The 10,000 Able Interns programme: Meet Amber

BDB Pitmans

Where did you first hear about the 10,000 Black / Able Interns Programme and what interested you?

I initially heard about the 10KBI and 10KAI programme through a friend, who had secured a tech internship as part of the 2022 cohort. As a black, neurodiverse woman, looking to break into the legal sector, this sounded like a perfect opportunity to gain legal experience in an equitable working environment.

What about BDB Pitmans appealed to you before you accepted your internship?

Even though this was my first time applying for any opportunity within the legal sector, I felt so comfortable during my interview! I liked the fact that BDB has a particular appreciation for career changers, and that the structure of the internship would allow me to experience a wide variety of practice areas / sectors to get the most out of it.

What have you enjoyed most about your internship so far?

I’ve enjoyed the novelty of pivoting from my non-law background into the legal industry, gleaning everything I can from mentors, supervisors, and work colleagues in this six-week period. I’ve seen this internship as an opportunity to develop my personal brand and figure out what I want my future working environment to look like.

What is your greatest achievement of the internship so far?

Having the self-awareness to identify and lean into my unique strengths, whilst successfully managing the deficits of my ADHD within the workplace, enabling me to give 100% for the duration of this internship. Also, I am proud of the confidence I’ve gained just by being able to thrive in a completely new environment, with zero legal training.

How would you describe your first experiences of working in the legal sector?

Eye-opening is the best way to describe it in a nutshell; you really don’t know what you don’t know! The multidisciplinary nature of the legal sector cannot be understated, and I’ve realised that having such a narrow focus on what I think will interest me as a future specialism so early on may be doing myself a disservice!