Tughans were delighted when Aaron Johnson, an undergraduate studying the LLB law course at Queens University chose the firm to complete his Legal Placement Module.

 

QUB Careers Service introduced the Legal Placement Module offering invaluable benefits for aspiring legal professionals by providing hands-on experience in a real-world legal environment. The 100-hour placement allows students to gain a deeper understanding of the law in practice and develop essential skills for their future careers through exposure to practical legal work. The 100-hour placements are carried out at law firms and students can apply their theoretical knowledge to real cases, observe the day-to-day operations of a law firm, and gain valuable insights into the ethical, professional, and interpersonal aspects of the field.

 

We asked Aaron what motivated him to choose the module and why he chose Tughans. Here’s what he had to say.

 

What made you choose the careers and placement module whilst juggling the workload of final year?

The main driver for me was the fact that I knew from my GCSEs I wanted to pursue a career in law. Due to a variety of factors including Covid, I really struggled to get relevant work experience throughout my degree. However, as soon as I was made aware that I would be able to spend 100 hours in a firm and have it count towards my degree, I knew it would be perfect for me.

 

Out of the firms in Northern Ireland, why did you choose Tughans?

I realised that law in practice is different to my studies so I was unsure of which area I would like to go into. I knew that a full-service firm would be a good fit for me as I would be able to gain a better insight through a large range of practices. I chose Tughans based on the size and scope of their departments as well as their impressive list of partners with many being top of their practices.

 

What’s the most important thing you learnt from your placement at Tughans?

The most important thing I learnt from all members of the firm from support staff through to partners is there is no straightforward path into law. Many of the lawyers I had met discussed their different and unique pathways to where they are today. This came in the lead-up to the IPLS exam season and it gave me the confidence to postpone my plans of sitting the exams that year and focus on finishing my degree to the highest standard I can.

 

Did you get to put any theory from your legal studies into practice?

Having studied property law in my second year I was able to see the first-hand practicalities of my studies in action in the first week at Tughans as I sat in the Real Estate department. It really brought a new meaning to hands on experience as I had just completed an exam on the theoretical aspects of property law and then I was able to handle the actual deeds and mortgages from the past hundred years for a property.

 

What did you enjoy most about your time at Tughans?

The part I enjoyed the most was the Legal Directory project. As opposed to my A-level research project and Dissertation it allowed me to see a project through from start to finish over the course of several months that required more than just sitting in the library researching. I had to balance internal and external deadlines, while communicating with every department in the firm. It was challenging at times but a really rewarding experience.

 

What has been the hardest thing for you to face or learn?

I think the hardest part of placement was adapting to an office environment and developing the softer skills that you don’t really get taught in education. The work with the legal directories meant that I was in constant contact with directors and partners. This naturally came with a bit of anxiety about how to approach these situations. However, I quickly realised that everyone in the firm was very approachable, and I was able to carry myself with a lot more confidence than I ever thought I would.

 

How has the placement shaped your future plans post-education?

As I had mentioned I was unsure of the avenue of law I wanted to go down. However, through my time at Tughans, I have been able to develop a greater appreciation for litigation, corporate deals and expanding areas of IT & IP. Tughans has also helped me realise that I would like to pursue these areas at my own pace by doing a year of paralegal work before I sit the IPLS exams.

 

What advice would you give to a fellow student embarking on a placement?

The best piece of advice I could give is to just say “yes”. I have been given some amazing opportunities during my time on placement that has really helped me develop my career, perspective, and myself as a person all because I wasn’t scared to say “yes” and step outside of my comfort zone.

 

Commenting on the placement programme, Deirdre Timoney, Employability & Placement Officer at Queens University said:

 

“The School of Law at Queen’s University has a strong focus on work-integrated learning.  We offer students a range of structured, employer-based activities throughout their studies to develop both their generic and specialised skills.  We were therefore delighted to add to this menu of opportunities in 2022 with the launch of our Placement Module.  This enabled undergraduates on the LLB Law course to complete a flexible work placement of a minimum of 100 hours, with successful completers attaining School accreditation as part of their degree.  We are delighted that during this pilot year 26 students undertook placements, in a wide range of legal and non-legal organisations.  Feedback confirmed these experiences developed students legal and life skills, enhanced their study of academic law, and that these placements played a part in clarifying their career goals.  Following this successful pilot our School intends to scale-up placements, so that more students will realise the benefits of these early insights into the world of work.”

 

Tughans also found hosting a Placement Module student to be a beneficial experience.

 

“After hosting a final year student for QUB’s innovative 100-hour placement module, Tughans would recommend the programme to students and employers.  Our aim was to provide our placement student with an opportunity to put the theory into practice and in return they quickly added value to the firm.  Both the firm and the student found it to be a very beneficial experience.”