Vacation Placement Student Review

The whole placement was thoroughly enjoyable

The banking team and all members of the Aberdeen office were incredibly welcoming and made me feel like a member of their team.

Support and guidance from my trainee buddy and from other members of the team was of an exceptional standard

This placement provided a helpful insight into the world of commercial law and in particular, the world of Banking.

Very well structured to support progression.

Aberdeen office was very welcoming and friendly

Considerable effort to involve placement students in training and external events. This ranged from CPD training to online training sessions with experienced members of the firm. All sessions were relevant to the work being undertaken and were very well supported. Adequate time was allowed to attend these training events including preparation. Overall I found these sessions to be very helpful and enjoyable.

Having very little experience prior to joining the firm, this was a perfect opportunity to experience life in a major commercial firm. I would recommend this placement to anybody seeking to find out more about the world of commercial law or who is considering applying to a training contract with any major Scottish law firm.

Law firms tend to talk a lot about their values and culture. This can often be difficult to understand from brochures or flyers but working with a firm allows you to understand their values from the inside. Experiencing their culture allows you to get to grips with their visions and appreciate the challenges faced by large companies and firms in this sector.

Pinsent Masons offered me a chance to participate in real client work and make a genuine contribution to the team. This exposure has reaffirmed my determination to pursue a career in commercial law. The quality of the work I undertook was unparalleled and it has definitely persuaded me to pursue a career in commercial law with Pinsent Masons

Pinsent Masons offers an efficient system for reimbursing expenses incurred when travelling to interviews, training events and inductions. This is often overlooked by other firms who seem to forget how expensive travel may be for students and people without consistent incomes. Pinsent Masons offers payment for it's vacation placement which is another significant selling point.

Varied opportunities to network with people both from the Aberdeen office and further afield which were well attended. These events were particularly helpful in building an understanding of the kind of work undertaken by different teams across the firm and understanding how different departments operate. All employees were willing to devote time to explaining their work and remained approachable for the duration of the placement: regardless of how busy they were.

Excellent social activities organised by the current trainees. The trainees in the Aberdeen office made an effort to include placement students in a variety of social events during the course of the placement, In addition to this, a variety of networking opportunities were organised within the firm and placement students were encouraged to attend. I found these very enjoyable and useful.

Because the opportunities on offer are so varied, the presentations given by various representatives were helpful to understand the range of activities on offer within the firm. These covered a wide range of interests and were definitely worthwhile. I would say this wealth of opportunity should be taken into account when deciding which firms to apply to.

This insight has been an incredible opportunity to experience life as a commercial trainee in a world-class firm. The approach taken by the Aberdeen office is unique and you become not only part of the team, but part of the wider Pinsent Masons family. The opportunities to engage in award-winning work are endless and the exposure to clients is unparalleled. In short, applying for this placement should be a priority for anybody seeking a career in commercial law in Scotland.