it’s not just about the biscuits a well...

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE BISCUITS...A WELL ROUNDED LOOK AT DLA PIPER

EVERYTHING MATTERS

THE LAW FIRM WHERE

EVERYTHINGMATTERS

This brochure has been created tohelp answer both these questions. We will aim to give you a wellrounded view of DLA Piper - what we do, what we believe in and whatwe have to offer. At the same timewe’ll tell you what we’re looking for inour trainees - well rounded individualswith the right mix of talents.

Our firm’s philosophy is that‘EVERYTHING MATTERS’ andthis would be true of your trainingexperience as well. It’s not just aboutthe biscuits on offer but also theexperience you’ll gain, the peopleyou’ll work with and the options you can explore.

As part of our down-to-earth culturethis brochure gives an honest view of what’s on offer. We believe thatwe’ve put together a trainingprogramme that is one of the bestaround with an international law firm that is genuinely different fromthe rest.

So let’s talk about us: what we’reabout and what you can expect if you accept a contract with us. We hope what you read will inspireyou to get in touch with us to findout more.

1A well rounded look at DLA Piper

Have you got what it takes to become a part of one of the world’s largest law firms? Can we offeryou what you’re looking for in your career?

The first thing you need to know iswhat lawyers at DLA Piper actually do. It involves a lot more than knowingthe law and requires a wide range of skills.

Giving your clients guidance on the legal issues is obviously veryimportant. You must be a master of your subject area and be able to interpret it for specificcircumstances.

We are a full service business law firmwhich means you’ll get the chance toexperience what’s involved with manyareas during your first two years withus, and probably find that one or twointerest you most.

We’ll do our very best to ensure that you qualify in the area thatinterests you. Because of our size, theopportunities on offer are extensive.

BEYOND THE LAW

However, being a great lawyer requiresa lot more than technical knowledge.Our philosophy of ‘everything matters’means that every aspect of our servicehas to be delivered to the highestquality: from the way you answer thephone, to the way you deliver youradvice. You’re going to have to begood at lots of things, have initiativeand be very client focused.Communication and interpersonalskills are vital.

Lawyers are also team players. You’llregularly work with others to tackle aproject. You need to be able to listen,put forward suggestions and play anactive role within a range of teams.Being a law firm where hierarchy isless obvious, everyone plays animportant role. These are skills that are not necessarily taught, so we’ll help you to develop them.

2 A well rounded look at DLA Piper

A CAREER FORALL ROUNDERS

Talented and successful people haveclimbed the ladder at DLA Piper toachieve their ambitions, and will continueto do so. This is according to theirabilities, irrespective of time serving orany other principles that elsewhere hinder the process.

Duncan MosleyPartner, Sheffield

THIS IS A BUSINESS

Finally, we consider our lawyers tobe business people because, after all,we are a business. Our commercialattitude is one of the things ourclients find so refreshing.

When you become a lawyer with us,we expect you to understand whatmakes our clients tick and have athorough knowledge of the industryin which they work. We want you tobe entrepreneurial, always coming up with fresh ideas that can makeextra profits for the client and our firm. As your career developsyou’ll also need to understandbudgets, business planning andmarketing.


You hear a lot about law firm traineesdoing nothing but photocopying (or fixing the photocopier for a littlevariety). Quite frankly, spending twoyears slaving over a hot reprographicsmachine would not justify the amountof money we’re investing in you.

What you will get as a DLA Pipertrainee is real experience - and lots ofit. Actual work for actual clients thatcan make a difference. However, youwon’t be thrown straight in at thedeep end, but will be given things to do that will build your skills andexperience. And if you’re good at them you’ll be given more.

From induction to qualification andbeyond, we’ll ensure that you developthe necessary abilities and knowledgeto survive in a busy client-drivenenvironment. This involves four six

month seats in different departments,and training tailored to meet your needs.You’ll receive regular performancereviews and feedback throughout. Therewill also be opportunities to go onsecondments to clients where you’lllearn what makes them tick and theimpact legal advice actually has.

There are going to be tough days as well as fun times; grind as well asglamour; and some late nights and earlymornings. However, everything that youencounter will stand you in good steadfor your future career.

WE WON’T WASTE


YOUR TIME

I joined DLA Piper because I saw it as a firm thathad both history and real ambition for the future. It doesn’t want to stand still and consolidate but isalways looking to be innovative and lead the market.

Gurpreet DuhraAssociate, Sheffield

SHAKING UP THE

LEGAL INDUSTRY

In some ways DLA Piper isn’t differentfrom other law firms. We compete forthe same work as our competitors,tend to wear similar clothes and havea partnership structure where thereward for great work is to share inthe profits of the firm.

However, there’s a big difference inour attitude. You would not just bejoining a firm with a history that goesback to the 1700s, but one which has seen enormous growth over the past decade. This is due to anentrepreneurial mindset and awillingness to take risks. We’ve dared

to think big and turn our vision intoreality. We’ve acted like a modern,ambitious business rather than a wellpaid gentleman’s club, spreading acrossthe world at a rate never seen before. In many ways, we’ve shaken up the cosyworld of law and demonstrated howreal commercial flair can get you placesvery quickly.

This attitude flows through our firm andprovides real energy to the workingenvironment. People feel they are partof something special, and still at the startof something big. This is why we needpeople with similar energy and drive.

We want to continue growing into the future, and you could play a part.

USING OUR SIZE

As one of the world’s largest law firmswe can also offer you stability. Therecession created enormous problemsfor many law firms. We’ve had to makeadjustments ourselves, but our globalstrength and breadth of practice hasallowed us to maintain our successand you can be confident of yourfuture prospects.

Above all, we can offer you choice.Not everyone wants to be a partner.For some, that’s their single mindedgoal. There are a thousand ways tohave a career at DLA Piper - a hugerange of specialist areas, leadershiproles, locations and projects to getyour teeth into.


Even before I joined DLA Piper I was made to feel a part of the firm. The graduate recruitment team keeps in touch with you and invites you to events. Like me, you’ll probably arrive on your first day already knowing a lot about the firm and the peopleyou’ll be working with. It gets your training contract off to a really good start.

Claire QuinnAssociate, Manchester

DLA Piper is not a high street operation.We now have more than 8,000

employees in Europe, Asia, theMiddle East and the US. Our

clients include some of theworld’s leading businesses,governments, banks andfinancial institutions.

OPPORTUNITIES

AROUND THE WORLD


With over 60 offices around theworld, you don’t just become a part of our Birmingham or Londonoperation, but a member of agenuinely worldwide firm. Even ifyou’re not based in London, you willstill be doing City quality work in ourregional locations. Interesting, big ticketwork flows around the firm.

This is not an umbrella organisationwhere a variety of law firms workunder a single name. We are unifiedand that unity gives us strength.

WE GET AROUND

DLA Piper is based in the followingUK cities:

• Birmingham• Edinburgh• Glasgow• Leeds• Liverpool• London• Manchester• Sheffield

As a trainee you will get theopportunity to apply for internationalsecondments to a range of ouroverseas offices. We also offer anumber of client secondments so youcan sharpen your commercial skills.

All this means enormous opportunityfor you. A chance to be who you wantto be, in the role that suits you best atthe locations where you want to work.


We enjoy lots of interaction with our international offices. At least 50 per cent of the deals we do involve some kind of overseas element. You’ll often need to getlegal opinion from your colleagues aroundthe firm. We also get inward work sent toBirmingham from around the world.

Stephen BottleyPartner, Birmingham

You might have heard some horrorstories about lawyers, but it’s a littleknown fact that they are also humanbeings and come in all shapes andsizes. Sure, there are some out therewho will suck the life energy out ofyou, but at DLA Piper we think weattract a different breed.

You’ll find our culture to beunpretentious, our people are focusedfully on providing a great service, andthere is a real sense of camaraderie.Everyone has bad days, but you’ll get alot of support when you have yours.And everyone has Fridays - we reckonyou’ll want to spend time after workwith your colleagues.

A DIVERSE ENVIRONMENT

Our philosophy is that the best people often come from a variety ofbackgrounds and what we’re reallyinterested in is your mind. Are youcapable of becoming a great lawyerwith the intelligence to understandyour client and the empathy to delivera great service? Can you communicateand are you a team player?

Where you studied does notguarantee any of these things.

We see strength in diversity and havebeen recognised for our efforts in this area (for example we won the‘Diversity Recruitment Award 2008’ at the Target National GraduateRecruitment Awards). People withchallenging new ideas can only add to the strength of our business.Everyone has a contribution to makeand we want to give them the powerto make that contribution.

In short, you’ll be spending at leasteight hours a day with people you’llenjoy being with, who are as differentas you are and who will inspire you to achieve more.

A CIRCLE OF SUPPORT

DLA Piper offers you an unparalleledtraining scheme that is amongst thebest in the business.

You’ll spend the first few days of yourtraining contract on a residentialinduction course, which has beendesigned specifically to help you tosettle in and to give you necessarybackground information and skills.

You will have four six-month seats indifferent practice areas, where you’ll sitwith a partner or associate, learningthrough practice and observation. Theexperience you gain will be broad andwill give you a real feel for the law.

As well as on-the-job training, we alsoprovide a specifically designed highquality legal training and development

WHAT’S IN OUR DNA?


IS IT A LONGWAY TO THE TOP?

You can’t expect to become apartner within your first few months.However, if you’re good then you willbe promoted. We don’t want ourtalented people patiently waiting inline to rise to the top. We want thebest in charge, achieving more forour firm. That’s how meritocraticcommercial enterprises work andthat’s how DLA Piper works.

WIDENING YOUR HORIZONS

You’ll be given the chance to get involvedwith the community work that takesplace right across DLA Piper. We activelyencourage our people to support goodcauses, provide free legal advice to thosewho need it and run with initiatives thatwill benefit society as a whole.

A big organisation like ours also needs to be very concerned about itsenvironmental impact. We were one ofthe first major firms to take concreteaction, not only to reduce its energy use but proactively support those who aretackling climate change. We’ve workedalongside famous names such as Al Goreand in countries stretching from SouthAmerica to Africa.


programme for trainees. This includes the Professional Skills Course, which iscompulsory in England and Wales, andthe Professional Competency Course in Scotland. These courses are mainlyresidential and run nationally, so you’llalso have the benefit of meeting upregularly with trainees from other offices.

Nobody knows everything when theystart a new career. Our training is aboutgiving you the information you need andbringing out the potential you alreadyhave inside you.

The social life at the firm couldn’t be better.There are internal events, client events andevents organised by other professional firmsand professional bodies (such as each city’sJunior Lawyers Division). On top of this, because trainees become so close during thetraining contract, more often than not thereis something to do every week.

Paddy DwyerSolicitor, Liverpool

Closing dates for applying for the summer scheme

England 31 January

Scotland February

Closing dates for applying for a training contract

England 31 July

Scotland October

All applications are online.

If applying for a training contract youwould have a first interview at theoffice you applied to and then, ifsuccessful, an assessment day whichconsists of a range of differentelements designed to test yoursuitability and skills. We also interviewfor our summer scheme places and, if successful, you would then beassessed for a training contract as part of the scheme.

TRAINING CONTRACTS

DLA Piper offers approximately 85 training contracts a year across our eight UK offices. We welcomeapplications from students with eithera law or non-law background whohave a minimum of ABB at A Level (or equivalent) and expect, or haveachieved, a 2.1 degree classification. If you can meet these standards thenour selection criteria is based on onething: You. Amongst other elements, we want people to prove they havethe following:

• Good communication skills

• The ability to work as part of a team

• Commercial awareness and agenuine interest in the businessworld

• Motivation, drive, commitment to work hard and an appetite for life!

SUMMER SCHEMES

We offer approximately 170 summerscheme places each year around theUK. These placements last for twoweeks with the chance to experiencetwo different departments and gain an insight into our firm.

There are plenty of talks, social eventsand activities which allow you to meeta wide range of people and ask lots ofquestions. You’ll get as much out of thescheme as you put in: its purpose is asmuch for you to assess us as it is for usto assess you.

APPLY TO US

OR TRY US FIRST


(Please check website for exact date)

(Please check website for exact date)

OPEN DAYS

We run around six open days eachyear (details of where and whenthey’ll be held can be found on ourwebsite). These are a really goodway to find out more about DLAPiper, especially if you are lookingto apply for a training contract orsummer scheme. The day consistsof a number of talks and sessionsabout life as a lawyer and a traineeand also tips on applications andinterviews. There is plenty of timeto ask our people questions overlunch. Hopefully you’ll leave theday with a better idea aboutcommercial law in general - notjust at DLA Piper - and with anyquestions answered!


During the summer scheme it wasclear that DLA Piper encourages diversity and truly values people’s differences. The office had a friendlyand supportive atmosphere and Iknew that such a firm would be the perfect place to commence and, hopefully, further my career in law.

Gemma LawrenceTrainee, Birmingham

The graduate recruitment teamat DLA Piper is committed toensuring we recruit the besttrainees. Therefore we get outand about at law fairs andpresentations (dates can befound on our website) to meetyou in person and help youwith your queries.

ROUNDING THINGS OFF


The best moments of my training contract so far would be assisting withtwo High Court cases in my first seat(media/sport), as well as the exposure tomatters relating to the FA Premier League,and assisting with a contentious financerestructuring matter in my second seat(trade and commodities finance) which included a trip to Tanzania to assist with a Court of Appeal hearing.

Joelle RashtiTrainee, London

Visit our website for more information:

www.dlapipergraduates.co.uk

THE LAW FIRM WHERE

YOU MATTER

DLA Piper UK LLP1 and DLA Piper Scotland LLP2 are part of DLA Piper, an international legal practice, the members of which are separateand distinct legal entities. For further information please refer to www.dlapiper.com/structure. A list of offices can be found at www.dlapiper.comRegulated by (1) the Solicitors Regulation Authority, (2) the Law Society of Scotland. UK switchboard +44 (0) 8700 111 111Copyright © 2009 DLA Piper. All rights reserved. | SEPT 09 | DLA.PIP.012.09

www.dlapiper.com

it’s not just about the biscuits a well...

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