Vacation Scheme Student Review

I found the insight very enjoyable - the firm struck the right balance between work-related and social events. Participants were given the opportunity to explore different practice areas and meet lawyers from across the firm on a number of occasions. Events included partner speed-networking, a table tennis tournament at Bounce and having drinks over a game of darts at Flight Club - all good fun.

I felt genuinely valued during my vacation scheme. I was given interesting work to do, such as producing a 'cheat sheet' on a company with an intricate corporate structure which was the circulated to the entire department. I was invited by both my supervisors and trainee buddies to participate in a number of client meetings and conference calls, who then took the time to explain the context and answer my many questions. Some lawyers took the initiative to pop by, introduce themselves and have a chat which made me feel quite welcome.

The support that I received during my vacation scheme were excellent. We had an IT induction and a legal research tutorial in the first week which were both very helpful. The trainees and lawyers that I worked with always made sure to explain the tasks and their context thoroughly and provided helpful, honest feedback on my performance.

As I had just finished the LPC when I started the vacation scheme, I was more so applying the skills that I had already learned than the other way around. That being said, the opportunity to work in a big international law firm provided an invaluable insight into what life as a City lawyer is like in terms of work, personal presentation and development. The vacation scheme confirmed my decision to pursue a career in law.

The insight was generally well structured with a few hiccups. The participants were informed of the departments we would sit in a month or so in advance, however, some of us found out we were moved into different departments on the first day of the scheme. We were given an events plan that covered every day of the scheme and were sent calendar invitations in advance of an event so that we knew when and where to show up.

The atmosphere in the firm was very welcoming. Lawyers at all levels were very approachable and always took the time to explain the bigger picture of a task or answer any questions that I had. An effort was made to make the vacation schemers feel like part of the team as we were invited to departmental drinks, practice area updates and conference calls.

Many of the events were skill development orientated. We received IT and reasearch training, participated in a negotiation competition, had the opportunity to ask the Managing Partner questions about the firm and its strategy. A particularly useful session involved exploring the concept of 'personal brand' and what is expected of a lawyer beyond their technical skills.

The insight was helpful in terms of experiencing the general environment of the firm and talking to trainees and lawyers about their personal experiences. However, because of the nature of the scheme, it is not an entirely faithful reflection of the demands of the role such as billing targets, working hours, networking and time management.

Two weeks is not a long enough time to get a proper insight into the firm's culture, given that participants spend a week each in two departments, however, it certainly provided a flavour. For example, the Corporate department has Friday drinks in a nearby pub, while the Banking department has funny pictures of staff up on the bulletin board. These tidbits gave me an impression that the firm is fun and social.

The experiences I had during the vacation scheme were key to my decision to pursue a career in law. It provided an invaluable insight into the many different aspects of working in a City law firm, as well as clarifying the expectations that I held prior to the scheme. I now have a better understanding of my career goals and the type of lawyer that I want to be thanks to the various career orientated events that were organised throughout the scheme.

There were many opportunities to find out about activities in the firm. The intranet was very useful in this respect, as well as information leaflets that were made available throughout the different departments. The lawyers themselves were keen to tell us about their participation in firm activities, such as sports, clubs, and outings.

I would absolutely recommend the vacation scheme to a friend who was thinking of a career in law. I enjoyed my time on the scheme immensely - it was informative, fun and insightful, and gave me the opportunity to meet great lawyers and make friends with my fellow vac schemers.