Chanaia and Batoul are part of a team of Yegal law students and graduates who are actively working on an insurance claims project in the specialised field of Medical Negligence through Gallagher Bassett. We caught up with them both to find out more about their experience and insights gained.
Hi Chanaia! You connected with Yegal shortly after the COVID-19 lockdowns were lifted. How did you find being part of a team office environment again?
It was uplifting to be welcomed into a new office environment with open arms, stress-free training, and flexibility to work from home. I immediately was made to feel part of their family and organically grew into the job without any pressure.
Coming from the lockdown, it was refreshing to be part of an inclusive team!
Hi Batoul! When you first connected with Yegal, aside from gaining experience, what were the biggest priorities for you?
The biggest priorities for me aside from gaining experience was building fundamental skills such as communicating with clients, managing client relationships, managing a case load and building my overall confidence.
I connected with Yegal to find a job that would allow me to build on the skills I have gained from previous experience whilst learning new skills and knowledge that will remain important for the rest of my legal career.
Chanaia, what are two skills that you have developed whilst on this project that you will look to carry with you into future roles?
Immersing myself in a new field such as medical negligence insurance, strengthened my team building skills. My role involves working closely with the claims consultant handling the specific matter.
It has also allowed me to communicate and handle tasks with more empathy whilst considering the medical circumstances of the claimants involved.
Batoul, how would you compare and contrast your time at Gallagher Bassett with your past experience in legal placements at various law firms?
Working at Gallagher Bassett, an insurance company, in the medical negligence team has allowed me to gain an invaluable insight into the type of work that is required of medical negligence lawyers. I have observed how specific legal documents need to be drafted and also learned to communicate with clients.
The role at Gallagher Bassett has given me exposure to a number of skills across a variety of different areas that are not just law related.
I feel I have been able to gain insight into medical negligence law from the perspective of the plaintiff, defendant and the insurance company. I see how this is important now that I have seen how claims play out end to end.
Gallagher Bassett is the first large corporate team that I have been a part of, as opposed to the smaller firms that I have previously worked at.
Being part of a large company meant I received training from day 1 for the first week which really helped me feel comfortable as I settled in to the role.
Chanaia, do you think law students should prioritise securing experience & practical training higher during their undergraduate years? Why?
Utilising the most common legal phrase; I would say ‘it depends’. It highly depends on the person. If you are a law student who prioritises a headstart in building your career; appreciates networking with the professionals of your chosen field; and has the time management skills to balance academic commitments with work; then it is for you.
It would shape you into a well-rounded individual; assist in learning the content of their subjects; and improve their interpersonal abilities in legal and corporate work.
And Batoul, what’s your recommendations for future aspiring legal professionals?
I think students should prioritise gaining practical experience in the legal field in their undergraduate years. This will help to build confidence, allow you to put theory into practice when you do the practical legal work, and build your networking skills.
Gaining experience will teach students universal skills that will be relevant no matter where they end up, even if its not in law.
I recommend students gain experience in multiple areas of law to help them decide which area of law they like more and want to specialise in later when they graduate.
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Find Batoul and Chanaia on LinkedIn here.