Why My IHLS Internship Confirmed My Future in Corporate & Commercial Law

After studying law for the past five years, I have developed a strong academic foundation in law and found a particular interest in corporate finance and commercial law. Now that I am in my final year of my law degree at Liverpool John Moores University I wanted to understand how the law operates beyond textbooks and experience how legal principles intertwine with commercial practice.
I believe that now is the perfect time to put the skills I’ve learned into practice and gain new ones that I can enhance ready for a career in law, and so I have undertaken an internship at In House Legal Solutions in Liverpool to truly understand the profession I aim to enter.

I began the internship feeling both excited and slightly nervous. Although my academic studies had provided me with strong theoretical grounding, I was conscious that the realities of legal practice would present new challenges that required adaptability and confidence. From my first day, the IHLS team were incredibly welcoming and generous with their time, introducing me not only to the firm’s legal services but also to the internal structure, strategy, and business considerations that inform their decision making. This exposure has transformed my textbook knowledge into practical insight, strengthened my attention to detail, and allowed me to develop a more nuanced appreciation for the commercial drivers behind legal work.

An invaluable experience of mine was observing and listening to calls between IHLS and prospective clients. These conversations were not simply about legal advice and support being offered but also about growth, negotiation, long-term partnerships, and strategic positioning which provided insight into how IHLS must align with their client’s broader business goals and objectives.

I have also attended multiple contract training sessions where I was introduced to complex framework service agreements within a live business setting. Working through structured templates and checklists also allowed me to understand how to extract key provisions efficiently and adapt contractual terms to reflect individual client needs. It became clear that drafting and negotiating is not just about protection but also about balance. I found that protecting your clients while maintaining constructive professional relationships requires both technical accuracy and commercial awareness.

A significant part of my experience has been working extensively with Denovo Case Management. Filing anti-money laundering checks, uploading matter files, recording project information and monitoring matter timelines gave me a deeper appreciation for the operational precision and discipline that underpins effective legal services. Attention to detail, compliance and organisation are fundamental to supporting both client trust and professional standards.

A particular insightful learning point was analysing IHLS’s service structure and comparing it to more traditional private practice models. Through understanding IHLS’s service structures of transactional support solutions and external legal team solutions, I observed how IHLS functions more like an in-house legal partner for their clients rather than a reactive external advisor on a purely transactional basis. Their model emphasises ongoing, proactive legal support tailored to each client’s commercial objectives. This distinction deepened my commercial awareness and broadened my understanding of how modern legal services can evolve to meet the strategic needs of businesses.

This internship has shown me the difference between studying law and practicing it. Academic law teaches you critical thinking, efficient research, and ethical decision making while practice teaches you how to think commercially, communicate clearly and deliver effectively. Having the opportunity to observe professional communication, internal collaboration and client interaction highlighted the importance of clarity, professionalism, and adaptability. I have developed a greater confidence in communication, asking purposeful questions and engaging proactively within a working legal environment.

My advice to future candidates who want meaningful experience in corporate and commercial law is that the more you invest in the experience, the more you will gain from it. Do not be afraid to ask questions, the IHLS team are supportive and will answer any questions you have, I found this particularly useful when navigating the intricacies of various contracts. Everything you could need is provided for you by the team so all you need is to show enthusiasm and curiosity to learn more.

My internship at IHLS confirms my ambition to pursue a career in corporate and commercial law. It has transformed my theoretical knowledge into practical understanding, strengthening my attention to detail and deepened my appreciation for the commercial context in which legal services operate. I am grateful to the team for their guidance and support during this experience, I look forward to continuing my professional relationship with them and applying these lessons to my legal journey.