Post by Mrinali Vijayakumar

Recently wrapped up the IEUK 2026 Commercial Law Virtual Internship with Bright Network ⚖️ A week of hearing from firms like Clyde & Co, RPC, Kennedys, Macfarlanes and Osborne Clarke, unpacking what commercial law actually looks like beyond the textbook and getting a much clearer picture of the profession in practice. The best part? Seeing how commercial lawyers think. Not just about the law itself, but about risk, strategy, negotiation, and the bigger business picture. It made one thing clear: good legal advice is rarely just “legal”. It’s commercial, practical, strategic and often deeply human. A lot of the sessions reinforced how much the profession values curiosity, resilience, networking, and commercial awareness; and hearing directly from trainees and associates made those ideas feel a lot more tangible than they do on paper. That said, one thing really stood out to me. We heard a lot about how important commercial awareness, collaboration, and curiosity are, but there wasn’t much room to actually practise that in discussion. For something so central to the profession, I think creating space for debate on live commercial issues, hearing different perspectives, challenging ideas, and learning from each other would have added real value. The client task with Clyde & Co was probably the closest we got. Balancing legal analysis with commercial priorities reminded me how much nuance sits behind every decision, and how often the “right” answer depends on context. Unexpectedly, the programme also taught me patience, especially with the final step. We submitted feedback before receiving our certificates, which arrived five business days later. It was a reminder that the way an experience ends can shape how it’s remembered just as much as how it begins. And since I couldn’t really share my full feedback on the form itself, what better place to do that than here. Still, a worthwhile experience and another reminder that in law, asking better questions matters just as much as finding the answers. Grateful to Bright Network and everyone involved for the opportunity. It was a worthwhile experience and a strong step in understanding the realities of commercial law a little better. I was hoping to compare notes with Tom Fennelly on sport and law… but the inbox is still quiet on that one 😅