My SEMLA experience at Brodies

Our SEMLA student Fidelia Ileladewa shares her insight into her one week work experience at Brodies. She tells us about the practical knowledge gained and what she learnt about the different areas of law, alongside the opportunities such as attending client meetings and court proceedings which confirmed her passion for a career in law.

"During my time at Brodies, I worked with the family law team in Aberdeen. I got involved in research tasks and drafting prenuptial agreements, these tasks allowed me to transfer my theoretical knowledge acquired through studying family law at university into practical application, allowing me to gain a clearer picture of what life in law truly looks like.

I chose to work with the family team as this stems from the fact that family law has always been an area of law that I found intriguing. I love the idea of being not only a listening empathetic ear to the very real issues going on in a client’s life but also having the power to help them through those issues the best I can.

Throughout the week, I had chats with various colleagues from different teams, allowing me to expand my knowledge on the realities of practicing in fields like corporate, litigation, property, private client, banking and finance and oil and gas. The exposure to different teams aided in providing me a clearer outlook of the area of law I would like to specialise in. I now have an enriched understanding of various areas of the law and now know that there’s no maths involved in banking and finance law! With that new knowledge motivating me to now want to grow greater understanding of that sector of law.

Going into the week I did not expect to have the opportunity to sit in on client meetings. I got to attend a virtual signing of a will and power of attorney which was a very memorable experience and definitely the highlight of my placement. The experience was truly impactful and really cemented the practicalities of working in private client. Another highlight was when I got to go along to court, seeing law in action was an amazing opportunity.

The week granted so many valuable takeaways flowing from the individual chats I had with colleagues who gifted me with a wealth of knowledge concerning not only their area of law but also questions surrounding university and advice in general, everyone was ready to answer and advise me in any way they could. I now leave with an expanded knowledge on various sectors of the law as well as many pointers that I will be sure to apply to my continued studies.

My Brodies / SEMLA experience has confirmed my passion for a career in law, the prospect of dealing with real life issues and having the power to assist clients in the best way I can to help them achieve their desired result. The added fact that no two days are the same conveying that life as a solicitor will always have some form of excitement.

I am so grateful for the SEMLA experience and would highly recommend others thinking of applying to apply."

You can find out more about Brodies / SEMLA partnership and work experience opportunities on our early careers page.