“This placement has given me a lot of perspective.”
Rachel Adams is a third-year law student at Cardiff University. In March she completed a work placement with Wales & West Housing (WWH), working alongside our company solicitors Victoria Williams and Dorrett Evans. She says her placement at WWH has helped her to make sense of her law studies by putting her knowledge into practice.
How did you find out about the placement with WWH?
I saw it advertised in our university e-newsletter last June. I was interested because it wasn’t the usual law firm placement.
When I applied, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go into law. I had just been studying land law and was more interested in property and conveyancing. I thought it would be interesting to see how law works in practice. Before coming here, I hadn’t done any work experience as my sixth form placement was cancelled because of Covid so it was my first chance to get some real work experience.
What have you been doing on your placement?
I’ve been mostly working with Victoria and Dorrett, which has been really good as they both have a lot of experience in housing and law. I’ve been all around the business shadowing different departments, working with HR and Governance. I went out with the Leasehold Team to meet with some residents and heard about their experiences. It’s been nice to talk to different people and hear about their experiences. I’ve helped Dorrett to write certificates of title for properties and Victoria has sent me examples of some of the legal queries she gets and asked me to draft what I think the reply should be. It’s made me feel useful.
Did you know anything about housing?
Not really, that’s why I found it interesting. Most legal placements are hard to come by. They are usually within law firms and the competition is high.
“I’ve been interested in the values of Wales & West Housing and the fact it’s social housing. Everyone has been really friendly and helpful.”
Law student, Rachel Adams
How has the placement fitted in with your final year studies?
Really well, thanks. It was originally advertised as a two-week summer placement, but my lectures had started back by the time I was interviewed and accepted, so I didn’t have the availability. I was lucky that WWH let me come in for one day, every two weeks, so it hasn’t affected my degree course work.
When I go home, Victoria has also sent me links to read up more on the things that I’ve been interested in.
I’ve learned more doing it this way. I am given something different to do every time”
Rachel Adams
How will this placement help you and your studies?
I’ve found the work I’m doing here much more interesting than anything I’ve studied on my degree, because it’s practical. It just makes more sense seeing how things work in real life.
I’ve become more familiar with the way that everything is done in practice. For example, when I was studying land law in uni last year, I didn’t really understand it. I read a whole textbook and still didn’t get it. Then I came here, and Victoria explained it to me in five minutes and it all made sense. When you see the legal documents and the way the system works, it makes sense.
Has the placement influenced your future career plans?
Before I started, I thought that I would either go into law and be a solicitor in a law firm or I wouldn’t work in law at all. I had never really considered that I could work as a solicitor in-house.
I was 50/50 whether I wanted to go into criminal or commercial law. Since coming here I’ve realised I’m more interested in working in working in property or housing law. I find criminal law more interesting, but I think that’s because, like many people, I enjoy true crime shows, but I wouldn’t want to work in that area.
“Before I started, I thought that I would either go into law and be a solicitor in a law firm or I wouldn’t work in law at all. I had never really considered that I could work as a solicitor in-house.”
Law student, Rachel Adams
What next for you?
I want to qualify as a solicitor. I have to take my exams and then do two years training in a law firm before being fully qualified. It’s quite a long process.This placement has given me a lot of perspective about not having to work in a law firm to be a solicitor. It’s given me more confidence to apply for jobs in housing or property.”