Hello, my name is Delicia Owusu-Akontoh and I am currently undertaking a legal tech internship at Definely.
What initially attracted me to Definely was their LinkedIn post regarding the launch of their summer internship programme which hinted at the breadth of the opportunities and projects that their interns will be working on. Following this, I used my initiative to reach out to the team who were more than happy to welcome me onto the programme, and I was fortunate to be onboarded within 48 hours. Now, let us dig deeper into what a week in the life of a Definely Intern really looks like.
Monday
The beginning of the working week was welcomed in by our daily 10am intern call with Rhys (Head of Growth), and my intern partner Sophie. This was shortly followed by another call, where the wider team gathered to briefly discuss our weekend, our workload, and our wellbeing.
The majority of my morning involved meetings with two major corporations. First, a call with global cyber security company Darktrace focused on advising Definely on scaling the company, using resources efficiently, recruitment and cultivating company culture. The second call was with Big Four accounting firm Deloitte, which was a training session for their legal team on how to use Definely’s software.
After lunch, I had a refreshing and inspiring conversation with David McKenzie (Head of Operations), which detailed the role of investors, developing strategies and the importance of adopting a resilient approach to fundraising during a pandemic.
My day ended with a tutorial on data analytics held by Rhys, which I discovered to be incredibly insightful as I was unfamiliar with the part it played in monitoring the service a company provides.
Tuesday
The morning began with internal calls between 10am — 11am, where the team explained what needed to be completed. Just before continuing my task, I experienced technical difficulties with my laptop which was quickly resolved with the help of David Silva (Head of Technology) who carefully navigated me through the troubleshooting process. The rest of my morning involved receiving constructive feedback on the updates I made last week to Definely’s License Agreement for a new pilot with a UK law firm.
During the early afternoon, I continued with the AI and machine learning task provided by Isaac (Head of AI) at the start of my internship; after a few trials and errors and progress check meetings, I became confident executing this task going forward.
The rest of the afternoon focused on hosting a social event with Sophie for the entire Definely team including those from tech, sales, and operations. We planned an entertaining, interactive general knowledge quiz using Kahoot! which included topics such as pop culture, sports, and geography. Although it brought out the team’s competitive side, the overall experience was thoroughly enjoyed and greatly appreciated.
Wednesday
After the usual 10am calls, I had a career one-to-one with Nnamdi (Founder) and Rhys. I found this discussion to be essential and eye-opening as they provided advice on the endless legal tech opportunities in start-ups but also in-house, banks and law firms that I was not aware of. The conversation emphasised the need for me to narrow down the specific area I am interested in developing a career in.
With the help of Feargus (Co-Founder) and Sophie, throughout the internship we thoroughly researched an area of intellectual property and presented our findings to the team. The presentation highlighted the long-term benefits of registering as a trademark, the available classes, and the application process. The team not only listened but valued our research and trusted our suggestions moving forward.
The rest of the afternoon was taken over by attending global research and advisory firm, Gartner’s virtual session on ‘Tech Leadership Strategies to Succeed in New Market Realities’. This summit covered the best global practices in growth strategy regarding challenges and opportunities.
Thursday
My daily morning calls was followed by independently taking on a legal research task regarding issuing share capital and the process connected to it; to gain the most relevant and accurate information, I used my LPC Business Law textbook and Define’s Articles of Association.
After lunch, I worked alongside Sophie to produce a feedback questionnaire for Deloitte Legal on their experience using the new updated version of Definely.
At the end of the day, I had a tutorial on building a legal tech product by Bruce (Head of Product). This exemplified what goes into building a legal tech software, vitality of having the right team, understanding the product itself and setting the goals you have for it in the marketplace.
Friday
Off to a busy start meant no internal morning calls, however, the day kicked-off with an impressive sales pitch to a City law firm which included a practical illustration of how to use Definely. The end of the working week concluded with effectively labelling contracts for the AI & machine learning assignment.
To conclude, when I initially asked for this internship my intention was to simply be introduced to the legal tech world, however, having the opportunity be involved in marketing, legal, business and AI tasks with real deadlines and expectations, I am leaving with an abundance of knowledge and also a sense that my contribution has impacted the company in some way.
Therefore, if I could summarise my experience as an intern at Definely in one word it would be ‘inspiring’. It is not every day that you have the opportunity to work in a team that celebrates innovation, collaboration, and diversity. But what I have learnt most from the Definely team is to extend the same level of respect and grace to others that you expect to receive regardless of your position, which is something I aspire to do professionally and personally.
