For the first year at Lyons Davidson, we launched our new non-graduate work experience programme in the Bristol offices. The scheme was aimed at sixth-form and college students to enable them a chance to experience first-hand what it is like to work for a national law company and gain an insight into a legal career. The scheme took place during the Easter holidays. Each student spent time with many of our business areas, from the legal to the support side of the company.
We reached out to local schools and colleges to promote the scheme. Over 30 students applied in hope of securing a space on the scheme and four were successful in their applications and interviews. April Buxton, Georgina Galsworthy, Lucy Pearson are all studying Law for AS Level at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, while Micha Lilley studies Law at City of Bristol College.
April spent the week with our General Office, Meruit Costs, Industrial Disease and Information Services departments. She received excellent feedback from managers, who said “she impressed in both groups with good questions and an enthusiastic, attentive manner,” and that “she was exceptionally quick at picking up instructions.” April was really positive about the work experience programme and felt like she learned a lot during the week. She enjoyed helping some of the trainee solicitors with tasks they were working on and said this helped her see how her law studies would work in practice.
Meanwhile, Georgina spent her week with the Claimant Personal Injury, Training, General Office and Advocacy departments. The feedback for Georgina was also positive. One manager said that they were “impressed with the level of questions that were posed,” another that she “displayed a genuine interest in the legal profession.” Georgina was really enthusiastic about the week and was sad to leave on her last day. In particular, she valued the opportunity she was given to research an actual case and to be able to work independently; she also very much enjoyed being able to go to court.
Lucy said that she “wishes she could have stayed longer” after spending her week with the Advocacy, Information Services, Claimant Personal Injury and General Office teams. The feedback for Lucy was that she showed a keen interest in each of the departments she was with and the work they do. One of the managers said she was impressed with the questions Lucy asked and how quickly she picked things up. Lucy said that she found the work interesting and she also completed some research tasks with one of the trainee solicitors.
Micha equally impressed managers with the work she produced after spending her week with Claimant Personal Injury (Non-Motor), Advocacy, Training and General Office. She was described as having a professional and conscientious approach. One manager even said that she “seemed reluctant to leave at five o’clock!” Micha was as enthusiastic the others about what she learnt and, like Georgina, said she did not want to leave. She was given the opportunity to look at medical records and give her opinion about a court bundle; above all, she said she was pleased to have gained actual hands-on experience.
We are extremely pleased about the feedback received both from the students and with the departments they spent time with and, as a result of this, we are offering them all internships lasting six weeks over the summer.
Given the excellent response received, we are planning to expand our work-experience programme out to our other offices across the country and offer more students a chance to seek an insight into working with Lyons Davidson Solicitors.
If you would like more information about the work experience and internship schemes or about a career in the law, visit Lyons Davidson’s careers pages or email [email protected]
