On my interview day for the summer placement with Bird & Bird, I began to appreciate a quality within the firm that was impossible to grasp from reading the mass of legal graduate literature. The friendly atmosphere of the interview made me feel that personality, rather than just legal knowledge and understanding, was what counted towards the firm’s success.

My experience on the summer placement only heightened this belief. By spending three weeks with the Real Estate group, I gained an authentic insight into the work undertaken by the firm. A distinctive feature of the placement was a student ‘project’, whereby two teams had to present ideas about how the firm could enhance its marketing strategy. This proved that the firm listened to the perceptions of summer students and utilised their suggestions, allowing future trainees to contribute at this early stage. The various social events added to this inclusive culture, ranging from sunset softball at Primrose Hill to the hangover-inducing partners’ drinks.

After my summer placement, Bird & Bird remained in frequent contact through the extranet site and university liaison system. I was invited to numerous social events, a particular highlight being the unlimited champagne at a summer party on the banks of the Thames. The overall effect of this continual association was that when I began my training contract, I did not arrive as a stranger but as a recognisable face with established relationships already within the firm.