Summer Intern Review
at DLA Piper
Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)
Legal/Law
Edinburgh
Review Submitted: July 2025
Overall Rating
4 /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!
3.5/5
-
Overview of Experience
4/5
-
Skills Development
3.8/5
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Company Culture
4.5/5
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Overall Experience
5/5
-
Recommendations and Advice
Overview of Experience
Please give an overview of the insight and what was involved on a day-to-day basis.
We are placed in departments and work alongside fee-earners to carry out a variety of tasks. We are assigned tasks from the department such as drafting documents, summarising documents or proofreading tasks. We are welcomed to ask further questions regarding the tasks which we are assigned in order to enable us to learn more about the work that the fee-earners do. Some departments take their interns out of the office to attend court or visit development sites. Some interns have been given the opportunity to attend client meetings.
What was it like understanding all about the business and potential roles available?
The three day induction in London was highly informative and gave us a great baseline knowledge of the firm which enabled us to come into the placement with confidence. It enhanced the research that all interns will undoubtedly have done during the application and assessment process, as well as in preparation for the internship itself. This gave us a basis for conversation with fee earners and helped us begin considering specific questions that we might like to ask when we began working in our departments. We gained a lot of insight into the various practice areas which helped us to consider which team we might like to work in in future.
Please rate how insightful you found the insight
4/5
How would you rate the structure of the insight
3/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
I have developed my attention to detail by carrying out a range of proof reading tasks. I have developed my analytical skills by drafting contractual terms. I have developed my communication skills and considered how I can read a room and interpret the body language of others in order to assess their preferred communication methods. I have developed my problem solving by working on complex tasks and used my initiative to carry out a range of research before asking questions about a task, developing my independence.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
4/5
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?
4/5
Please rate how the knowledge learned has helped you with regards to your career development
5/5
Company Culture
How would you rate business leader involvement during the insight
3/5
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
The culture varies significantly across departments. My overarching observation is that the firm has a friendly and welcoming culture. All fee earners with whom I interacted were kind and welcoming. Some departments are more social during the day than others. My first practice group was very quiet and did not speak much throughout the day which made it slightly more difficult to develop relationships however I understand that this was because the group was incredibly busy that week. My second placement group have been much more social and chatty throughout the day which has made it easier to make connections across the wider team. This is not to say that it is difficult to make connections across the firm - most fee earners are very happy to chat with interns - it is just that more initiative is required in the quieter teams.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
4/5
How would you rate the networking opportunities?
4/5
Please rate how valued you felt during your insight?
4/5
Overall Experience
To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
The insight was incredibly enjoyable.
Please rate your level of enjoyment on the insight
5/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
4/5
Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
I was paid
Recommendations and Advice
Please rate the future employment prospects at DLA Piper
5/5
Would you recommend DLA Piper to a friend?
Yes
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to DLA Piper
Conduct thorough research of the firm and reference specific deals - the Discovery Day is invaluable for this as many recent deals and client insights are provided. There is also an opportunity to meet the Office Managing Partner and other Partners/Legal Directors at this event which is good as they will interview you if you go on to do the Assessment Centre. If you know you want to apply to DLA submit your application as soon as possible and start working through as the applications are rolling and once the spaces are gone they are gone. Once you start progressing through the stages complete each stage as soon as you can to maximise your chance of securing a place at assessment centre before they are all filled. At the assessment centre stay calm, do not overpower in the group exercise, be confident, smile, engage with the other candidates as they might be on your internship. Crucial to understand the sector and practice group split as the sector emphasis is a huge focus at DLA and will show you actually researched.
