An internship at a law firm assisting businesses; Daniek shares her experience

Daniek did an internship at Poelmann van den Broek attorneys during her master's degree in corporate law at Radboud University. The best firm for this internship was quickly apparent. "PvdB has always attracted me because the firm mainly assists companies. From my master's degree in corporate law, that is of course interesting. However, that does not mean that only corporate law is practiced at the firm; almost all areas of law are covered. In addition, I also heard from people who have done internships here before that their experience was positive and that it is a very accessible office."

Focused on what the intern finds interesting

From the very first moment, Daniek noticed that PvdB focuses on what you as an intern find interesting and what you would like to be involved in. "Initially my preference was to intern with the Entrepreneurship team, but unfortunately there was no place there in my preferred period. A week later I received a call that the Commercial Contracts, IP and ICT team might have an internship available! I was asked very specifically what I wanted and how together we could make the internship work.

I also noticed this during my first day of internship. During my first conversation with the internship supervisor, I was asked if there were certain things I was curious about, wanted to see or participate in.

It is also worth mentioning that there is a very open atmosphere in the office. There is hardly any hierarchy (which is great!) and everyone is curious about who you are and what you do. With some regularity, people ask "why don't we have a cup of coffee together? Just like the many activities through which you get to know your colleagues in a different way."

Content review

The fact that Daniek was suddenly assessed personally and her work was really looked at in terms of content was quite exciting for her. "During your studies, it's all pretty 'anonymous.' If you make a mistake, there's really no one to judge you for it. You see it back only in your grade. Now my work was really subject matter assessed. You can't know everything and during my internship I also noticed that this is not expected. My supervisors were actually interested in why I found something, and how I would approach certain things."

Making a valuable contribution

Daniek is pleased with the way she received guidance during this short period. "I was involved in ongoing cases from the beginning and was allowed to co-author litigation documents and blogs. As indicated, my internship supervisors were interested in how I thought about certain issues and how I would approach a particular case, for example. Throughout my internship, I felt that I was really part of the team and contributed something useful.

This was my first internship, and I really don't think I could have done better. My feeling with the office was good from moment one, and that has been confirmed throughout the seven weeks. It is a nice office, in the sense that you are very welcome, but at the same time feel that you are valuable. Even though you're only there for such a short period of time."

A future as a lawyer?

Prior to her internship, she did not really know what direction she would take. Lawyer was an obvious choice, but she did not know what it would involve.

"I like that I gained more insight through this internship because I really participated in the practice. I found that I really like the 'partisan' thing. This is because you are really focused on looking for literature and case law that can contribute to your point of view. This left me with a good feeling about the legal profession. That is also a nice confirmation! By the way, I am going abroad first and will finish my studies after the summer. What will occupy me a year from now, I dare not say with certainty yet..."

This page was last updated on August 8, 2023.