Vacation Scheme Student Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the vacation scheme - for me, there was the right balance between getting a feel for the work that is done in the departments that I sat in and also finding out about what the other departments in Taylor Wessing do, in addition to having opportunities to socialise with other Vacation Scheme students and trainees.

Everyone in the firm was unbelievably welcoming. I understand that many of the fee earners are extremely busy however even partners in the firm took their time to introduce themselves and give work and feedback to me. I definitely felt that the firm had invested a lot of time into making the Vacation Scheme both insightful and enjoyable.

I thought the support given by the firm was outstanding. Having both a buddy and a supervisor per department made me feel very comfortable and was a platform on which I was able to meet other people within the department.

The skills developed on the scheme will be invaluable in completing my degree and as part of pursuance of my future career, whether that be in commercial law or not. These skills are not only professional such as organisational skills but also interpersonal skills that will be pivotal to a successful career in the future.

I liked the structure of the insight. The days were structured so that we had a sufficient amount of time in our departments for the week but also ensured that we had exposure to the work that all the different practice areas in Taylor Wessing did. Also, the social events were well spread out.

The firm and the people were genuinely friendly and welcoming and it really made the scheme special. I think the general atmosphere was positive and all the Vacation Scheme students were enjoying the scheme.

The firm were very keen for us to see progress made over the 2 weeks that we spent there. This was demonstrated by the appraisals that we completed at the end of each week. The firm spent time ensuring that we had inductions and training on the first day so I felt this was good to make sure that we got the most out of the scheme. It was clear to me that the firm invested heavily into us.

I think that the Vacation Scheme is a very helpful way to explain what the firm is like to students - ultimately it is virtually impossible without spending time there. We were able to work quite closely alongside our supervisors, as a trainee would in a training contract. I got a real feel for the kind of work that is done by the trainees and the time of time frame that this would be done in.

From simply spending time in the firm I was able to get an understanding of the company's culture. We were able to get a grasp of the firm's culture by learning of the pro bono and the outside of work activities that the firm offer. I do understand that it is difficult to accommodate for many students under the vacation scheme but it may have been nice to have more of an opportunity to get involved in such activities.

As I have mentioned, I feel that the content of the day was the right balance between experiencing the departments and finding more about the firm. The focus on sessions were part of finding more about the firm and were really useful to consider what area of the firm I may want so sit in, should I be offered a training contract.

Throughout the 2 weeks I felt that there were plenty of opportunities to meet employees throughout the firm. I particularly enjoyed the out-of-firm social events that allowed us to ask questions to trainees that had been relatively new to the firm and would likely to know what it would be like for us to join the firm. It was also very helpful to talk to partners and associates of the firm who were able to talk more about the culture of the firm and what particularly had kept them at Taylor Wessing.

I think the networking and social events, as mentioned above, were very well done. They were varied and gave us a chance to get to know more about the firm in a more relaxed setting. Given that we had to be up early the next day to go back into work, I felt that they were events that mean that we could leave early if necessary.

I did find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work, for example Blackfriars and activities such as Touch Rugby and Netball. However as mentioned above, and I do understand that there is high demand, it may have been nice to have been guaranteed an opportunity to see this side of the firm in one respect or another.

Definitely.