Exploring a career in law: My experience at Ellis Jones Solicitors

This guest blog was written by Molly Hekseth during her work experience placement from Lytchett Minster School.

When I first learned that Year 10 students were offered the opportunity to complete a week of work experience, I knew immediately that I wanted to spend mine working in a law firm.

I had previously met representatives from Ellis Jones at my school careers fair who spoke to me about the different routes into law, many of which I had not been aware of before. Their friendliness and encouragement made Ellis Jones the perfect choice for my work experience, and so I applied as soon as I was able to.

I was over the moon when Ellis Jones offered me a week of work experience at their Bournemouth office with the Dispute Resolution team, which was a really exciting concept for me as someone who has never experienced law in practice before.

Opportunities and experiences

From the moment I arrived, the team at Ellis Jones made my week welcoming, informative, and enriching. I was given research tasks that helped me to understand key legal terminology and explore different areas of law.

Everyone that I met, from partners to paralegals, took the time to explain their work and share their personal journeys into the legal profession.

A real highlight of my work experience was having the opportunity to shadow Conor Maher, Partner and Solicitor-Advocate in Dispute Resolution, at a number of hearings before the County Court at Bournemouth and Poole. It was a particular privilege to be invited into the District Judge’s chambers afterwards, where I was able to speak with the Judge about the opportunities available to young people who are interested in pursuing a career in the legal profession.

By the end of the week, I found myself applying the knowledge I had learnt with much more confidence. I left not only with new skills and knowledge (both legal and practical, office-based skills), but also with a handful of legal textbooks gifted to me by the team!

Final reflections

My work experience at Ellis Jones was rewarding, inspiring and hugely beneficial. It has confirmed my aspirations for a future in the legal profession. Thank you again to the wonderful people I met at Ellis Jones for making my week so memorable and enjoyable!

Interested in joining us?

We are proud of our values and culture. If you think that you would fit into our culture, please give us at least one example of how in a covering letter attaching your CV. Please send your CV/Covering letter to recruitment@ellisjones.co.uk.

Find out more on our key dates for legal placements, vacation schemes and training contracts page.