Blogs

I am presently in the second half of my seat in G&I (that’s “Government and Infrastructure” to the initiate).  This is one of BDB’s larger departments and the work is appropriately engaging and “big ticket”.

The vacation scheme at Bircham Dyson Bell is preceded by a Meet the Departments evening a few weeks before you are due to start. Whilst not compulsory, the evening was a good way to start your experience at the firm. We were given presentations by each of the departments outlining what they did, each with a trainee describing their role within that area as well. This was helpful to illustrate the kind of work you could expect within the departments you had been assigned to.

I have just completed the second year of my law degree at the University of Bristol and will hopefully be starting my LPC in September 2012. During my vacation scheme, I sat in the Business Services (Employment) Department for my first week and in Private Wealth during my second week.

My summer placement is nearly over. I can honestly say it's been a pleasure. My placement was spread across two departments, namely Private Wealth and Litigation. The work was quite varied, challenging and at some points a bit unpredictable!

It’s the first week and I’m in Government and Infrastructure. My desk faces an enormous window which gives me beautiful views of the adjacent buildings and the never ending bouts of summer rain. I have a phone, my own computer, and a security pass giving me the ability to access the many hidden treasures behind locked doors, reserved only for the lucky people at BDB. I’m not sure, but I believe that I may have the best located desk in the entire department, not too bad for a summer placement student! The department is filled with a very friendly group of people.

I have just begun my second week at BDB in Litigation. Last week I sat in Charities, trying my hand at all sorts of different tasks. In fact, I really began to feel quite settled there by the end of the week, so I was somewhat apprehensive about starting afresh in Litigation today. I shouldn’t have worried. The people are just as friendly and the work is just as interesting. But first things first, this is what happened last week…

I graduated last year with a degree in Biology from the University of Bristol and I have just completed my GDL at the College of Law London Bloomsbury.

One of my main reasons for applying to Bircham Dyson Bell was its strength in private client work. Therefore I was thrilled when I received a letter from BDB in May stating that I would be spending the first week of my two week summer placement in the Private Wealth department.

It’s now my fourth month in my corporate seat, and we are officially very busy.  I have had more “verification” to do, much as I did at the beginning of the seat, although for a very different kind of company, to raise money for an acquisition on the AIM market.  I’ve also had slightly more control over the process this time, which is all part of the training, I’m assured; indeed the words “rite of passage” have been used.  This has been time-consuming to say the least.  Not to worry, though - once this client has gone out and ra

Welcome back all. 

I mentioned briefly last time that I’ve moved departments, to the second seat on my rotation, and I have.  I’m being supervised by a senior associate whose work is mainly corporate.  I’m also likely to get some commercial, charities or employment work as well, as befits a seat in this newly merged department, which now incorporates all those teams.<

Hello and welcome to the second part of this regular account of my progress.

I very recently moved seats and am now in my second week in the newly conceived “Business Services” department.  But before I get into that, what have I been up to since just before Christmas?