Nnamdi

Tell us about your internship

During my internship, I spent six weeks in four departments – Real Estate, Immigration, Corporate and Banking. One thing each department had in common was their extremely welcoming and inclusive culture.

What was involved with the application process?

The application process was divided into two parts. The first part involved completing an application, with a copy of your CV. The second part was a 40 minute interview with a member of HR and a Partner of the firm.

Did you get involved in anything outside of work, e.g. Networking, BD, events, sports etc

The Firm has an abundance of out of work events and we were encouraged to participate. I attended various sessions ranging from committee meetings with people from the Race, Belief and Ethnicity; Gender; and LGBTQ+ societies where I was able to network and understand more about the firms approach to a more inclusive and diverse workforce. I also got involved in sports with the touch rugby team and I have been invited to join the team in September at a tournament against other Law Firms.

How did you learn about 10,000 Black Interns?

I heard about 10,000 Black Interns through a social media advertisement and through word of mouth. I am very happy that I applied and had the opportunity to work at Charles Russell Speechlys.

What are your top 3 tips to make the most out of the internship?

Six weeks is a long time in theory but in reality, it went by by very quickly. So, my top three tips are:

1. Keep a journal of everything you have done from the daily tasks to out of work activities. This will help when you are updating your CV/LinkedIn and during conversations with people at the firm.
2. Ask questions – don’t hesitate to ask for guidance if stuck on any task. One thing I noticed in my time here is that associates and partners are extremely busy but will always be able to spare a few minutes to answer any questions I had.
3. Enjoy it! This is something that is easier said than done but the culture of the firm played a huge part in me enjoying my internship at Charles Russell Speechlys and wanting to get involved in as much work and events as I could.

What advice would you give to others thinking about applying?

Do it! I know there are many people out there who will hesitate like I did, with the fear of being rejected because you do not have a lot of legal experience but the question you should ask yourself is how do you get experience in an extremely competitive sector if you do not take advantage of opportunities like the 10,000 black intern schemes. The application process has been simplified and is not time consuming. It is also important to bear in mind that if you get the internship, it is on average longer than a vacation scheme and you are not only able to showcase yourself and your skills, but also to build and grow your network.