Student Review

Over the two days, I learnt a lot about the firm through numerous networking opportunities with staff from across the firm – trainees, associates, partners and the graduate recruitment team. Furthermore, the various workshops gave me a good insight into commercial law. I was also impressed at how interactive the workshops were which gave me a good opportunity to develop my skills.

This was most event from the fact that students were trusted with the responsibility of shadowing the work of trainees in their respective departments. The shadowing opportunity was a great way to consider everything that I learnt from the useful presentations and workshops that I attended beforehand. I think the level of support, overall, shows that the firm valued the students that attended the scheme.

There were so many opportunities to network with staff, from trainee level right through to partner level. Indeed, having so many opportunities, during a speed networking session, presentations and during an evening social event, highlights how much emphasis the firm places on supporting prospective trainees. Partners also spent a great deal of time conducting insightful and detailed commercial law workshops which, again, highlights the level importance that the firm placed on the scheme.

I was able to put into practise the skills that I learnt by completing numerous case studies during the workshops. This included a negotiation and an Alternative Dispute Resolution case study. Furthermore, there were presentations on relevant areas of law, e.g. M&A. Therefore, I will be able to apply this knowledge to my university studies and beyond.

From the onset, I was given a detailed timetable which provided a breakdown of the numerous sessions on each day. There was no issues in terms of this timetable not being adhered to. During the period in which I shadowed a trainee, I was given tasks to perform and an opportunity to network further.

In spite of the fact that so many trainees had taken the time to attend the scheme throughout the two days, the staff were all welcoming and genuinely interested in providing us with assistance and guidance. Getting a tour of the offices gave me a greater opportunity to get a feel of the atmosphere across the firm.

As mentioned, a great deal of time was spent networking and providing students with an opportunity to gain skills necessary for a career in commercial law.

The event lasted for two days which gave me a good oversight.

The more people that you meet at a firm, the better grasp you get of the culture. With that in mind, being able to experience the culture of the firm for two days, through a tour of the office, workshops and networking sessions, gave a good indication of what it is like to work at the firm.

It affirmed my interest in commercial as I got to learn more about different areas of commercial law, e.g. corporate law and ADR. However, further detail was provided as to what opportunities are available to trainees at the firm, in terms of the Seats and the international and client secondments that are on offer.

As mentioned, I was impressed by the amount of networking opportunities.

Indeed, there were many networking opportunities. However, such opportunities occurred in different environments throughout the two days. For example, there was a speed networking session, a social event and also trainees were present during lunch. Each event was attended by persons from across the firm. Therefore, I had a more rounded experience.

The Herbert Smith Freehills First Year workshop is a great opportunity to get a greater insight into an international City law firm and to learn more about commercial law. The networking opportunities, workshops and the social event provides students with an unparalleled opportunity to actively engage with persons from across the firm.