Meet Ollie

It wasn’t until I moved into political lobbying, however, that I developed an interest in law. I realised that, whereas my work was fundamentally about convincing the Government to see things a certain way and make decisions that would benefit particular parties, the lawyers I was working with had far more influence – they were actually crafting the law and impacting positive change.

That’s when I signed up for a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), writing my dissertation on an area I knew well – the intersection between law and social media, and how it shapes democracy.

When the time came to find a job, I went to as many career fairs as I could. Most law firms looked right past me because I didn’t study at a Russell Group university. The graduate recruitment team at Baker McKenzie were different. They saw my age and experience as a chance to bring a different perspective to the Firm. They were open-minded and keen to recruit in a way that better represents the world we live in today.

I’m now in my second year, about to start my third seat. My first seat was in Disputes, which was a great way to learn about the various clients we work with, and the different types of work we do. My second was in one of our Corporate sub-groups – Energy, Mining, and Infrastructure, which was a steep learning curve at first but turned out to be something I really enjoyed. In part, that’s due to the fact that energy transition has a huge political aspect to it, which felt more within my comfort zone.

Irrespective of your experience, you will be given as much responsibility as you desire here. So far, my highlight at the Firm was spotting that a third-party, engaged in a dispute with our client, had broken the law. The Partner in charge confirmed that I was right, the client was thrilled, and I got to take the lead on our follow-up response.

I’ve had to overcome a lot of challenges to get here, but if you’re prepared to take the initiative, Baker McKenzie is the kind of place you can make things happen for yourself. The wellbeing of trainees is something the Firm takes incredibly seriously, and from day one, the support and encouragement I’ve received has been truly outstanding in every way.