My Work Experience 24 – 28 June 2024 by Maisy Ryder.

From 24 to 28 June, I completed a work experience week at Lanyon Bowdler in Shrewsbury.

What initially drew me to Lanyon Bowdler was the connections they have to their local communities, as I found out about the firm through my Sixth Form, whom they’ve worked with in the past. I found it impressive that they are a relatively big firm yet also very close to the local towns/cities - it set a good precedent and made the process far less intimidating.

The application process was thorough, yet not too complicated to understand. I began by reaching out via email, to which I got a quick response from a friendly and helpful staff member, who informed me that the first step is to write a CV and cover letter. This was to include my skills, plans for the future, and details as to why I chose Lanyon Bowdler specifically. After sending these off, I was invited to carry out an interview. My interview was online, so I could do it from the comfort of my own home, again taking off some of the pressure that is usually associated with interviews. During, I talked to two members of staff about various topics, a lot of which were mentioned in my CV. We spoke about my schoolwork, why I wanted to go into law, books/articles I had read, and my opinions on popular debates surrounding the legal system. It was overall, a great interview.

After I had been offered a work experience placement, I was sent a letter confirming the different departments I was to spend time in over the course of the week- a new department each day. I spent time in Personal Injury, Residential, Contentious Probate, Marketing and Court of Protection Departments. I think spending time in different departments was very useful for me, as it proved to be a good ‘taster’ of the various areas, which was especially helpful as I am so early on in my legal career and still unsure of the direction I want to take it. I got to carry out research, read through cases, plan a charity event, and listen to some of the Lanyon Bowdler podcasts. My week here ended up surprising me in many ways, as I found myself enjoying topic areas I had previously not given much consideration, such as contentious probate.

Overall I would thoroughly recommend to anyone considering a work experience placement here to go for it, as it has been an interesting and enriching week that will no doubt be valuable in the future. The staff have all been incredibly welcoming and friendly, which is always helpful when entering a new environment. If you are considering a career in law then I think a work experience placement at Lanyon Bowdler is an excellent place to start.

For more information regarding work experience please see our work experience page.