Local strength, global resource - life as a summer intern at Pinsent Masons

As I disembark from the clammy 145 bus on the last morning of my Summer Internship with Pinsent Masons, I struggle to come to terms with how rapidly the past 4 weeks have flown. Walking towards the office, I listen to a personal playlist on shuffle and two songs randomly come on. Both the songs, and the order in which they play, lead to a moment of serendipity. ‘July’ by Mundy and ‘Linger’ by The Cranberries. I can’t help but let out a wry smile and think that Deezer is trying to tell me something.

When I walked into the Pinsent Masons office for that first time on a sunny Monday four short weeks ago, I was struck by the slogan at the door. “Local strength, global resource”. Such local strength manifests itself in many ways here in Pinsent Masons: a sense of purpose, unity and teamwork, an omnipresent culture of knowledge, expertise and innovation, and the most apparent strength of all, the strength of friendship. You know that although you are part of a worldwide network, you also belong to a community that knows and appreciates where it comes from. U2, Rory Gallagher and Thin Lizzy memorabilia dots the reception area in a tip of the cap to the office’s former purpose – a recording studio.

Each day in PM presented me with an opportunity to learn. I was assigned to the Employment Team and the time I am taking to write this review is about as much free time as I have had in the office all month. I was immersed in genuine, stimulating work from the off. There was no such thing as “Con go photocopy this massive bundle of documents and then file them after”. I became more accustomed to tasks such as researching legislation and writing notes for clients to inform them of any upcoming changes, handling queries from clients via email, drafting instructions and creating case booklets for counsel, drafting precedents for the Irish jurisdiction, and generating content for OutLaw articles. I really appreciated the respect, trust and faith placed in me by my Senior Associate Ciara given the calibre of work

As if that work wasn’t enough, the Partner in the Energy Team drafted me in on certain matters they were handling and so I got to work on 4 large projects with that team. Some of that work involved drafting templates for asset transfers, compiling a information note for a visiting Partner from the London office who was over to meet a prospective client, and substantial research on new energy policies announced in Ireland.

Pinsent Masons afforded me the opportunity to make what I hope to be long-term connections. Attending the PM Summer BBQ, 10 days before I even began as an intern event helped me to establish relationships with my future colleagues well in advance of beginning. When I came in to work on Day 1, I remembered the Partner who I chatted with about Formula 1, the Trainee who knew a college friend of mine, a Partner who I ended up taking a selfie with on their phone, and he who shall not be named who joined me in my quest for a final whiskey after last orders had been called! Pinsent Masons was also a never-ending period of learning and development. Throughout July, I was lucky enough to sit in on 12 different presentations, improve my research skills, test my oration skills through my SWOT presentation, and most crucially … find out what kind of an influencer I am!!

So as I enter my final 5 hours as a Summer Intern with Pinsent Masons, I reflect on the 20 incredible days that I have had here. I’m going to miss everyone that I came in contact with. I’m definitely going to miss the Friday drinks in the Kitchen. I’m going to miss the buzz and the rush of working to meet a deadline. But I don’t think I’ll miss the run to the bus stop every morning when you try to squeeze in the last few minutes of sleep!

To anyone thinking about applying to Pinsent Masons for a Summer Internship or a Training Contract, I say don’t waste a minute thinking about it and just do it. You will have the best experience in a firm which emphasises solid relationships, teamwork, having a healthy work-life balance, educating you, maximising your potential, and a firm which genuinely cares about you. A firm that cares about your weekend, your past experiences, your hopes for the future, your desire to learn and develop, your highs, and your lows.

I think I’ll listen to Mundy and Dolores O’Riordan on the walk back to the bus this evening.

And I will let the memories of ‘July’ ‘Linger’ in my mind for a long time to come.