Self-motivated and determined
You are self-motivated, proactive, ambitious, and determined to pursue goals with purpose. You are focused in your work, especially during moments of challenge.
Curious about law, business and technology
You are inquisitive about the world and eager to understand how law intersects with business and technology. You take an active interest in global developments, regulatory change and the commercial context.
Collaborative and inclusive
You enjoy working with others and build positive, inclusive relationships. You communicate clearly, listen actively and contribute thoughtfully to team discussions, recognising that the best outcomes are achieved together.
Open-minded and solutions-focused
You are open minded and proactive, with the confidence to suggest new ideas and challenge conventional thinking. You enjoy problem solving and focus on solutions, not simply the issues.
Critical thinking and sound judgement
You analyse complex problems and situations from multiple perspectives, weigh evidence objectively and exercise sound judgement. You use AI tools responsibly, recognising both their benefits and limitations.
Accountable and committed to quality
You take full responsibility for your outcomes and are committed to delivering high quality in everything that you do. You build trust with others through reliable delivery and have the courage to admit mistakes when they happen.
Growth mindset and continuous learning
You see learning as a continuous process and respond positively to feedback. You reflect on challenges and mistakes, using them as opportunities to develop, improve and strengthen your performance over time.
Transcript
Liam Cowell, Partner: Welcome. Fantastic. You've done brilliant to get to this stage. At some point, make sure you do stop and recognise just how well you've done. This is a massive day in your lives. A massive start to what I'm hoping will be fantastic careers.
Irene Adeyinka, Senior Diversity and Inclusion Specialist: So who is in your team? What is everyone's learning style? What's the understanding? And then, more importantly, who are the clients and what are their needs? How does that work as well?
Elainne Dunne, Trainee Solicitor: My experience at DLA Piper has enabled me to feel confident reassuring others that they too will have a wonderful experience during their training contract.
Paul Jayson, Partner: Treat the training contract and the opportunity as if you are exploring a new country. Make the most of it. Be inquisitive. Be curious.
Emma Thea Jones, Solicitor Apprentice: I think it's really valuable having them both join the same induction, because ultimately they do the same work. So being exposed to the same sessions gives them the same grounding, which is really helpful.
Jon Hayes, Global Co-Chair and Senior Partner: And on behalf of all of the partners at DLA Piper, a really very warm welcome to this event. To this stage of your career, to this great global law firm.
Rahul Ramanathan, Trainee Solicitor: Everyone in DLA is so welcoming. So I felt like, going in, I could always turn to associates, partners, anyone for support. To ask questions and to be eager is the biggest thing I'll take away from this.
Alla Kazoun, Trainee Solicitor: They gave us certain tips and tricks that will help us hit the ground running once we've entered each of our offices. And the good thing is that those tips and tricks are universal to all offices across the globe, whether it be London, Manchester, Birmingham, Hong Kong, Dubai, all those pieces of advice are applicable.
Edward Selwyn Sharpe, Trainee Solicitor: I feel that the induction week is really good at preparing us for our future, and giving us an ability to understand where everyone's potential lies and where our own potential lies. I think it's a really exciting firm to be in, and it's great to see everyone's potential and where that might lead us in the future.
Transcript
Molly: Hi, I am Molly. I work in the Early Careers team here at DLA Piper.
Kathleen: I'm Kathleen. I work in the Early Careers Talent Acquisition team here at DLA Piper.
Molly: When you're submitting an application form, the number one thing is to make sure you proofread your application before you submit it.
You’ve spent so long on it and it's really frustrating to submit it and realize that you've spelt something wrong.
It's really important for us to make sure that the lawyers we recruit have really great attention to detail.
Kathleen: A big thing would be – do your research to really understand why you're applying to DLA Piper.
Molly: Know the firm. Know what we're about.
Kathleen: We obviously know that you want to work in the legal industry, but what specifically stands out about us as a firm.
Molly: Once you've spent some time doing that, I'd recommend getting your application submitted. Get a draft up and really take time to work through that.
Kathleen: So if you do attend one of our assessment centres, my top tips would be to really try and be yourself.
Molly: The most important thing to do at an assessment centre is to be yourself.
Kathleen: Don't try and answer questions the way that you think the interviewer wants to hear them. They're really looking for that authentic person and who you are.
Molly: We'll be out on campus, attending lots of events, working with lots of different societies across universities, up and down the country, and across the world.
So come and meet us. That's the best opportunity for you to find out about who we are and to really reinforce the reasons why you want to work with us.
Kathleen: We also have an Instagram page. That's DLA Piper Careers.
Molly: You can find out all about where we are on campus, the opportunities, applications, openings, closing, and lots of other exciting content.
Transcript
Trainee: The main thing I've learnt from my experiences at DLA Piper is how interconnected our world really is.
Our world is growing and so globalized now. It only made sense for me to start my career somewhere that is global at heart.
Trainee: It is a global law firm. So at the junior level that means you can do international secondments to work for six months in another country, which sounds ideal to me.
Trainee: What really drew me to DLA Piper was the firm's One UK Policy, which is the policy that work is shared collaboratively across all of the UK offices.
Even though I'm based in a regional office, I still have access to opportunities to work on really high-profile, really exciting matters and projects, even from a regional base.
Trainee: Obviously, coming into a job like this there's a huge amount of imposter syndrome that can come with it.
But I think with how supported you are at DLA Piper, that can help overcome that.
They're there to give you those little pushes which you might feel too scared to take on your own.
Trainee: There are so many opportunities to just put your hand up and ask to get involved in things. So whether that's saying, oh, Could I write an article for website? Could I get involved in this pro bono work?
Trainee: I wasn't a law student, I say with some pride. I did history.
Trainee: There's no one route into law and you don't have to fit a certain mold to become a lawyer.
I, for example, did a philosophy degree. I found that in applications and interviews I had so much to talk about because those were things that I was genuinely interested in.
Trainee: So I did politics, philosophy and economics at university. Initially, I was also a bit hesitant about choosing this career because it's quite different to the kind of things I did in my undergraduate degree.
Trainee: And a firm like DLA Piper especially really values broad perspectives and different backgrounds.
Trainee: The skills you have learned from your undergraduate degree are so transferrable to what we do as a firm, and what the industry does in general.
Trainee: They're really good at developing the softer skills which contribute to a good career. I've learned a lot about the sort of lawyer I want to be.
Trainee: DLA Piper has a really friendly, inclusive culture. That's something that's been really evident as a trainee. Even really senior partners will come over to you, will have a chat with you and that makes such a difference.
Trainee: Another thing that stood out to me about DLA Piper was their commitment to pro bono.
Trainee: The pro bono and sustainability work throughout the firm is etched from the very top to the very bottom.
And things like economic development, ensuring a just and equitable climate transition – these things run throughout the firm.
Trainee: I really got the sense that it wasn't just lip service, that they actually meant what they said, and it was very value driven.
Trainee: And it's specific initiatives.
Trainee: So the Manchester office is partnered with a nonprofit organization called Hope for Justice, which supports victims of human trafficking and modern slavery.
Trainee: When I was a trainee, I got really, really involved with Project Ukraine. We basically went out to try to give legal information to people trying to come to the UK.
There was no way that you could do any work like that anywhere else. And I loved it! And I ended up doing 300 cases or so.
Trainee: I've worked on the Carbon Tax Model Rule for the Commonwealth, assisting, drafting policy guidance for them. Even though, you know, it’s completely aside from my area of practice.
It's something that I got involved with because it's something the firm was doing that I'm interested in. And I felt like if I could add value.
Trainee: You go and you feel as though you're helping people in quite a direct way.
Trainee: It's law, which involves human beings, rather than abstract principles.
Trainee: And I don't think there are many other careers that can offer that. And there are not many other firms that can offer that either.
How to make the most of your internship: Clare Hibbert’s advice for standing out
DLA Piper trainee Clare Hibbert reflects on her journey from university to practice, sharing practical advice on how to make the most out of your internship.
One firm, one global community: Martin Haller on building connections that go beyond work
From Munich to Melbourne, Partner Martin Haller reflects on how collaboration across offices and cultures creates a truly connected way of working.
Sustainability in action with Venessa Parekh
For Venesssa Parekh, Head of Sustainability in EMEA and APAC, sustainability means equipping people with the knowledge and skills to understand sustainability risks and opportunities to support our clients in an evolving landscape.
Step into the world of commercial law: UK insight events for students
At our Law, unlocked insight events in the UK, students stepped inside our offices to meet our people, explore life at DLA Piper and see how careers in commercial law can take shape.
High performance starts with a supportive team: In conversation with Aimee Harper
Aimee Harper, an Associate in Finance, reflects on how collaboration, collective experience and a supportive team drive high performance, personal growth and exceptional outcomes for clients.
The path to partnership: Manuel Indelkofer’s journey
Dr. Manuel Indelkofer reflects on his journey from junior associate to partner, sharing how his approach to leadership has evolved and what aspiring partners need to succeed.
Be bold enough to ask: Gigi Lockhart on shaping your career
Senior Associate, Gigi Lockhart shares how stepping beyond her role and taking on new challenges helped her shape her career and build relationships across DLA Piper’s international network.
The mindset that drives high performance, with Drew Moss
Drew Moss, Head of Talent, explores how mindset, feedback, resilience and wellbeing work together to drive sustainable high performance.
Be curious about what comes next, with Joanne Conway
From taking stretch assignments to embracing change, Joanne's path to Head of Inclusion & Culture for EMEA and APAC shows how progress happens when you’re willing to ask, learn and step up.
What makes DLA Piper different? A conversation with Peter Somekh
Peter Somekh, Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, shares how a culture of challenge and collaboration has shaped his career, and continues to push him to grow.
What a Solicitor Apprenticeship can offer: Alix Leatherday's career journey
Alix Leatherday chose the Solicitor Apprenticeship route, combining global exposure with practical training inside our Manchester office. From day one, she's earning her degree while working on high-profile matters that count.
A day in the life of a Solicitor Apprentice, with Sophie Kenny
To mark National Apprenticeship Week, Sophie gives us a glimpse into her role in the Leeds office. Now in her fifth year, she’s working with lawyers across the globe and gaining hands-on legal experience, all while earning her degree.
What does global mean at DLA Piper?
From London to Johannesburg, our people deliver work that crosses borders, industries, and expectations, because ambition without limits needs a global platform.
Discovery Days, unlocked
Our Discovery Days give you real insight into the work, the people, and the pace of DLA Piper.
From Summer Intern to Associate: Mihir’s journey
For Mihir Joshi, joining DLA Piper felt like a natural step – from Intern to Associate, he's seen the values stay consistent while the opportunities keep expanding.
A day in the life of a Summer Intern, with Ammar
As a Summer Intern, based in our Birmingham office, Ammar has been immersed in complex, high-impact work – building confidence, gaining clarity and discovering his potential in the process.
What makes DLA Piper different? Insights from Alyson Eather
Partner, Alyson Eather reflects on the global opportunities, varied experiences and supportive culture that have shaped her career.