Anna joined us for work experience in August 2026, spending time with our team and gaining insight into working within a law firm. Following her placement, we caught up with Anna to hear about her experience, what she learned during her time with us, and her thoughts on pursuing a career in law.

1. What’s your name, age, and what are you studying or hoping to do after school/college?

Anna Cort, 20 years old. I am currently studying law at the University of Bristol and I intend to pursue a career in law after my studies and qualify as a solicitor. 

2. Why did you choose to do your work experience at a law firm?

I wanted to gain an insight into how the legal profession operates in practice and to solidify my interest in pursuing a career in law. Whilst studying law at university has developed my interest in the subject, much of the academic work focuses on legal theory and thus I wanted to gain a greater understanding of how this is applied in a practical setting. I also saw the placement as a chance to develop valuable transferable skills and strengthen my CV.

3. Had you heard of the firm before your placement, or did you research it beforehand?

I had not heard of the firm before, so I researched law firms that offered Family and Private Client services, as these were areas of law that particularly interested me. 

4. What did a typical day look like for you during your placement?

A typical day would usually involve a mixture of shadowing and practical tasks. Each day, I would spend time in a different department, where I would speak to a legal professional about the type of work they carried out, the processes involved and the aspects of their work that were specific to that field of law. I would then usually complete an administrative task relevant to the department, such as archiving files, opening new files or reviewing accounts to identify outstanding payments. This gave me the opportunity to combine observing how legal professionals worked with gaining practical experience of the administrative side of a law firm.

5. Which departments or teams did you get to spend time with (e.g. conveyancing, family, wills and probate, crime)?

I was lucky enough to spend time in all of the departments.

6. Did you get to sit in on any client meetings, calls, or court hearings? What was that like?

I sat in on two client meetings, one within Private Client and one relating to care proceedings. I really enjoyed the experience, as it gave me the opportunity to see how fee earners conduct meetings and communicate with clients in a professional, empathetic and sensitive manner. It was particularly interesting to see how the facts and documents relating to a case translate into the real-life circumstances and dynamics of the clients involved.

7. Was there a particular case or piece of work you found especially interesting? (anonymous details only)

I found my time in the children law department particularly interesting. The cases were often very complex, involving a wide range of factors as well as different legal routes that could be taken. I found it to be a challenging but highly rewarding area of work!

8. What was the most surprising thing you learned about how a law firm actually works day-to-day?

I was surprised by the extent of organisation and administration involved in the day-to-day running of a law firm. I hadn’t fully realised how many emails and administrative tasks need to be managed and I was also surprised by the number of cases that fee earners work on concurrently. 

9. Was anything harder, busier, or more detailed than you expected?

I was surprised by how detailed some legal proceedings can be, especially in children law. I had not realised how many stages and interventions can take place before care proceedings are initiated, or how many different parties and experts can be involved throughout the process.

10. What’s one new skill you picked up, or piece of software/process you learned to use?

I developed my administrative skills over the past two weeks by carrying out a range of different tasks using LEAP, FMT’s digital case management and filing system. Learning to navigate different processes on a digital platform has really increased my confidence and competence when using such systems and it has been a valuable opportunity to develop a skill that I know will be integral in a legal career.

11. Did the placement change how you think about a career in law, or confirm what you already thought?

It confirmed to me that I do want to pursue a career as a solicitor as the type of work I was exposed to appealed to my interests and work ethic. I particularly enjoyed the combination of analytical, research-based work with the client-facing element.

12. Is there a particular area of law you’re now more drawn to, having seen it up close?

Although I was already drawn to family law before completing the work experience, I have particularly enjoyed gaining exposure to care proceedings, child law and domestic abuse cases. I had not studied these specific areas of family law before and I found the client-centred nature of the work, combined with the need for strong analytical and problem-solving skills, particularly engaging. 

13. What would you say to someone your age thinking about applying for work experience at a law firm?

Absolutely go for it! Work experience at a law firm is a really useful opportunity to see what working in law actually looks like in practice and to figure out whether it is something you would like to pursue. You also get the chance to develop a range of transferable skills including communication and administration, while gaining experience of working in a professional environment. 

14. What’s one word you’d use to sum up your time here?

Engaging.

15. What are you hoping to do next, in terms of study, work experience or career plans?

I am heading into my final year of university, where I will have the opportunity to work in a law clinic which I am really excited about. I am hoping to graduate with a strong degree and after graduating, I plan to explore paralegal roles as well as applying for training contracts, in hopes to qualify as a solicitor in the future. 

16. Is there anything from this placement you think will help you going forward, whether or not you end up going into law?

Most importantly, I think the placement has been valuable in confirming my interest in family law. Also, gaining an understanding of how a law firm operates and experiencing a professional working environment will be really useful when applying for future roles. The placement has enhanced my confidence in my ability to learn and apply new skills as well as fostering strong communication skills through working with legal professionals.