Vacation Scheme Student Review

The scheme was a fantastic insight into the culture of Baker & McKenzie. The trainees made us all feel incredibly welcome and the Graduate Recruitment team filled the two weeks with some great social events. This was the first vacation scheme I have been involved in and I'm glad I applied, it was great fun!

My supervisors, trainee buddies and other members of the departments I sat in (SCM/Corporate PEF) were very approachable and all took the time to explain the tasks they were giving me. If there was ever a point where I needed clarification, they were there to help. I never had a shortage of work to do as everyone I came across was approachable and willing to give me tasks to complete.

We received thorough training on the first and second days of the scheme. The presentation skills session was particularly enjoyable and useful for the client pitch we had to prepare in teams for the following week. If we ever needed extra support the Graduate Recruitment team was just an email or phone-call away. My supervisors were always there for support and guidance.

The presentation skills workshop was definitely a highlight, although the best experience was the day to day interaction with lawyers in the departments. I had no idea what securitisation involved before the scheme but learnt a great deal about it whilst sitting in SCM. The client pitch we had to prepare was a really good challenge to get stuck into - client pitches are usually a job for partners! It was a good test of our teamwork and we were really pleased to be judged the 'most Bakers' team.

The scheme was very well structured. It had the right balance between training, experiencing real work and social events. It was very beneficial to sit in two departments during the two weeks. This gave me a good overview of the transactional work which is undertaken in Baker & McKenzie's London office. We were not expected to stay later than needed.

The culture of the firm was fantastic and all the vacation scheme students got on incredibly well. The trainees made us feel as if we were part of the firm already and our supervisors gave us responsibility on real tasks from an early stage. This made the overall atmosphere very positive.

The firm definitely invested a great deal in the vacation scheme students. The quality of the social and networking events was very high and there was something going on every day. Being able to meet with the managing committee of the London office demonstrated how seriously committed the people at Baker & McKenzie are to investing in its vacation scheme students.

The best insight was into the culture of the firm. I learnt that Baker & McKenzie is a place which values personal development and a good work-life balance. Being able to talk to lawyers across the departments of the firm confirmed this open culture. We had lunch with the managing committee of the firm. It was valuable to hear from those at the very top of the firm and hear how much they care about Baker & McKenzie and its culture.

I believe that culture is everything when it comes to choosing a firm to work at in future. This experience confirmed everything I had heard about Baker & McKenzie's open and friendly culture. All members of staff had time for us and it was clear from the open door culture that there is a real and genuine commitment to openness at the firm.

I was already set on pursuing a career in law, however, the scheme certainly reaffirmed to me why this is the path I want to go down. The people I met at Baker & McKenzie were all easy to get on with and the working environment was supportive. I was also able to see just how ambitious the firm is and what an exciting place it is to work.

We were paid more than enough to cover travel expenses (although being a London student I was able to walk in to the office every day!)

We met trainees from across the firm throughout the social events and there was a Corporate networking lunch which was very insightful. I regularly went for lunch or coffee with lawyers from the departments in which I was sat and got to hear their perspective on Baker & McKenzie and life as a city lawyer in general.

The socials included a curry night, ping pong evening and lunch up the Shard. All of these events were incredibly enjoyable and gave us the opportunity to get to know the trainees and Graduate Recruitment staff better. There was a presentation from two members of the firm on their life at Baker & McKenzie. They shared some fantastic stories on the things they had been involved with during their time at the firm.

At the beginning of the first week we were given an introduction to the activities which members of the firm can get involved with. My trainee buddy was incoming captain of the LSE football team and the annual EuroBakers football tournament sounds like a lot of fun! A couple of the other vacation scheme students got involved with the Bakers mixed tag rugby team which they really enjoyed.

I would absolutely recommend this scheme to any friend considering a career in Law. Everybody at Baker & McKenzie made us feel welcome and it was clear from talking to the trainees that they really value having vacation scheme students at the firm. I would also emphasise that this is a two way process and there was ample opportunity to experience what it's like to work at Baker & McKenzie. This will certainly be a factor in helping me decide where to work in future.