Meet Deniz - A Trainee at Covington

I was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, before moving to London at nineteen to study LLB Law at Queen Mary University of London. I went to an American high school in Istanbul, where I was allowed to study the IB Diploma Programme alongside the Turkish national curriculum. Although studying both degrees simultaneously was highly challenging, I always knew I needed an internationally recognised qualification.

I recall the first time I visited London as part of the King’s College Pre-University Summer School for Law, where I had the chance to attend an in-person event at a prestigious US law firm. After attending their London office for a day and listening to presentations on future Training Contract opportunities, I knew I belonged in the City.

Throughout my time at Queen Mary Law School, I did everything I could to get the most out of this experience and choose the right legal practice area. However, this was more challenging than it may sound. Living in a foreign city with no family or friends at the early age of nineteen was daunting at first. It took me months to build my network and adapt to a different lifestyle and culture. Looking back at it, I am proud of myself for being fearless and leaving home to pursue my goals.

I signed up to work as a note-taker at Queen Mary’s Legal Advice Centre in my first month at law school. This was my first time ever working in a legal clinic setting and attending client meetings with qualified barristers and solicitors. Throughout law school, I also attended various law fairs and open days hosted by City law firms to narrow the list of law firms aligned with my professional aspirations and personality. At first, I was reluctant to approach trainees and lawyers in networking events as I was conscious of my international background and perhaps that English is not my native language. However, I soon realised that people around me were curious to get to know me and my story, often leaving our conversations impressed by my resilience and enthusiasm.

In my second year at law school, I was thrilled to secure a Vacation Scheme with the US law firm I had visited at seventeen. It felt like a full circle moment, and I was confident I would convert this opportunity into a Training Contract offer. However, the pandemic outbreak forced me to attend the scheme virtually from home, and I was disappointed not to receive a TC offer. It was a moment of doubt, but I soon realised that resilience is the crucial ingredient of success.

After graduating from law school, I embarked on a journey to find my passion in the legal field. I started my Master of Laws (LLM) in Corporate and Commercial Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2021. This was a valuable opportunity to select modules and attend discussions on topics I was deeply invested in, such as e-commerce and cyber law. It was during this time that I discovered my passion for regulatory fields like technology and life sciences, and I applied for a summer vacation scheme at Covington & Burling LLP, among other law firms.

During the application cycle, I strived to embrace the constructive feedback I received from previous cycles and to build on my weaknesses accordingly. Improving my commercial awareness had always been challenging for me as I needed help understanding the true meaning of the concept. In hindsight, finding the proper practice area wherein your passion lies is the first step to developing your commercial awareness. After identifying a few sectors I was interested in, such as pharmaceuticals (mainly digital health) and technology, I listened to podcasts and read articles on developments in these areas. This process of exploration and learning not only improved my commercial awareness but also solidified my passion for regulatory fields like technology and life sciences. I incorporated commercial awareness into my everyday life by listening to podcasts during tube rides and reading the news in the Financial Times and the Economist alongside a cup of morning coffee.

After completing two vacation schemes in the summer and converting both to Training Contract offers, I was faced with an important decision. During my two weeks at Covington & Burling, I was an integral part of the team from day one. Being part of a smaller intake, where almost everyone knew of me and my story, helped me thrive professionally. I had the opportunity to spend a week each in Corporate and Life Sciences Transactions teams and complete a Research Project in Technology Regulation. I was impressed that the seniors were approachable and enthusiastic in answering my questions and getting to know me personally. My time at the firm helped me realise that Covington’s capabilities in regulatory law across multiple industries aligned with my passions and set the firm apart from other law firms in the City. After spending two weeks with the team in their London office, I knew that Covington was the perfect match for me.

My advice to all students applying for vacation schemes and training contracts is to find where your passion lies, narrow down the list of firms that might be the perfect match for you, attend as many in-person events as possible, and never give up on your dreams. You are much closer to securing a Training Contract than you think!