Vacation Scheme Student Review

I hugely enjoyed it.

I felt like they truly were selling themselves to me as much as I was to them.

The support was excellent

Huge insight into the practical skills needed to be a lawyer.

Very well structured

Light, friendly, but focussed.

The company ran an extensive range of talks and presentations on every department in the firm to give us a comprehensive insight into what the firm was about and what sort of cases it worked on. We had a chance to network with some of the most senior lawyers in the firm and learn from them.

It was a very realistic experience of what a role in the firm would look like, we got to experience two different departments for a week each and spend time with the team. I spent time working on real projects and really felt like I was contributing to the cases that I worked on. I felt that my work was really valued and not just something to occupy me.

I got to speak to numerous people from all levels of the firm, ask them about their experiences and get a real insight into what made the firm unique and special. I got to attend team socials and get a real feel for how the team interacted with each other and see what their team dynamic was.

I came into the scheme no knowing what I wanted my career path to be and genuinely interested to see whether being a solicitor was what I wanted to do. The scheme was very comprehensive and allowed me to really see what it would be like to work for the company on a full time basis. It confirmed my interest in working in London and specifically the city.

I was paid £350 a week for the placement which was very competitive and allowed me to make money from the time I spent here. I had to take two weeks away from my job and the money meant that this was not an issue from me in terms of my finances. I think it is necessary to provide this funding to make sure the scheme is accessible to everyone.

The firm organised and encouraged us to attend numerous and extensive networking sessions which included a Partner Drinks, a future joiners party, corporate dinners and drinks receptions. In addition there were many opportunities to go for lunch with supervisors and trainees which was invaluable experience for me and incredibly insightful.

The social events were a real highlight of the fortnight for me. In particular the future joiner party where we got to meet trainees who were joining the firm in the near future and finding out why they picked the firm and what their experiences were like. They are the closest to me in terms of what stage of their career they are at so it was great to spend time with them.

I enjoyed hearing about the extensive pro bono opportunities that employees had at the firm. This included getting to see their pro bono clinic that happened once a week as well as hearing about their work in Sierra Leone and local schools. I was also interested to hear about their work advising school governors on legal matters and getting involved in the local community.

If a friend asked me if I would recommend this scheme I would definitely recommend the fortnight to them. I think the firm has a reputation for providing one of the best vacations schemes in the city. I would be happy to share my positive experiences with anyone that asked me about it. I would suggest it would be a good thing to be part of.