The Undergrad’s Guide to Completing Legal Work Experience
Work experience is one of the most valuable things you can pursue as an undergraduate lawyer alongside your studies. It gives you insight into how the legal world actually operates beyond the lecture halls. 2D textbook scenarios can only get you so far in your preparation for that all-important graduation day. Work experience in a real legal team helps you understand and predict what kind of career might suit you best, and that future insight is invaluable.
For many students, the pressure to secure experience starts early. Vacation schemes, open days and insight programmes quickly become the focus of conversations at frequent university career open days. It is easy to fall into the mindset that every experience needs to be prestigious or perfectly aligned with your long-term goals. That is rarely the reality.
Whether you spend a week in a law firm, shadow an in-house counsel at a technology company, volunteer at a legal clinic or work in a completely non-legal environment, there is always something valuable to take away from the experience if you approach it in the right way.
Do your research before you arrive
One of the biggest mistakes students make is treating work experience as something to simply “turn up” for. Employers distinguish very quickly between the student that simply clocks in, completes their tasks, and checks out, and the future hire that takes the time to understand the organisation and fully immerse themselves in it as if they really did work there every day, until they can’t remember what it was like before they arrived!
Before your first day, spend time researching the business, the legal team and the wider industry they operate in in detail. Understand what the organisation does, who their clients or customers are and what legal issues might affect them. Before joining an in-house team, in particular, it’s crucial to learn about the company’s commercial priorities, key risks and sector challenges.
This preparation does two things.
First, it helps you ask stronger and more intuitive questions throughout the placement. Secondly, it demonstrates genuine interest and commitment. Employers are far more likely to remember students who engage thoughtfully with the work. Now, it’s not about who shouts the loudest during the vacation scheme, or who boasts the most legal knowledge at such an early stage in the career, but more about who is a real listener, takes notes, remembers important points and then reveals and uses that knowledge when it matters.
Remember, “commercial awareness” is a heavily used term in the industry, but it’s certainly not built overnight. Work experience is one of the best opportunities to start developing it naturally through observation and conversation.
Networking matters more than you think
Many undergraduates hear the word “networking” and immediately picture awkward conversations over glasses of untouched wine, or forced cold LinkedIn messages. In reality, good networking is simply about building professional relationships over time, anywhere you find the opportunity to.
Work experience gives you direct access to people already working in the legal profession. Use that opportunity wisely! Introduce yourself to other vacation schemers, trainees, paralegals and counsel. Ask them about their career journeys and what they enjoy about their work. Take an interest in how different business departments operate and how the lawyers collaborate with clients and colleagues across the company.
The best networking often happens in informal moments. Conversations over your morning tea, after meetings or during breaks can leave lasting impressions when approached authentically.
You should also remember that networking is not transactional. You are not asking someone for a job or a favour. You are learning from their experiences and building connections that may (sometimes unexpectedly) help you later in your career. That might take the form of a future mentor relationship, application referral or source of advice years later.
Commercial experience is your currency
In-house lawyers operate at the intersection of law and business. They advise on risk, support commercial decisions and help organisations navigate everything from contracts, to data protection, to compliance. These skillsets go well beyond ‘just legal’ knowledge, so you need to have a targeted action plan to move in this particular direction.
As an undergraduate, you can start building commercial awareness now. Work experience in any business setting is valuable, whether that's a placement in a marketing team, a summer job in operations, or a part-time role in retail. The key is to understand:
how organisations function;
how decisions get made; and
where legal input fits into the bigger picture and ‘moves the needle’.
This kind of experience will set you apart later, particularly when you're competing with candidates whose shiny CVs are filled exclusively with legal work.
Effort and attitude are everything
You do not need to know everything as an undergraduate. Employers understand that you are still learning. What they do notice is your attitude. The students who stand out during work experience are usually the ones who consistently show enthusiasm from day one until the very end. They volunteer for tasks, remain engaged throughout the day and take ownership of even small pieces of work.
Ask questions when appropriate. If you are unsure about something, seek clarification rather than staying silent. Most professionals appreciate students who are curious and proactive because it shows a willingness to learn. Equally important is your ability to listen carefully and apply feedback. If someone explains how to improve a task, demonstrate that you have taken the advice on board next time around. Adaptability is a hugely valuable skill in legal environments.
Small details also matter more than students often realise. Being punctual, responding professionally to emails and maintaining a positive attitude throughout busy days all contribute to how people remember you after the placement ends. Work experience is not only about assessing whether the organisation is right for you. The organisation is also assessing whether you would be someone they could see themselves working with in the future.
Keep an open mind
Not every placement will confirm your dream career path and that is completely fine. In fact, one of the most useful outcomes of work experience can be discovering what you do not enjoy. That insight is just as valuable as finding an area you love because it helps you make more informed decisions later.
You may begin a placement convinced that you want to pursue corporate law, only to discover that you are far more interested in regulatory work. Equally, you may realise that the culture of a particular organisation matters more to you than the specific practice area itself.
Try not to judge opportunities too narrowly before experiencing them first-hand. Some of the most valuable learning experiences come from environments students initially overlook. Smaller, regional businesses, charities and start-ups can often provide more hands-on exposure than larger organisations where tasks are more structured.
An open mindset also means recognising that legal careers are no longer one-size-fits-all. The profession is evolving rapidly with opportunities across legal operations, legal technology, compliance, risk and commercial strategy becoming increasingly visible to students and graduates.
The more exposure you gain early on, the clearer your own interests and strengths will become.
Reflect on every experience
Take time to properly consider what you learn each day. Whether you journal it, record some thoughts on your phone, or discuss it at the dinner table with friends or family, try to download and digest your experiences in a way that makes it harder to forget them. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re tidying up your CV for a job application, because you will be able to speak more specifically and confidently about your experiences.
Think about the type of work you enjoyed, the environments where you felt most comfortable and the skills you need to continue developing. Keep more detailed notes on interesting matters you observed, conversations you had and feedback you received.
This practise will also help you identify patterns in what motivates you professionally. Over time, these experiences begin shaping the direction of your career decisions in ways that are often difficult to predict at the beginning of university.
Over to you..
Work experience as an undergraduate is about far more than adding empty lines to your CV. It is your opportunity to explore the legal profession, build commercial awareness and develop relationships with people already working in the industry.
Research every opportunity thoroughly. Network with genuine curiosity. Put in consistent effort from beginning to end. Stay open-minded about where different experiences might lead you. Who knows, you may make some unexpected, long-lasting friends and connections along the way.