Tom tells us about his Law internship with LJMU

Thomas Ali, a final year student, took part in a 5-week internship over the summer of 2022, gaining valuable experience in a real in-house work environment.  

The internships give students an opportunity to work with wide-ranging subjects from across the department including commercial law and contracts, information governance, Data Protection and Freedom of Information legislation. Students will use a range of skills including drafting documents and assisting with research projects.

With applications opening for another internship (see below) we caught up with Tom about his experiences...

Tom, what did you expect from the internship?
I expected it to be difficult, fast paced as well as hard to keep up with the workload. I also expected it to benefit me moving forward by giving me experience of what a professional legal environment is like, while also providing me with useful skills that I would take into my LLM LPC. 

Has the placement met or exceeded your expectations?
The internship has, both, met and exceeded my expectations. When starting my internship, I noticed how fast-paced a professional legal environment is, as well as the volume of work that goes into each department. It has not only given me more confidence but has provided me with great experiences that will benefit me moving forward.

What did you enjoy about the internship?
I enjoyed working as part of a team, the daily routine has given me an insight of what to expect when I enter regular working life, learning new information and understanding new areas of law. I also enjoyed networking with other people, both internal and external. 

What have you gained from this experience?
I have gained valuable experience of what it is like to be involved in a day-to-day professional legal environment, valuable networking opportunities and, also, reassurance and confirmation that a legal profession is the career I wish to pursue. 

Has the internship given you an insight into other areas of the legal and governance profession that you hadn’t considered before?
Yes, I was not aware of how much scope General Data Protection covered. I have gained an insight into multiple branches of GDPR and from this experience have become more interested in this area of law. I have also discovered how enjoyable employment law is as I enjoyed working on an ongoing case where I learnt multiple new things. Similarly, I was not aware of how impactful the Governance side of things were on the University and student experience.

Would you recommend the internship to other students?
Yes, I would recommend this internship to other students, especially ones who are planning on taking the LPC. This has been a valuable learning experience that I think other students would benefit from.

Applications are now open for another internship

If you are interested in an internship with the Legal and Governance Team of LJMU, you can find more information on the Unitemp page.  Applications close on 12th October, and the internship starts on October 31st.