Vacation Scheme Student Review

The programme was carefully thought through and contained the ideal mix of work and social events. There was also a great combination of vacation scheme students, and I enjoyed the teamwork aspects of our assessed presentation. My goal was to get an insight into the culture and atmosphere of the firm and my expectations were exceeded in that regard.

I appreciated how everyone in each team, from partners to trainees, was so welcoming. Each person took the time to greet me and ask me a few questions, so I felt at ease much more quickly. It was surprising how much work I received from my supervisors throughout the three weeks. I felt valued whenever I trusted with a task. However, switching supervisor each week meant that it was difficult for them to give us very important pieces of work, especially when they were involved in large and complicated deals.

Not only were the graduate recruitment team incredibly helpful and approachable, but I was also given a trainee mentor who was available for any questions I had. Additionally, all the trainees in each group I was in were quick to help when I had a problem, and would also check up on me during the week to see if I was okay. The same could be said for my supervisors and the other associates I worked with.

The insight has given me a much better understanding of what an international City law firm is like and whether I personally would like to work there. This will be helpful when I decide what to do after I finish my studies, including whether I should pursue the legal profession and where. The information provided about the firm was very helpful and helped me to better understand the distinguishing features between Hogan Lovells and other firms. I also learned valuable workplace skills, including how to approach tasks, how to organize deadlines and how to manage my workload and my time. Furthermore, the opportunity to interview for a training contract was excellent practice for future applications. These skills are all applicable not only at university but also in any later career.

The insight was extremely structured. There was a nice variation between work experience and social gatherings. Each social was carefully thought-through and very enjoyable. The assessed presentation was a very good exercise, though I think the amount of time given to prepare it could have been shortened, instead of spanning the entire three weeks. Perhaps having two shorter tasks would provide a better balance. Although one week in each department was quite short, it was nice to be able to see three different areas and meet three different sets of people while I was there. It gave me a clearer idea of some of the practice areas I might want to train in if I decide to pursue a legal career.

On the whole, the atmosphere was friendly, approachable and lively. From the beginning we were put in teams for an assessed presentation at the end of the scheme, which gave us a closer support network of fellow students and first port of call when we didn’t know so many people, which was very reassuring. It also generated some healthy competition without detracting from the overall camaraderie of the entire group. The support and openness of the graduate recruitment team, the lawyers and the rest of the group ensured the atmosphere was pleasant through the entire three weeks. It also highlighted the genuinely sociable and teamwork-oriented culture of the firm as a whole.

The firm invested heavily in our personal training and development. Throughout our time there we were given IT training, skills training by experts (presentations, advocacy and commercial awareness) and insight into different parts of the firm (practice areas and pro bono). Furthermore, to help develop our assessed presentations, each group was assigned a business development and legal advisor, who gave us advice on making legal presentations.

To what extent did the insight help you to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the company or firm? As we only spent one week in each department, the insight we received depended on the work available in the department and for our supervisors. However, working together on small tasks with different trainees and associates allowed me to understand some of their roles. Furthermore, being able to sit in the same room as my supervisor meant I was able to gain valuable insight into their work by watching them interact with colleagues and clients. I was also able to attend a few client calls and meetings which was very exciting, as well as informative. The only thing I didn’t really get insight on was the roles of partners, as I didn’t get much of a chance to see them in action.

Everyone in the departments was extremely friendly, which was a clear example of the open nature of the firm. By watching interactions between lawyers, I was also able to understand the firm’s teamwork-oriented emphasis. Furthermore, speaking to lawyers at all levels repeatedly highlighted the collegiate culture and the value that they placed on it.

The content of each day depended on how busy my supervisor or their department was. However, when I had the opportunity to complete tasks, they were usually ones that trainees would do. I could see myself doing that type of work in the future. It was interesting to compare the tasks across departments, as these highlighted different skills. This has shaped how I understand my own skills and my understanding of which practice areas I would prefer to go into.

The level of remuneration for the scheme is similar to those of other schemes. Although the pay itself was generous, it was difficult to cover the cost of accommodation.

There were lots of networking opportunities spread evenly throughout the scheme. These included meeting trainees, associates and partners in different settings. Furthermore, everyone was very approachable, so I was able to contact people directly and they all kindly took the time out to speak to me. My supervisors also introduced me to colleagues in departments that I didn’t sit in, so that I could gain an insight into those.

The networking and social events were excellent. There was an ideal balance of fun and informal ones, such as dragon boat racing and ping-pong, and more formal lunches and dinners. I most appreciated the abundance of opportunities to talk to partners in an informal setting, at partner lunches or dinners. I think these were the most valuable networking opportunities.

We were informed about activities for employees outside work in a presentations and also through trainees and other employees. All of them sound like fantastic opportunities, from a gym to football to a choir and so on. From speaking to employees, everyone seems very involved with the firm outside of work and employees are encouraged to set up further activities if they want to. Furthermore, the firm is a pioneer in the pro bono field and places a large emphasis on employees taking part in this type of work.

I would definitely recommend this scheme, especially if someone is thinking of practicing commercial law and working in a City law firm. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish. I gained so many valuable insights, met some amazing people and had a wonderful few weeks at Hogan Lovells.