Vacation scheme student Review

I enjoyed my time at HSF a lot. The people selected for the scheme were very friendly, as were the Graduate Recruitment team and all the lawyers I spent time with. I got the impression that the firm has a supportive environment and places great emphasis on corporate mentality and cohesion.

The amount of senior lawyers' time devoted to us made it very clear that we were valued by the firm. From our individual supervisors to the departmental talks on different areas of the firm's practice, frequently delivered by partners and senior associates, a lot of valuable time was invested in us which was a very privileged position to be in.

The departments I sat in were extremely busy in the run-up to Christmas so it was difficult for my supervisors to devote much time to giving guidance and support because they were so busy. The trainee buddies I had were very helpful in this regard, constantly checking how I was getting on, whether I had enough work and whether I needed help with anything.

The information I have acquired on this vacation scheme has helped me immeasurably in shaping my views about where I would like to forge a career in the future. I have also (to a lesser but still considerable extent) acquired useful information and skills which will help me in my degree, particularly with respect to legal research.

The vacation scheme has been very well structured. There was a good mix of talks, time spent in departments and socialising which meant that we were never stuck doing one thing for hours on end but had a variety of experiences with a variety of people. I do think that now that we have got to the end of the scheme and feedback has had to be submitted on our work, a lot of us have run out of things to do and that is a bit of a shame since it means the scheme is slightly tailing off.

The general atmosphere has been friendly and cooperative. There hasn't been a strong competitive feeling amongst the group doing the vacation scheme and, as I have said elsewhere, the people I have been sitting with have been universally friendly and welcoming. My supervisors have been quite stressed but never to the extent that they have been anything but kind to me.

The firm invested a lot of time and resources in our personal training and development. We were given talks by senior members of all the departments within the firm and we had a training session on negotiating skills which was very interesting and useful. It was clear that the firm were going out of their way to invest in us as potential future employees.

The range of people we had the opportunity to meet, from first seat trainees to senior partners, made it easy to get a good impression of the sorts of work you would be doing at HSF from the word go and also of the sort of career trajectory you might have. The range of situations in which we were able to meet these people (some formal, some social) was also helpful in giving us a balanced impression of the sort of people you would be working alongside in different contexts.

The fact that in two weeks we were able to sit in two seats in different departments with different supervisors and trainee buddies, as well as attending numerous talks from different departments and social events with employees meant that we were exposed to a range of people from a range of departments and even backgrounds. From such a variety of experiences it was not difficult to develop an informed impression of the ethos of the firm.

The scheme was extremely useful in shaping my ideas about my future career path. It made me sure that being a solicitor could be a very rewarding and fulfilling career for me and it gave me a very firm basis for comparison with other types of experience which I intent to undertake over the coming months.

The pay that we have been given for this scheme is very generous and a real incentive to do the scheme here rather than at other firms. We did not get reimbursed for expenses. I personally do not live too far from the office so it did not cost me a lot to get in every day but I was a bit surprised that the people who live further away did not get reimbursed for their accommodation in London for the fortnight or even travel expenses. It seemed to be an unfair benefit of living close to the office.

There were numerous opportunities to meet other employees of the firm. There was a drinks event with partners early on and a teamwork exercise with a number of trainees, as well as the usual time we spent in our departments with supervisors and buddies. The talks we had from different departments also provided another opportunity to meet lawyers from across the firm.

Some of the networking and social opportunities were fantastic . There was a party in Tower Bridge which was an amazing location and I also really enjoyed a teamwork activity making gingerbread houses with the other vac schemers and some trainees. The Tower Bridge party was for Future Joiners of the firm and, although it was coincidental that our vacation scheme coincided with it so it would not have been necessary to invite the vac schemers, the fact that we were included was very welcoming.

Yes - we were told about lots of things, including a variety of pro bono work which solicitors at HSF can get involved in, as well as sports events, music lessons and language courses. There is a gym nearby which Herbert Smith Freehills employees can get discounted membership too as well.

I would definitely recommend this vacation scheme to anyone who is thinking about law as a career, whether or not you are convinced that you would like to be a solicitor. The firm is very welcoming and friendly, the work is very interesting and globally significant, the scheme is well structured and the pay is good.