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Summer work experience

Applications are closed

 

Discover for yourself what law in practice is really like

The Summer Legal School Work Experience programme is for students aged 16-19. The programme offers the perfect way to find out if law is the right career choice for you. You’ll get a full overview of what it’s like to work in a professional services environment, get valuable work experience and discover for yourself what commercial law in practice is really like. What’s more, your CV gets a real boost! Whatever your background or experience, it’s a great way to develop your skills and build your confidence. So, what are you waiting for?

Purpose-led

We make business work better for people

Highly Rated

Placed 18th in the RateMyApprenticeship Best 100 Apprenticeship Employers ranking 2023-2024

Comprehensive Training

We deliver core and complementary training

Our work experience placements

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Join us for a 5-day work experience placement and you’ll get a full overview of what it’s like to work in a leading commercial law firm. You’ll get valuable experience and discover for yourself what law in practice is really like. What’s more, the experience will give your CV a real boost.

Whatever your background, legal knowledge or experience it’s a great way to get an insight into the commercial world and develop your skill-set. So, what are you waiting for?

If successful in securing a place, you will be provided with a laptop and full IT equipment on your first day in the office.

After you have applied why not also take a look at our open access virtual work experience programme.

 

What our placement involves

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You’ll get a full overview of what it’s like to work in a leading commercial law firm; gain valuable experience and discover for yourself what law in practice is really like. What’s more, the experience will give your CV a real boost.

We’ve designed the programme so you’ll work with – and learn from – some of our top legal talent. And we’ve aimed to make it interesting, informative and fun. Our previous students really enjoyed their placements and said they were particularly impressed by how close the online programme was to an in-person experience.

This will be a paid work experience placement so as well as shadowing some of our top legal talent, you'll also receive a salary for the work you complete. We will also provide lunch and cover all transportation costs for coming into the office.

 

Widening access to the legal profession

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We believe the legal profession should reflect society as a whole and want to develop both a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace. That’s why we were one of the first law firms to sign up for PRIME, the legal sector’s commitment to providing high-quality work experience.

Running for over 10 years, our award-winning programme is one of the largest in the legal sector. In fact, we offer placements to over 150 students each year across our nine UK and Irish offices, around 50 of which are linked to our PRIME Commitment.

Each year, we’re seeing candidates from a greater variety of backgrounds applying for our vacation placements and training contracts. In many cases, those who apply to us had their introduction to law through our school work experience programme.

 

Post-placement development

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After your placement, you can further develop your interest in, and experience of, commercial law. You could undertake work experience at another firm or undertake a virtual placement.

If you decide to go to university, you can apply to us for a Vacation Placement or a Training Contract. We normally recruit our Trainees two years in advance, so you should take that into consideration in your overall planning.

Alternatively, you may be interested in one of our Apprenticeship opportunities. Combining academic studies with work-based learning, you'll earn as you learn and gain a professional qualification.

You'll also have the opportunity to join our Alumni Network and have the option to join a range of events to develop your skills and keep in touch with Pinsent Masons.

Even if you decide the law isn’t for you, you’ll have learned some valuable skills that can be transferred into a wide range of careers.

 

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Pinsent Masons values diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds. We are proud to be using the Rare Contextual Recruitment System which helps us review your application in the context of your socio-economic background (e.g. with an understanding of your wider personal circumstances).

If you don’t meet the above criteria but there are mitigating circumstances that explain why you’ve failed to meet the minimum academic requirements, there’s an opportunity for you to include this information in your application.


What you'll get out of our placement

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If you’re interested in a legal career it’s important to find the right firm and the right area of law for you. Join our school legal work placement programme to learn skills that will be valuable wherever the future takes you.

You’ll learn how the law has a commercial impact on our clients and find out about practice areas like Banking and Employment. You’ll also get an insight into the qualifications you might need for a legal career, so you can make future decisions based on knowledge and experience.

We’ve designed an interesting, informative and fun programme. You’ll work with – and learn from – some of our top people. Here’s what you can look forward to:

  • Working with a supervisor who will help you discover the skills you’ll need to be a successful lawyer
  • Learning directly from Solicitors and Trainee Solicitors
  • Shadowing in one of our practice areas
  • Networking with our Trainee Solicitors, Associates & Partners
  • Contributing to group exercises
  • Participating in group discussions
  • Completing legal tasks
  • Attending interactive presentations
  • Going over CV, Application & Interview tips and discussing your career plans with your supervisor

We think it’s a great placement and probably why we were the top ranked law firm in Rate My Apprenticeship’s Top 100 Employers for the last 4 years.

 

Making an application

Here are the dates for our 2024 Summer Legal School Work Experience Programme. No applications will be accepted after the application closing date. So, if you’re serious about applying, please don’t leave it to the last minute.

Summer
  • Monday 5th August - Friday 9th August 2024

Applications for the 2024 Summer Legal School Work Experience programmes close on 30th April 2024.

 

You’ll need to do some research to answer some of the questions on the application form. This is your chance to make a positive impression, so take your time and double-check everything before submitting it. We’ll review all the applications after the closing date and have designed the process ensure you'll know the outcome within 6 weeks of the application deadline.

You will need to be able to prove your right to work in the UK and will be asked to provide original documentation prior to commencement (e.g. a passport or birth certificate and written proof of your national insurance number).

Good Luck!

 

  • Can I join the programme if I'm under 16 years old?

    No, we only offer work experience placements to school students who are over 16 years old and who are studying towards their AS/A Levels, Highers (or equivalent) or who will have completed their GCSEs, National 5’s (or equivalent) before the start of the programme..

  • Do you offer non-legal work experience?

    We don’t offer non-legal work experience in areas such as Facilities, Finance and Human Resources at the moment, although this may change in the future.

  • When will I find out if my application has been successful?

    Once the deadline for applications has passed, we screen applications against a pre-defined framework and shortlist students who best meet our requirements. We will contact all candidates within 6 weeks of the application deadline.

  • Will you cover my travel and accommodation costs?

    This is a virtual work experience programme and will take place online. However we will cover travel costs for the insight days taking place in Autumn.

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