Legal work experience Analyse. Advise. Influence. Discover how law, evidence and professional judgement help shape decisions in a complex organisation. Our Legal Work Experience programme gives you the opportunity to step inside an in-house legal environment and discover how legal professionals support Sellafield Ltd. Throughout the week, you’ll explore how legal advice contributes to business decisions and learn about different areas of legal practice, including regulatory law, planning and real estate, commercial law and employment law. You’ll also meet people working across legal, company secretarial, corporate investigations, conduct and compliance. This project-based programme based in West Cumbria is designed for learners in Years 12 and 13 who are considering studying law at university or are interested in exploring a career in law. Why choose Legal? Legal careers are about much more than what happens in a courtroom. In a large and complex organisation, legal professionals help colleagues understand their responsibilities, consider legal and regulatory requirements, manage risk and make informed business decisions. During your work experience, you’ll discover how an in-house legal team works alongside the wider business and see how law is applied to real organisational challenges. You’ll have opportunities to: Explore how legal advice supports business decisions Discover different areas of legal practice Understand how legal risks are identified and considered Learn how laws and regulations influence business activity See how legal professionals work with colleagues across an organisation Experience a professional, office-based legal environment What you’ll experience Discover in-house law: Explore what it means to work as an in-house legal professional and how legal teams support safe, secure and compliant operations. Explore different areas of law: Gain insight into areas including commercial, regulatory, employment, planning and real estate law, seeing how different types of legal expertise can be applied within one organisation. Understand legal decision-making: Explore how legal guidance contributes to business decisions and learn how lawyers advise on areas including contracts, risk, policy and governance. Meet legal and corporate professionals: Meet people working across legal, company secretarial, corporate investigations, conduct and compliance and gain insight into the variety of work undertaken within these areas. Put your learning into practice: Work through examples and project-based activities to build your understanding of legal practice at Sellafield. At the end of the placement, you’ll be invited to present your work to Sellafield’s General Counsel. What you’ll gain Legal work experience gives you the opportunity to develop skills that are valuable within law and across many other professional careers. During your week, you’ll have opportunities to develop: Critical thinking and reasoning, considering information from different perspectives Attention to detail Communication, including written communication Research and organisation Problem-solving Professional awareness Understanding of confidentiality in a professional environment Presentation skills, through sharing your project work at the end of the experience Most importantly, you’ll gain a better understanding of what working in law can actually look like and whether a legal career could be right for you. Careers you could explore There isn’t just one type of career in law. Your experience will introduce you to different areas of legal and corporate work and help you understand how legal expertise is used within a complex organisation. You could discover an interest in areas including: Commercial law Regulatory law Employment law Planning and real estate Company secretarial work Corporate investigations Conduct and compliance Your experience can also help you explore whether studying law or pursuing future professional or business pathways is something you’d like to consider. Is Legal Work Experience for me? This programme could be right for you if you: Are considering studying law or pursuing a legal career Enjoy reading, researching and analysing information Like understanding how and why decisions are made Are interested in rules, regulations and how they are applied Enjoy considering different perspectives Pay attention to detail Want to develop your written and verbal communication Are interested in experiencing a professional legal environment You don’t need to know which area of law interests you. This experience gives you the opportunity to explore different aspects of legal practice, ask questions and discover whether a career in law could be right for you. Programme Structure Day 1 Introduction to Legal Day 2-4 Exploring Legal Practice in Action Day 5 Careers in Law and Reflection The week begins with an induction to Sellafield before an introduction to the Legal team and the important role they play in supporting Sellafield’s mission. You will gain an understanding of the legal profession, explore the variety of work undertaken by in-house lawyers and legal specialists, and discover how legal advice helps support decision-making across a complex and highly regulated organisation. Over the next three days, you will gain insight into the wide-ranging work undertaken by the Legal team. Through interactive sessions, case studies and practical activities, you will explore how legal professionals help manage risk, interpret legislation and support compliance within a heavily regulated industry. You will also discover how commercial contracts and legal agreements support major projects and business operations, while developing key skills in analysis, problem solving and professional communication. By examining realistic legal scenarios, you will experience how legal professionals assess information, weigh evidence and provide advice to support informed business decisions. The final day provides an opportunity to reflect on the week’s learning and explore future career pathways within the legal profession. Through the week you will have heard about different routes into legal careers, gained insight from members of the Legal team about their career journeys, and developed a greater understanding of the skills, behaviours and qualifications that support success in the profession to use in your presentation about the week experienced and your next steps. Ready to explore Legal? The Legal Work Experience Programme offers a fascinating insight into how legal professionals support one of the UK’s most complex organisations. Whether you’re already considering a career in law or simply want to better understand how legal teams contribute to business success, this programme provides an engaging introduction to the profession and the opportunities available within a modern in-house legal team. You’ll leave with a greater understanding of the legal profession, enhanced workplace skills and a clearer picture of the many career pathways available within law, business and professional services. Duration: One week. Location: The programme is based in West Cumbria, with Monday and Friday at Energus, Lillyhall and Tuesday to Thursday across our offices – Albion, Copeland Centre and Westlakes Science Park. Link to apply will appear here when applications open.
