June 2025: Our two-day first year insight schemes are for law and non-law students who want to understand more about what City law firms do, learn about different areas of the law and meet our trainees, associates and partners. We asked recent participants Rebecca, August, Kang and Alice to tell us about their experiences.
Tell us who you are and what you're studying?
Rebecca Daly: I am a first year LLB student at King's College London pursuing a career in commercial law after previously studying business and working in marketing roles within the technology sector.
August Nucci: I'm a Brazilian international student studying Law at Durham University.
Zi Yuan Kang: I am an international first-year Law student from Singapore currently enrolled at the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE).
Alice O'Callaghan: I'm a first-year law student at the University of Leeds, currently exploring the legal profession with a keen interest in international commercial law.
Why do you want to be a lawyer?
RD: It was sparked by my experience working at a tech startup during a cross-border acquisition, which deepened my appreciation for how the law facilitates business growth and confirmed my interest in legal work.
AN: I have been interested in politics and business for many years and see the profession as a way to advise on impactful and interesting matters.
A O'C: Pursuing a career in law offers a unique opportunity to channel that curiosity across multiple practice areas and apply it within dynamic, real-world contexts.
ZYK: Three reasons! 1) I wish to embrace the intellectual rigour and multi-faceted skillsets that encompass a successful legal career; 2) I wish to learn from like-minded and talented individuals and 3) I wish to be at the forefront of developing current affairs - from key M&A deals to new infrastructure projects in cross-border jurisdictions
Commercial awareness is essential for City lawyers – what does it mean to you?
RD: My key takeaways from the scheme were the breadth of factors that can directly impact clients, the importance of analysing commercial trends in the context of specific sectors, and how at a firm like White & Case, even challenging market conditions can generate new legal work across its wide range of practice areas.
AN: To me, commercial awareness meant an understanding of factors that influence businesses and the markets they operate in. I now understand more about how White & Case lawyers are able to analyse the specificities of a client and the factors that influence them.
A OC: Before attending the insight day, I thought commercial awareness referred to staying up to date with news headlines and understanding the basics of the legal sector. The scheme helped me realise that commercial awareness is about understanding a client's commercial objectives.
ZYK: I learned that it stems from having genuine curiosity about developments around the world and putting in that extra effort to find out more about them, and secondly, how being a lawyer transcends simply having legal acumen but also understanding client's business development, expansion and strategies amidst a rapidly evolving world.
What other ways are you planning to get to know White & Case?
RD: I have enrolled in the EIPAF virtual programme to gain a deeper understanding of the type of work involved in that practice area and I look forward to exploring the Banking & Finance programme over the summer.
AN: I had previously completed the virtual UK Commercial Law programme. The presentation on the energy transition during the scheme has inspired me to explore the UK EIPAF programme.
What was most surprising about your insight scheme experience?
RD: The amount of face-to-face engagement we had with trainees, associates, and even partners, as well as how generous they were with their time in answering our questions and sharing their experiences.
AN: For me, the most surprising aspect was the extent to which the office culture is founded on a sense of community and fulfilment.
A O'C: The trainee carousel and the opportunity to shadow them around the office! They were genuinely interested in our questions, open about their experiences, and keen to give us a real sense of the firm's international culture – particularly how the guaranteed overseas seat shapes their training and growth within the firm
ZYK: The most surprising aspect of the scheme for me is how different elements of a law firm blend in seamlessly to make the firm operate at a high level. From Broad Street Kitchen (White & Case's own in-house cafeteria), to the friendly culture amongst lawyers and staff, to the various practice groups that lead in their respective Chambers ranking - it was this multi-faceted embodiment of excellence that stood out to me at White & Case.
