Why did you choose to work at DLA Piper?

I was fortunate enough to intern at DLA Piper’s Dubai office during my time at university. During my internship, I was able to experience first-hand the culture of the firm and the approachability of senior lawyers, which resonated with me as I place importance in a work environment that fosters development and camaraderie. This is especially significant when you consider that these are the people you spent most of your time during the week with.

Also, at the time of applying for my current role at the firm, DLA Piper had just introduced the international graduate programme to the Dubai office. This displayed to me their strong commitment to growth in the region and the profitability and success of the Dubai office specifically. As such, I was attracted to be a part of this growth because I believed it to be the best environment for my development as a legal professional.

Is there anything you would like to highlight about your experiences at DLA Piper?

DLA Piper is strongly invested in its people and fostering a collaborative culture firm-wide. A good example of this is the international graduate induction which took place in DLA Piper’s London office right before commencing the international graduate programme. All other trainees in the cohort of 2023 attended the induction which comprised of trainees from the UK (and all its regions, including Edinburgh), Dublin, Hong Kong and Dubai. The induction included talks and presentations about the firm and our programme, professional skill courses and enjoyable team-building exercises, which included travelling to a golf estate!

The induction provided an invaluable opportunity to meet other DLA Piper trainees from all around the world in an informal setting, expanding our network at a global level. It also showed us the firm’s commitment to its junior employees and the involvement of the early careers team in our training and development.

Do you have any advice for students aspiring to pursue a career in law?

It is important to remember that a career in law can be very diverse, especially in a firm like DLA Piper. Ranging from practice areas such as Corporate, Finance, Dispute Resolution to Media, Sport and Entertainment, Technology and Environmental, Social and Governance, you can choose an area that most interests you.

Your extra-curricular activities outside of your academic studies are just as important as your university degree. The work experiences you undertake do not have to be legal as you can extract the relevant skills that are required to pursue a career in law from non-legal experiences, so it is useful to have a mixture of work experience.

Put in the time and do not be discouraged by rejection. The nature of the legal industry can be quite competitive, however, each rejection you may face will better prepare you for when you secure the position you are applying for. It is prudent to stay organised and start any preparation as early as possible to give you ample time to be confident in demonstrating your potential.