Meet Hugo and hear about his internship at William Fry

From the minute I arrived in the office, I felt genuinely welcomed and supported by everyone I worked with, which made the experience both engaging and enjoyable. 

One of the standout features of the programme was the firm’s culture. I always felt listened to and encouraged to ask questions, no matter how small, and all my colleagues were consistently generous with their time and knowledge. This definitely helped my transition into the team, and their openness made it much easier to learn and to feel confident engaging with aspects of commercial law that I had not encountered previously. 

Throughout the internship, I felt that the firm had a genuine interest in my development as an aspiring solicitor. Members of my team took the time to explain tasks, provide constructive feedback, and check in on how I was finding the work. This focus on learning made me feel valued as an intern and showed that the firm places real importance on developing its future lawyers. The internship programme itself was extremely well organised. 

There was an excellent balance between informative partner-led talks and practical involvement in real legal work. The presentations and workshops were engaging and helped me to understand more about the firm’s practice areas and how different teams operate, while the practical work allowed me to gain a clearer understanding of the role of a trainee solicitor and allowed me to apply skills learned throughout my college course. 

Some of the highlights of the programme included trips to the courts with my team to observe ongoing cases and opportunities to sit in on calls with clients. These experiences were particularly valuable, as they offered insight into how cases develop in practice and how solicitors interact with clients in a professional setting. This was an aspect of law that I have yet to encounter throughout my college course, and it really helped to bring the work to life. 

Overall, the internship gave me a strong understanding of how a large law firm operates. The combination of practical experience, information sessions, and a supportive environment made the programme highly enjoyable. I found the three weeks incredibly beneficial and would highly recommend the William Fry Summer Internship to anyone seeking a realistic and engaging insight into commercial law.