Q&A: Inside Temi Ojengbede’s internship experience at Russell-Cooke through the 10,000 Black Interns Foundation

As Temi approaches the end of her internship, we sat down with her to hear about her background, her experience at Russell-Cooke, and what this opportunity has meant for her as she continues to build her legal career.

I’m graduating this November with a joint honours degree in Law and Criminology, and I’m hoping to qualify as a solicitor by sitting the SQE in 2026. Before starting this internship, I worked in probation (corporate sector), which gave me practical insight into how the justice system operates day to day and strengthened my interest in law. Outside of work and studying, I love figure skating and spend a lot of time at the ice rink, and I also enjoy reading classic literature as I find it both grounding and inspiring. My journey so far has been shaped by a real curiosity about how law affects people’s lives, and this internship has been a big step in helping me see what direction I might want to take in the future.

One of the highlights for me has been going to different courts in London with the children law team and the family team. Seeing cases unfold in person made the work feel very real and showed me how much of an impact lawyers can have on people’s lives. I’ve also enjoyed being able to work across different departments at the firm, which meant I haven’t been confined to just one area, keeping the work really interesting. The atmosphere at Russell-Cooke has also made a big difference; people are approachable and willing to explain things, which made me feel more confident.

This internship has definitely helped shape my interests. At the start, I didn’t have a clear idea of which areas I wanted to focus on, but now I’ve discovered how much I enjoy private client work, real estate, children law and family law. With private client, I’ve liked the mix of technical legal knowledge and the human side of working with clients. Real estate caught my interest because it feels practical and structured, while children law and family law stood out to me because of the court visits and seeing how those cases are handled. Each department gave me something new to think about, and I now feel much more open to exploring different career paths.

Everyone I’ve worked with at Russell-Cooke has been very helpful, but Mae Al-Omari, Philip Lardner and Jessica Zama played a significant role in my internship. All three have been incredibly supportive and I learned so much working with them. Having approachable mentors, who made me feel less nervous about asking questions, has definitely enhanced my experience.

My top advice would be to apply with an open mind. You don’t need to know exactly what area of law you’re interested in or feel like you’ve got everything figured out before applying. The programme is designed to give you exposure, and it’s through that exposure that you start to realise what excites you. I’d also say don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s normal to feel nervous at first but people want you to learn and succeed. Speaking based on my own experience, you’ll get so much from the internship if you treat it as chance to explore, learn and build connections. Even small insights from conversations can end up being very useful later on.

The main lesson I’ve taken away is that you don’t need to know everything straight away to succeed. Coming into private client work for the first time, I was nervous about not having all the answers, but I realised that what matters more is being curious and willing to learn. The environment at Russell-Cooke has shown me how important it is to ask questions and to listen carefully, both to colleagues and to clients. I also learned that law is as much about people as it is about rules and procedures. Whether in court or drafting documents, there’s always a human element, and that’s what makes the work meaningful. For me, that insight has been invaluable and is something I’ll carry with me into my future career.