GDL Student Review

I really enjoyed my Winter Vacation scheme at Stephenson Harwood. It was a week crammed with experience, and gave me an invaluable insight to the firm, through daily talks from the firm's different departments.

I felt incredibly valued during my time at Stephenson Harwood. The partner who I was shadowing was always very positive and grateful for the work I had done for him, and gave me excellent feedback. Similarly, when I helped one of the senior partners on a research task, he made the effort to say thank you for the work I had done, which meant a lot as I know it was an incredibly busy time of the year.

I felt really supported during my vacation scheme, with a partner I was shadowing and a trainee mentor as well who would also check in to see how I was doing. However, it was the week before Christmas, so there were times when I needed help but wasn't able to ask as both my partner and trainee mentor were busy, but that was completely understandable, and turned out to be a positive as it made me seek help elsewhere, allowing me too meet more people at the firm.

Having done a History degree, the insight and skills I developed did not direclty help me with my academic studies. However, beyond my degree the vacation scheme was an invaluable insight into a career as a commercial solicitor, but also into a firm that I am incredibly excited to work for, having accepted a training contract with Stephenson Harwood following my vacation scheme. The skills developed on the vacation scheme, such as enhanced commercial awareness, will also help in my future studies for my GDL and LPC as I can contextualise my studies and understand how they may impact on a firm like Stephenson Harwood.

The vacation scheme was incredibly well structured. Our time was well balanced between attending talks from different departments and the firm's CEO Sharon White, and working in our allocated department's supporting our partner and trainee mentor. There was also time to have networking lunches, and an evening social with current trainees, which was great fun. We also had the opportunity to attend events with the firms' charity of the year, the Bromley By Bow Centre, which offered a great insight into the firm's pro bono work. The week was packed with informative and insightful events, and made the most of our short time at the firm.

When you attend graduate recruitment events as an undergraduate, you hear lots of people say that a law firm is 'friendly', 'approachable' or has an 'open door policy'. But at Stepheson Harwood these sayings are so accurate. Having attended multiple events at different city firms, I have never felt more comfortable or at ease in a law firm than I did at Stephenson Harwood. The atmosphere was incredibly friendly, and people really made the effort to get to know you, even though you were only there for a week. I also believe that the friendly, welcoming atmosphere also gave those of us on the vacation scheme the opportunity to excel, as when you are relaxed and put at ease, you often do your best.

I believe that, considering we only had a week at the firm, that the vacation scheme offered a very good understanding as too what a full time role at the firm would be like. Sitting in partner's offices meant we got an insight into the working life of partners. Also having a trainee mentor, we also developed a good understanding of the type of work trainees do at Stephenson Harwood. The only drawback was that it was a week, and I am sure during the two week spring and summer vacation schemes, you would develop an even better understanding.

By spending a week at Stephenson Harwood, the vacation scheme offered an excellent insight into the firm's culture. Sitting with a current partner, I saw the open door policy of the firm, as trainees and associates felt comfortable and capable to ask any questions. Also the friendliness of the firm was apparent, as people would pop into the office to introduce themselves, and ask about how the vacation scheme was going.

The content of the vacation scheme was so valuable to helping me decide my future career path. By spending a week at Stephenson Harwood, working with their partners and trainees, learning about the firm through talks, and meeting the people who worked their through networking events, I got an amazing insight into a friendly, open and exciting firm. By attending the vacation scheme, I found a firm that I could genuinely see myself working at. Consequently it was invaluable to my future career path as it allowed me to find a firm I really suited, and provided me with the crucial next step in my career, attaining a training contract. I am so grateful for the vacation scheme as it made my decision to accept the training contract offer incredibly easy.

We got to meet people from all departments in the firm through the daily talks we had. The talks were really interesting, as they offered an insight into the type of work in each department as well as the types of clients the firm had. We also got the opportunity to network during an evening social with trainees, and during a networking lunch on our final day. Also by attending the carol service and biscuit making class at the Bromley By Bow Centre, we got to meet employees from across the firm. We met a lot of people from the firm, considering we were only there a week.

We had a social event one evening with current trainees at the firm, which was really enjoyable. It allowed us to get to know the trainees in a more informal environment and ask questions about their experiences as trainees, and their route into law. It was a really fun evening out of the office. We also had a networking lunch on our last afternoon of the vacation scheme. It was really enjoyable, and brought together all the people that we had met throughout the week. Everyone we met was also really interested in meeting those attending the vacation scheme, which demonstrated the importance of graduate recruitment to the firm, and the investment they make in their trainees.

We learnt lots about activities outside of work through talking to trainees. They told us about choirs, sports team and fundraising events that they had all been involved in. We also had the opportunity to get involved with activities outside of work during our vacation scheme too. Some of us attended a biscuit decorating class at the Bromley By Bow Centre with other people from Stephenson Harwood. It was really enjoyable, and great to see first hand the charity work the firm gets involved in. We also attended a Christmas carol service one evening, which was also really enjoyable.

I would definitely recommend the vacation scheme to a friend. It offered an informative insight into the firm's work and culture, and helped develop an understanding of what a full time role at the firm would be like. It was also an incredibly enjoyable vacation scheme, due to the firm's friendly, open and approachable culture.