Summer Placement Blog: By Rebecca Hammond

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 had done a couple of vacation schemes before, but only as one of two or three students. When I turned up to find another nine vac schemers eager to make an impression I felt a bit daunted – as it turned out, from the beginning of the induction by HR, to my first day in Litigation, nobody has asked me my name twice. Everyone I’ve met has made a real effort to get to know me.

The induction took up the best part of Monday. It was pretty relaxed and very friendly. Spending the first few hours getting to know the other vac schemers, I definitely felt cushioned from the daunting tasks I knew I was soon to face once I started in my department. But finally the induction was over and I set off to Charities with one other student. We spent the afternoon listening to my supervisor give us the potted history of charity law. It was a huge amount of information to take on board, but Nicola was happy to answer all our questions (however rudimentary) and when I left on Monday evening, I felt I’d learned more during my first afternoon at BDB than I normally did in the course of a week at law school.

On Tuesday I put my newfound knowledge to the test by beginning my project. Before I knew it I was picking up work from lawyers across the department and wasn’t sure how I’d fit it all in! At this point, my ‘buddy’ introduced himself and offered to take me out for a coffee. His timing couldn’t have been better. It was great to be able to talk to a trainee, who understood what it was like for a nervous summer student. He was extremely reassuring.

Over the course of the week I managed to squeeze in all my work, go to a department meeting, have lunch with my buddy and an associate in the department and take a tour of Westminster along with the rest of the vac students. It was a really great week. By the time I left charities I was truly sad to leave and amazed at how much I’d learnt in such a short space of time.

Litigation is a bit different. I’m going to be out and about a lot more. Today I met my buddy at Lambeth County Court, to observe a possession hearing before I’d even been shown to my desk in the department. It was incredibly inspiring to watch a trainee briefing the client and representing the firm at the hearing. It proved to me that when BDB says that trainees get real work and responsibilities, they mean it.

Since returning to the office at 11.30 this morning I’ve been given at least four things to do and haven’t even received my project for the week. Not to mention that I’ll be spending the whole of tomorrow at a tribunal hearing with a partner in the department. Like last week, I’m wondering how I’ll get it all done, but I’m excited to find out…