Since joining De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) as an undergraduate, Legal Practice Course (LPC) student Dean Amory has undertaken seven work placements and he used the money he saved through the VC’s 2020 Scholarship programme to seek out more opportunities.
Throughout his academic career, Dean has always seen the value of work placements. In fact, it was a worked-based learning module that saw him move to the UK from America.
As part of his media degree, he had to relocate to Birmingham to study the BBC method of production. However, it was while he was visiting family in Leicester that he happened to walk through town and he immediately fell in love – with DMU!
“I was really impressed with what I saw. The Hugh Aston building had just been completed and I really liked the look of the Campus Centre. I wandered around a bit, soaked up the atmosphere and decided that I wanted to study law here, not back in the States.” he said.
While it was a couple of years before Dean was able to enrol on the LLB course at DMU, which he completed before his LPC course, he used the time wisely spending time as an intern at companies such as CNN, ABC and, because he understood the BBC production methods, BBC Radio Leicester.
Having qualified for a VC 2020 Scholarship, Dean used the money he saved by not having to pay the full price for his master’s to network and to visit a plethora of companies. And his persistence paid off. Since arriving at DMU as an undergraduate, he has undertaken work placements at legal practices such as Bright Legal Solicitors and Edwards Hands and Lewis.
Dean is convinced that the very fact he was a student at DMU is what made him stand out.
He said: “I sent a speculative letter to the then commercial partner of Freeth Cartwright (now Freeths) in Leicester and I think she only replied and called me for an interview because she had worked at DMU; the DMU connection intrigued her. I actually ended up working for them for six months under their Legal Assistant Foundation Programme.”
While Dean has been proactive in securing work placements, he said that DMU does do a lot to help students get placements. “The law fairs are a great way to meet prospective employers and to secure work placements – it certainly worked for me.”
While Dean has made full use of the facilities during his time at DMU, he said the best place to be is the law library.
He said: “It complements me in so many ways. I find myself taking out books just to look random things up. Plus, the firm I am working in does immigration law but it is not something we cover on the course. Luckily, I can use the library to look things up I am not certain about.”
Having had such a positive experience, Dean is keen to advise everyone who qualifies for a VC2020 Scholarship to seize the opportunity and to make good use of the money they save by networking and seeking out as many work placements as possible.
“The more you do, the more you learn, the more attractive you become to future employers.”
Posted on Monday 4 May 2015