We caught up with Aurelia, who completed a Vacation Scheme with Covington this summer. In this interview she details what makes Covington stand out, what it's like to work in the team and her top tips to future applicants
Tell us a bit about yourself and your journey into law
My name is Aurelia and I am currently a first-seat trainee in Life Sciences Transactional at Covington. My undergraduate degree was in medicine, so I spent a few years as a doctor before my transition into law. I had always had an interest in new innovations in the life sciences sector which I felt was very far away from my job in the hospital. However, I felt that the knowledge I had gained from my degree would be useful in law, so I applied in late 2019.
I applied for a vacation scheme, which I attended in Summer 2020, and did the PGDL and LPC at BPP in the two years after my vacation scheme.
What stood out to you about Covington?
Covington’s focus in the life sciences sector really appealed to me, as I knew that I would have exposure to the companies which worked in novel technologies wherever I qualify.
I was also interested in the small intake, as I felt that I would be well-supported as a trainee. The trainees I spoke to at the firm during my vacation scheme told me that they enjoyed working at the firm and that they were given a wide range of work.
What is the culture like at the firm?
The culture at Covington is very friendly. Everyone was very welcoming towards the new trainees and eager to give advice, both about work and the training contract in general. My seniors are supportive and approachable, so I feel that I can speak to them if I have any problems.
The teams work closely together, so I find that I often receive work from people on different teams to me, and I am working on matters that are covered by the Corporate and Life Sciences Regulatory team as well. It provides a good opportunity to meet other people in the firm.
Trainees are well supported with a trainee buddy and an associate mentor who we can speak to for anything, from learning IT shortcuts to more general advice such as deciding which seat to choose next.
What would be your top tip to members going through the application process?
I found the open days and law fairs very useful in finding out more about the firm’s work and what they are looking for in candidates. The open days are also useful to meet new people and ask people working there about the culture and the work.
How did you find the virtual vacation scheme at Covington?
I participated in the vacation scheme in Summer 2020. We listened to talks held by senior lawyers in various practices about what they do. We also had allocated times to have lunch with some of the partners and trainees in a more informal setting.
We were assigned a trainee buddy on the first day, who gave us more insight into the training contract itself and was a source of advice if we wanted to find out more about the firm or any tasks that we were set. My buddy was based in Brussels at the time, so she was able to tell me about her secondment.
During the week, we were also given a research task to do. This was challenging because this had to be completed alongside the talks being held, but it interesting because it was on a recent topic. We were assigned a partner to supervise us, and it was helpful because they could steer us in the right direction. It was also an opportunity for us to have discussions with them about the area they worked in and find out more about the firm in general.
Even though I was only there for a week, everybody was welcoming and very happy to answer all my questions.
Interested? Find out more about Covington and the opportunites they have available.