We recently welcomed Alessandro to TeamCB, as part of the Kent Law School (University of Kent) MLaw paralegal scheme. Here he talks about his first few days with CooperBurnett:
“As part of the MLaw scheme at the University of Kent, students get the opportunity to interview at law firms for the chance to gain QWE [Qualifying Work Experience] through a paralegal role. This is unique, as it combines typical SQE [Solicitors Qualifying Experience] content with real tangible work experience, putting the theory which is learnt at university, into practice.
After the preparation and research required when interviewing at a law firm, the reality of joining was completely different to my expectations. The faces I first saw on the website instantly became colleagues once I walked through the door at CooperBurnett due to the firm’s professional, yet friendly, feel.
I was particularly nervous, as I was starting with the Corporate and Commercial [CoCo] team. In addition to traditional stereotypes of corporate law, I was aware it was an area in which I was inexperienced apart from undertaking a ‘Company Law’ module during my second year.
As part of the onboarding process, I engaged with a compliance webinar concerning the risks of cybercrime within a law firm. In particular, the sensitive data held by firms was highlighted as a target for cyber criminals. This reinforced that the work I would be completing over the course of the next year involves real clients and is to be handled sensitively, which gave me a greater sense of responsibility from the outset.
Despite this, the CoCo team instantly put me at ease as I was introduced to my ‘work buddy’, an Associate Solicitor called Molly [Mackay], who introduced me to the case management system and helped me settle into firm life. During my first day, I also got the opportunity to meet a client who needed to do an identification check - this was exciting and a great opportunity to see what client communication looks like from the outset.
The opportunity to sit with fee earners means I am immersed in live matters and exposed to ‘law in action’ – I observe phone calls; discuss how research I am conducting affects real clients; and generally absorb the world of a solicitor. This will provide me with crucial insights into what a commercial solicitors’ role is, something which is not taught through the black letter law at university.
Overall, the firm’s friendly yet corporate feel, effortlessly put me at ease and any nervous preconceptions about entering a law firm were immediately dissipated, as I was welcomed into TeamCB. As I look forward to the upcoming year, I am excited to learn more about the transaction process and to explore other practice areas within the firm.”
