Vacation Scheme Review

Put simply it was brilliant! We started with two days of training to make sure that we had gotten to grips with the firm systems and then we spent the next 13 days working in our departments. It was certainly pressured but there was a great array of social events on offer as well which balanced out the work.

Definitely 10/10. Let’s be honest I’m just one of 55 Vac Schemers, but the team (Corporate) went out of their way to make me feel included and like I was really appreciated. We were invited along to departmental meetings and socials which complemented the important work we were given. You have to demonstrate that you can be relied on, but once you do they are willing to give you some very important tasks that would normally be given to a trainee or possibly a NQ.

It was phenomenal. Of course the partners are very busy so don’t have as much time but you really get the feeling that they want to help you learn. I wasn’t just told what my task was, but I was given background details which helped me get a feel of how my work slotted in to the bigger picture. One of the trainees in my department also sat down with me for half an hour helping me learn by reviewing a task I had done for him. 10/10 is an understatement,

As a second year law student a lot of the skills they taught us on the first day will be incredibly useful going in to my final year. I was familiar with Lexis and WestLaw but the sessions they put on taught me a lot of useful information. In addition to this I learned so much that will help me in my career regardless of where (and if!) I am offered a Training Contract . I genuinely feel like I’m more prepared to hit my first seat running as a result.

Here credit has to go to the amazing graduate recruitment team. Everything is planned out wonderfully so that there is the right amount of work pressure and social events that really give you the chance to shine. For example after our first proper day in our departments we had a social to unwind, or at the start of the second week we had a pub quiz. The three weeks have flown by and I really wish I could do it again!

The atmosphere amongst the Vac Schemers was brilliant. Of course at the end of the day we are technically competing for the same positions (!), but I honestly never got any sense of competitiveness or hostility. They are my friends and they want me to succeed just as I wish them well. The atmosphere in the department was brilliant. It’s not just Corporate who have the amazing environment, this was shared across all departments. It’s a brilliant buzz and I was so fortunate to be here the day of the referendum and the day after MAR came into force.

The firm invested so much in us. From the training they put on to buying us tickets to social events, they put in both time and money to ensure that we don’t just leave here happy, but better potential lawyers. I’ve learned so much and I’ve had so many amazing experiences.

They put in a lot of effort to make sure that it simulated real life as a trainee. We were invited along to all of the events that trainees would have been to and the work we were given was designed to reflect that which a trainee would undertake. By the end of the placement we were doing tasks that second year trainees would do so we were really given a lot of responsibility.

A phenomenal amount! We were exposed to many different members of the firm through our socials and, for those of us who were lucky, through CSR work. In addition to this the departments put on socials to really show you what they are like. I greatly enjoyed our cooking social where I was on a team with trainees to partners cooking against three other teams! I’ll never forget one particularly brilliant associate who kept enthusiastically answering our team’s professional chef with “Yes Chef!” whenever he was asked to do something.

I already had a pretty good idea that I wanted to be a solicitor – you have to get this far. But this placement has instilled in me that more than any other firm, I want to train, work and grow at Nabarro. Being a solicitor entails hard work and long hours, but to be quite frank, none of that matters when you love what you do and you love the people you’re with.

We were paid £325 a week, or £65 a day. In addition to this at the socials they provide free drinks and if you work to 7:00pm you get free dinner!

An unbelievable amount to be honest. At every turn we were able to meet new people of different levels of seniority and different areas of expertise. It was absolutely brilliant! In addition to this we had a networking training event one evening where they invited interns from Savills to come along! It was great to use the networking on completely random people and I made some great friends that night.

As a former Social Secretary I thought I was pretty good at organising events. I’m not even ashamed to admit that the Graduate Recruitment Team have thoroughly defeated me! We had amazing socials all over London and it as great to have the partners getting involved as well. We all remember a certain unnamed partner who stole the show at karaoke!

I was fortunate enough to get a chance to help out in some actual CSR work while I was here. I was part of a team of varying levels of seniority who hosted a class of Year 6 Primary School children in the office. We had a mock stock exchange game involving trading chocolate coins which fluctuated in value according to the news read by possibly the most charismatic and brilliant partner I think I will ever have the chance to meet! A fun day was had by all and I got a chance to see first hand what the firm gets up to in the community.

100%. I literally cannot rate it highly enough to do it justice. Do this placement. Apply now.