DLA Piper

About the firm

Ask any parent and they’ll tell you the same thing; when it comes to your children, you can’t have favourites. You must love them all equally. In the world of law however, it might be fair to say that there is often a spot of favouritism at play, typically where one office usually gets more of a shine than others (sorry London, we know it’s you). Is that fair? DLA Piper thinks not! “You don’t feel like working in the regions is a disadvantage at all,” lauded one source, “everywhere works at the same quality.” That’s right, DLA’s UK bases reach far and wide, with offices in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, and London, with all our interviewees speaking positively on the parity of quality work amongst them.

“They’re the biggest law firm in the world in terms of the scope of their impact.”

So, when we talk about work quality, where is it coming from? In short: everywhere. “It’s a big global firm with extensive opportunities to work abroad and do cross border matters,” exclaimed one insider, heralding the fact that in addition to the five offices already mentioned, DLA has 85 international offices at its back. “One of the big draws is the firm’s international aspect,” one source explained, “they’re the biggest law firm in the world in terms of the scope of their impact.” Chambers UK agrees, dishing out rankings in a whopping 96 practice groups, and being represented in nine other guides, including for its work in corporate/M&A, information technology & outsourcing, restructuring/insolvency, litigation, employment, and more.

Why trainees joined the firm

Reputation

“If you’re applying to big firms, DLA will always be on your list.” Fair is fair, there’s no denying that a firm being of this size and magnitude caught the attention of our interviewees, but curious to find out what kept that attention…?

International dominance

Its reach is mighty and undeniable, every single one of our insiders mentioned the firm’s global span of matters – “it’s incredible to liaise with colleagues in different countries and jurisdictions on a daily basis.”

Regional respect

There is no hierarchy within the UK office structure, and our sources couldn’t shout enough about it, praising that “the work we do in the regions is some of the very best of the whole firm.”

Trainee satisfaction rankings

Training contract structure

Seat allocation

When it comes to selecting the seats, trainees said the process was easy and straightforward as you put down three ranked preferences for each rotation. “I think the further along in your contract, the more likely you are to get your top choice,” pondered one insider, “business needs come into it as well, and if you don’t get one of your preferences in one seat then you’ll be prioritised for your next one.” Juniors were pleased to relay that there are no mandatory seats either meaning you can essentially “do anything that interests you.”

Client secondments

Instead of the preference system used for seat allocation, secondments require a CV and an application process. Trainees couldn’t share the list of clients they can second to, but we heard there are “plenty of them, and it changes all the time.”

International secondments

When asked about international opportunities, one source exclaimed that “there’s lots of exciting locations on offer.” Although it’s more likely that a trainee won’t get the chance to go on one until the second half of their training contract, one junior did assure us that “if you want to go, the firm will do its best to place you on one.” The main locations on offer include Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangkok.

Seat Experiences

Trainee life

Culture and environment

Data from our annual trainee survey

One trainee pointed out that the legal industry “is a great profession for meeting people, and that is no different here at the firm.” We consistently heard that everyone is easy to get along with across all the UK based offices and the firm leans into that as social occasions are a dime a dozen. Summer parties, Christmas dos, monthly trainee drinks, biweekly office drinks, and not to mention the five-a-side football team if you’d prefer trading indoor voices for the glorious shouting of the pitch. “We’re all so different, but we fit together so well,” one junior neatly summed up.

As for offices, the Manchester cohort described the location as being “smack bang in the middle of the city” so commuters and locals rejoiced in equal measure, while the Leeds lot got to boast about their “simply gorgeous” new fully sustainable office they’ve just taken residence in. London’s trainees are also central, right by the Barbican, so all our interviewees had nothing but praise for their respective haunts. As for the perks, DLA has you covered whether your temptation be the free gym or the fruit bowls. There are also faith rooms, wellbeing spaces, and a subsidised canteen where all trainees praised the food quality (and prices) regardless of geography: “I can get poached egg on toast for £1.40 in Leeds, it’s brilliant.”

Working patterns

Data from our annual trainee survey

While trainees are required to come into the office a minimum of three days a week, all of our interviewees strive for four or five and saw the benefits of doing so. “Any office time is good because you’re amongst your team,” explained one source, “I like it here, and I tend to be more productive.” As for when you leave the office however, 6:30pm seemed to be the average for our collective, though “when it gets busier, you’ll be there much later.” Don’t fret, dear reader, as this isn’t a sell your soul situation that you may be fearing. “It’s not horrible and you definitely do have a work/life balance,” reassured one insider, “they want us to have a life outside the office here.”

Pay

Data provided by firm and our annual trainee survey

Trainees didn’t have much to say on the point of salary, simply noting that “it’s standard rate for most city firms.” Most interviewees were happy and found their salary to be fair as they knew there’s plenty of upside once they become qualified: “as a trainee you understand you need to earn your stripes first.”

Supervision and training

Data from our annual trainee survey

“You feel like a real member of the team, and everyone is helping to build you up and develop you.”

“Everyone is so happy to help and give guidance,” shared one source, imparting to us the positive atmosphere they’ve been training within. Supervisors are attentive, but not overbearing, with regular catchups in trainees’ diaries where you can speak your mind and advocate for the experience you want: “if you want to do a certain type of work, they help you access it.” We heard feedback is common and “always constructive, not negative” as it’s designed to shape trainees into being capable lawyers. “You feel like a real member of the team, and everyone is helping to build you up and develop you,” one source beamed.

The firm runs training programmes throughout the year that we heard are built around “getting to know your colleagues across all offices, which is a social aspect that helps us feel like we’re all one cohort.” Third party speakers will often come in, and trainees will experience both soft skills sessions and more specific department focused training. “You learn the ropes by doing the work, but the sessions really set you up for success,” measured one insider.

Pro bono & CSR

Juniors relayed that they are “immediately encouraged to do pro bono” and felt that “it’s really rewarding work.” It clearly permeates throughout the fabric of the firm as there’s also a seat rotation in the pro bono team on offer. That being said, all our interviewees had done plenty of work without needing to do a seat, with one junior highlighting “I’ve done four or five pro bono matters since joining this year!” As a priority for the firm, insiders heralded the “amount of ownership of work on offer, and being able to pursue things we’re passionate about.” There’s no surprise that trainee responsibility is greater on these matters, with strong experience with drafting and client contact available.

Other opportunities include:

• A half-day secondment to a local charity.

• Environmental work to match with the firm’s ethos.

• Criminal justice work

Inclusion

Overall, DLA’s trainees reported a strong effort to be as inclusive as possible and make sure everyone felt safe to be themselves. “We have people from all over the world and all walks of life here in the UK,” one junior mused, “we’re a very diverse group of people.” The firm’s inclusion and positive social impact team houses a collection of affinity networks such as the Leadership Alliance for Women, the LGBTQ+ group known as Iris, the Mosaic group for race, ethnicity and faith, the Parent & Child Caring Network PACT, and social mobility group - Horizons.

This strong focus on social mobility includes providing informative sessions where anyone can attend: “they recently held a great session on making sure your language is inclusive which was really useful.” Not to be neglected, the firm places an emphasis on mental health with regular mental health check-ins when work gets busy, and just generally “people always making sure you’re okay.”

Qualification

Come qualification time, some groups run formal assessments while others just require a CV and interview. “You just have to run with the department’s process” explained one source, “then it’s pretty straightforward from there.” As a whole, juniors were excited to look ahead, noting that “there’s a reason people have stayed at this firm for so long.”

In DLAid of a good cause…

The firm recently ran a trainee quiz in Leeds which helped to raise money for Martin House.