Meet our Wrays Intern

At Wrays, we’re passionate about nurturing the next generation of IP professionals. We believe internships are more than an introduction to the workplace, they’re an investment in the future of our industry and a meaningful way for us to strengthen our profession. By opening our doors to emerging talent, we help build capability, confidence, and career pathways for those who will shape the intellectual property landscape of tomorrow.

This year, we’ve been delighted to welcome recent Law graduate Caroline Wilcox to our Trade Marks team for an eight-week internship. During her time at Wrays, Caroline has immersed herself in the world of brand protection, discovering how businesses safeguard what makes them unique and exploring the legal frameworks that support creativity and commercial identity.

To offer a glimpse into her internship experience at Wrays, we asked Caroline a few questions about what she’s learned so far and how the experience has shaped her understanding of the IP profession.

Why did you decide to apply for an internship at Wrays?

Intellectual property has always interested me from the perspective of a consumer. A brand’s identity is so closely intertwined with the ownership of designs, names and logos and I wanted to learn more about how it works from a legal point of view. Wrays was able to provide me that opportunity.

What’s one thing you’ve learned about the world of intellectual property that surprised you?

How complex it can become registering intellectual property. In some cases, it may be straight forward but typically there is a lot more than goes on in the background from research, gathering evidence, ensuring the trademark is distinctive and so much more. In conjunction to this, if a business plans to expand and register their intellectual property internationally it must be taken into consideration what is registered in those countries to avoid rebranding in the future.

What skills have you developed during your internship?

One of the skills I have enhanced is being able to prioritise pieces of work. During my time so far at Wrays I have worked on a variety of different tasks from client work to general research to co-authoring articles. Some of these tasks require a lot more attention and have deadlines which are more pressing. I think that being able to prioritise your work is an important skill especially in the legal profession.

What’s your favourite part about being at Wrays so far?

Firstly, everyone has been very welcoming from the day I started at Wrays. I have enjoyed collaborating with different people whether that was within the Trademarks team or outside it. As someone who is just starting out, I enjoy being able to learn from those around me especially with the wealth of knowledge and experience of those in firm.

If you could trade mark any slogan or brand, what would it be?

Definitely a brand in the beauty or fashion industry, what exactly it would be I’m not sure. I find this space interesting with the rise of duping culture which involves patents, design and copyright as well as branding and logos itself. This is an area in which brand identity is important, so protecting it through trademarks is vital.

What advice would you give to someone considering an internship either at Wrays or somewhere else?

My advice would be to fully immerse yourself in the experience. Listen and soak up the information whether it is directed to you or not and don’t be afraid to ask questions. As someone who is new to the profession listening to those who have so much experience and knowledge can be valuable especially in areas and concepts that seem foreign to you.

Internships work both ways. While our interns gain hands-on experience, our Wrays team gain new ideas and fresh perspectives. During her short time at Wrays, Caroline has demonstrated curiosity, initiative, and a genuine enthusiasm for understanding the role trade marks play in supporting both business integrity and community trust. We’re confident she’ll continue her career with a deeper understanding of trade marks and well-developed professional skills.