Vacation scheme student Review

I thought it was very enjoyable but also slightly hectic at times. They had a lot of things planned every day. They planned social events as well as informative deal talks. We had trainee buddies that were able to answer our questions and the team were very nice and welcoming

They are a very welcoming team but I think you are always made to feel like a vacation scheme student. The work given was very tedious and nothing very significant. There were also times when they would try to give easier tasks because they thought it would be too hard

They were always available to answer questions, and our trainee buddies were very supportive. If we had any questions about the firm or the work we were doing, we could always rely on the trainee buddy to give us an honest answer. The graduate recruitment team are also very friendly and understanding if you have any issues.

The skills were useful, mainly because you can say that you have applied those skills in a legal environment. The skills are not very relevant to my degree though, but they are good skills to talk about in interviews. The information has been very helpful, regardless of where I am applying.

It was well structured to some extent. There were days that went on too long – such as 9am to 10pm. And these were full of “optional” social events that were not really optional. The talks and informative events were very well structured and they all lead up to a final interview.

It was very informative as well as welcoming. They tried to give a very holistic view of the firm but sometimes the people we were sat with were not very engaging. One partner that I sat with in the first week, completely disappeared after the first day. The other partner I sat with was under so much pressure that I felt anxious about asking too many questions

They did not invest very much. It was a short vacation scheme, only two weeks long. Therefore, it was hard to get any formal development opportunities. However, they did mention he personal development programme for people that join the firm as trainees. The programme helps them progress up the firm and become partners.

The insight was very helpful in helping us understand what it would be like to work there full time. We had interaction with trainees who often provided a very honest picture of what it was like to work there. We also spoke to associates and partners from across the different practice areas, giving us a broader idea.

It was very helpful in understanding the culture. They had numerous talks about what differentiates them from other firms, and we also met very senior people who talked about what they look for in potential trainees. This gave us an idea of the firm’s culture. They also got us involved in a lot of volunteering as this is part of their culture.

It was very helpful. I got a real insight into the firm and also their competitors. I got an idea of what they look for in trainees and I witnessed what lawyers actually do. The practice area talks also helped to increase my knowledge of law generally, which is useful for all my applications

They paid us £300 per week

Yes, there were plenty of networking events. Some were with graduate recruitment only, some were with partners and some were with future trainees. This gave us information on the application process and also general tips for a legal career. There were lots of networking lunches too, and the teams also arranged informal meetings.

Very interesting. They were formal as well as some informal ones. They tried to give a real picture of what it would be like at a law firm like theirs. They made sure everyone had someone to talk to and they had plenty of refreshments and snacks/desserts throughout the evening

Yes, they gave us a presentation on their pro bono activities and the volunteering that we can get involved in. There were opportunities for us as vac scheme students, and also opportunities for partners too, It was nice to see people of different levels of seniority getting so involved in volunteering.

Yes. It helped me realise what lawyers did on a day to day basis, the scheme also prepped me with great transferable skills. They tried their best to give us an idea of why international law is booming and they also tried to improve out commercial awareness in relation to the legal industry