tried to engage with the audience but the size of the group prevented this from happening. Further, some interactive tasks, such as trainee shadowing, could would not be possible with the current makeup of the Programme. The Litigation Worksop was the only part of the Programme where I genuinely felt like I was developing my skills.
3. Slow pace: The Programme had breaks almost every hour, which made the pace quite slow. Further, many of the talks engaged with the topic of diversity and radical change. These sessions could've been condensed into one or two different ones. This way, we could have done work on new topics rather than recycling some of the old ones.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on the insight
4/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
2/5
Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
I was not paid and had no expenses
Recommendations and Advice
Please rate the future employment prospects at DLA Piper
4/5
Would you recommend DLA Piper to a friend?
Yes
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to DLA Piper
Think about whether you want to work for a global firm. I personally like the idea but it isn't for everyone. For example, you need to correspond with local counsel from a variety of countries who have different ways of communicating. The culture of a global 90-office firm cannot stay the same across the world due to cultural differences. You need to be prepared to work with people who are different from you.
