When I had finished my degree, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to work for a large firm or a small one. On the one hand, the informality and the greater degree of responsibility in a small firm appealed to me. On the other hand, I wanted to work in an environment where there was specialist knowledge and where I would receive plenty of training.
When I found Lexence, I found a firm that combined both these sides. Lexence is a firm that specialises in property and corporate and commercial law and it is up with the top firms when it comes to expertise and cases. On the other hand Lexence has managed to remain a non-hierarchical and informal organisation where trainees work closely with partners and staff, despite its expansion over the last few years. 
You can read below what a typical day at Lexence looks like for Dirk-Jan:
Diary for Tuesday 2 October 2007
9:00-9:15 : I cycle to the Zuidas district in Amsterdam together with a friend from university. I quickly down my breakfast – two apples – while cycling.
09:15-9:45 : I discuss current business with Marieke, my mentor, over a cup of coffee. Yesterday I was on a training course given by the Netherlands Bar Association (Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten), so I tell her about my day on the course while she brings me up to date on developments. A new case has come in via a large housing corporation. I can take it on.
09:45-12:30 : I read through the new case file. The police carried out a raid on one of the premises owned by the housing corporation and found a cannabis-growing operation. The housing corporation wants to terminate the tenancy agreement and evict the tenant. After reading all the documents, I call the police and ask if I can have the official report of the raid and the photos taken there.
12:30-13:30 : Jurisprudence lunch. Once a week all the lawyers in the Rent Law team lunch together and discuss the week’s new cases. Of course I also discuss “my” new case and I receive several valuable tips from my colleagues. We finish the lunch with a discussion of recent jurisprudence.
13:30-13:50 : I take a walk along the Zuideramstel canal with some colleagues to get a breath of fresh air.
13:50-16:00 : A partner from the Rent Law team comes into my office with an emergency assignment. He asks me if I can make an overview as quickly as possible of the cumulative rent arrears in a large case.
16:00-17:00 : I carry on working on the cannabis plantation case and make a start on writing my advice to the client.
17:00-18:00 : Together with a number of colleagues I am organising a social event for all the staff at the end of the year. We hold a brainstorm in our committee about a good location and activities for the social event.
18:15 : I cycle home. I grab something to eat and I’m out on the hockey pitch at 19:30.