Name: Geetika Bansal 
Female
Newly Qualified Solicitor at DLA Piper UK LLP in Birmigham
My name is Geetika Bansal and I have recently qualified as a solicitor in the employment department in the Birmingham office of DLA Piper UK LLP. Prior to starting work, I studied law at UniversityCollege, London and completed my Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in London.
Contrary to what some may believe, it was not the fact that I grew up watching Ally McBeal, This Life et al that convinced me that I wanted to be a lawyer. It was the concept of law that excited me; the fact that every action we take has legal implications, from buying a chocolate bar to writing an article. In all honesty, I was not really aware of what commercial law was, and in turn what commercial lawyers actually did, until I went to university. A number of City law firms gave presentations to us, followed by the obligatory drinks reception, which proved to be a truly enlightening experience. For me, the challenging and demanding, yet stimulating and diverse nature of commercial law became rapidly apparent. In addition, the opportunity to partake in cross-jurisdictional work consolidated my desire to work as a commercial lawyer.
To that end, during my second year of university, I participated in a number of vacation schemes in law firms based in Birmingham and London. This was because despite loving student life in London, I could not envisage a long term future there and as such, I was eager to experience the work offered in both the regions and the City before deciding where to train. The schemes provided a real insight into the legal profession and the culture of each particular firm. I really enjoyed my summer placement at DLA Piper, as I was given real work and was treated like a valued member of the team from my first day, and so I was thrilled when I was offered a training contract at the firm.
DLA Piper operates a system of four "seats" of six months, with the opportunity to choose which departments to go to. I have worked in Real Estate, BS&R (which stand for Business Support & Restructuring and is mostly insolvency work), Human Resources (Employment) and Corporate. I was fortunate to gain a real mix of work and had a variety of different experiences, including extensive client contact, which enabled me to gain a number of invaluable transferable skills which I hope to further develop and capitalise on throughout my career.
Aside from the work, there is a lot else to get involved in, including a number of pro bono initiatives. I have spent one lunchtime a fortnight over the past six months assisting a Year 4 pupil with her reading. I really feel this has been an invaluable opportunity for both of us and I look forward to continuing to see her improve and confidence grow as a result of our meetings. The firm participates in a number of other charitable initiatives, including the Lakeland Challenge, which resulted in 40 odd people walking 29 miles across the Lake District in one day-ouch! There are also strong links with the local business community and other young professionals in the city, in which everyone is encouraged to get involved.
However, needless to say, it wasn’t all champagne receptions and 5.31 exits! The hours can be long and at times the work can be tedious but in my experience, after the initial 'I am going to miss Corrie' realisation, you just get on with it and dare I say, actually enjoy it!
Working as a commercial lawyer is a truly unrivalled experience; provided you are willing to work hard, play harder!