Aston Law School graduate undertakes placement at DAC Beachcroft
I studied Aston’s Law LLB degree and did my placement at DAC Beachcroft LLP international law firm.
Aston really emphasises the importance of doing a placement year because it enhances your employability once you have finished your degree. Applying for a training contract or a vacation scheme is very competitive and having a year’s worth of experience with an international law firm will put you ahead of many of your peers.
Tell us about your placement
I’ve been working with really senior level members of staff and also people that are just starting their career. I have my own cases which I work from start to finish and it has been a lot of responsibility but also lot of fun.
Day to day I do things such as draft court proceedings and instruct council for hearings. I also call clients and advise them on their prospects of their case. I make decisions on things such as whether we should settle or take the case to trial. Whilst being in a law firm I’ve learnt a lot about the court system, which will allow me to go back into my final year with a real understanding of how the law actually works in practice.
What do you want to do in the future?
In the future, I would like to be a commercial lawyer, and Aston’s business-orientated law degree and my placement has put me in a great position to achieve this.
A lawyer is no longer just expected to advise on the law, we are also business advisors. The skill I have most developed while I’ve been here is my communication skills. It is very important because you need to be able to describe to a client the law and explain it to them in a way, they can understand it.
