During my Masters, I participated in AS Aspire 2020 and completed a legal mentoring programme with Covington & Burling LLP and AstraZeneca. Through the scheme, I learned specifically about Commercial IP and how pharmaceutical companies capitalise on it through licencing arrangements and other means. More broadly, my mentors taught me how to be commercially aware in a practical sense, and the ways in which it can be applied during interviews and assessments. A personal highlight was completing a case study analysis of the shareholder sentiment following an announcement by the CEO to slash dividends in favour of longer-term investments into carbon neutrality. Through this, I saw the ways in which micro and macroeconomic events can impact stakeholders at every level within a company, and how lawyers should seek to subsequently tailor their advice within such contexts.
Following my graduation and completion of AS Aspire 2020, I worked as a paralegal at two international law firms. I simultaneously participated in AS opportunities including the annual Commercial Awareness Competition, in which I progressed to the semi-finals in 2021. This competition tested a variety of skills including analysis, communication, teamwork and negotiation. Personally, I enjoyed the teamwork stage where competitors were put into teams and tasked with advising on a business strategy in different scenarios. This was an insightful way of viewing how business decisions are made from a “client” perspective. Given that I faced a similar task during my vacation scheme assessment centre, I was directly able to build upon and apply what I learned throughout each stage of CAC 2021. Following a successful Winter Vacation Scheme in December 2021, I accepted a training contract at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP where I am currently training.
