Course: LLB Law 

Name of Placement Employer: Eve Lake Conveyancing & Legal Services 

Job Title: Post Completion Legal Assistant 

Overall, describe your placement experience: 

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year and found it incredibly rewarding. Working in a law firm for 12 months allowed me to gain real hands-on experience and get a feel for what a professional role would be like. It helped me to develop valuable legal knowledge, gain many transferable skills and become a great team player. The placement year was a fantastic opportunity for character building and for pursuing my career development. 

 
Describe a typical day within your placement job role: 

My role as a Post Completion Legal Assistant was focused on client inception and all post completion formalities associated with the conveyancing process. My main responsibilities included submitting AP1 forms and first registration applications to the Land Registry for all purchase transactions that completed each week. I would draft Deeds of Covenant and post them out to clients for signing. I would then forward the deeds and Notices of Transfer and Charge on to freeholders and management companies to comply with any restrictions in the property register. I would update lenders on the registration of their charge via our lender portals and submit Stamp Duty Land Tax applications following the completion of a purchase. I would answer phone calls and emails from a variety of clients, legal bodies, estate agents and other side solicitors, to respond to queries and update them on the progress of a file. My contributions were key to the final stages of the conveyancing process. 

What were the areas of your placement you were most worried about before starting, and how did you overcome these? 

Before my placement, I was worried that I would find the conveyancing process difficult to pick up. To overcome this, I wrote down notes for the first few weeks so that I could reflect on them throughout the year. I also shadowed my colleagues and asked them questions whenever I was unsure so that I could continuously learn from them. I did not want to complete any work incorrectly so for the first few weeks, I drafted my AP1 applications before submission and forwarded them to my manager for approval. Although I had previously had a customer facing role, I was nervous about interacting with clients in a legal setting. I listened to the way that my colleagues interacted with clients and solicitors which helped me to adopt the correct way of communicating. I soon overcame this fear and throughout the year I conducted good professionalism with clients on the phone and via email. I even conducted a client meeting about first registration with clients that I sought myself.  

 

Best part of the placement year: 

My favourite part of the placement year was the team that I worked with. Not only did I establish great working relationships, I also developed friendships with my colleagues who I still keep in touch with now. I am lucky to have been part of such a friendly and dynamic team who I looked forward to working with every day. They made me feel welcome from the start and it made my time on placement so enjoyable. 

What are the skills you developed as a result of the placement year? 

I have developed several transferable skills from my time on placement which I will take forward with me into future professional roles. I have developed commercial awareness through understanding the aims and objectives of a firm. I have developed the confidence to engage with clients, talk about legal work and speak to legal bodies which has in turn developed my interpersonal skills. I have the skill of legal document preparation through my responsibility of drafting various Land Registry forms. I have faced challenges such as responding to Land Registry requisitions and submitting stamp duty land tax applications on time to avoid cancellation of applications and late penalty fees. These situations have helped me to develop skills such as problem solving, time management and organisation. My greatest achievement on placement was representing Eve Lake Conveyancing at the Sheffield Hallam University Law Careers Fair to promote our firm and network with students looking for legal work experience. This has developed my public speaking and networking skills.  

How do you think your placement year will benefit you within your final year, and applying for and securing a graduate role? 

My placement year has given me valuable legal knowledge which I will implement into my final year modules of Professional Practice Experience, Commercial Law, and Family Law. This is beneficial because there are many aspects of these modules which I have already worked on throughout my placement year. I worked on files which included the transfer of a property into one sole proprietor’s name due to a divorce. This has encouraged my interest in Family Law. I am currently undertaking the Professional Practice module at Taylor Emmet Solicitors in the Clinical Negligence department. I employ the professionalism, transferable skills, and conscientious work ethic that I have developed from my placement year into my current placement. Completing a placement year has given me one year’s experience working in a law firm which will hopefully assist me in securing a graduate role because it shows that I am passionate about my career path and that I have key industry knowledge. I will be able to talk about the invaluable experience that I have gained and provide relevant examples during future interviews. 

Would you recommend other students carrying out a placement, if so why? 

I would recommend that students do a placement year because there are so many benefits. The main reason why I wanted to complete a placement year was to gain valuable work experience to increase my employability. It gives you the opportunity to expand your network, discover the real working world, improve your academic performance in your final year and explore whether a certain career path is really for you. As a student, doing a placement year is also a great financial incentive- I managed to save up and spend six weeks solo travelling Australia before starting final year!