“Law in Practice”: the benefits of degrees with work placements

 In this special episode we are joined by two final year QMUL Law students, Simran Patel and William Green, who took up the option of embedding a year of paid work experience into their law studies.  We talk about how the opportunity to apply one’s academic learning in the workplace is powerful, the skills they built, the different private practice and in-house work environments, and the career insights which a work placement offers to guide your development.

For the in-house environment, Williams speaks about how working in the Corporate and Legal Operations teams at CHANEL led to feeling very close to the business units across the company.  How he built his commercial awareness, giving him great insight into issues a lawyer needs to think about as part of their work in a world-leading luxury brand business.  Also, William compares this experience with the private practice environment of ICB Law Firm in Kuwait, which was a fascinating insight into a law firm in a different region. 

Simran talks about how much insight her placement at BCLP gave into a career in private practice – especially how she built her confidence in dealing directly with clients, the need to be responsive, and build one’s communication skills.  Also Simran describes how the technologies which are now becoming a key part of a lawyer’s daily tool-kit mean that attention to detail is even more critical – checking what the AI and other automation tools have created.  Finally, Simran compares this private practice experience with her previous internships as part of an in-house legal team, and how all this experience has helped to shape her career thinking.   

Actions and resources for listeners:
·       Look at the QMUL placement degree student experience videos and statements here – what skills did the students develop?  And how does this list of skills link to some skills you would like to develop?
·       Read this article about In-House career paths and how you can find a path toward them – and plan your answers for the interview questions listed there!