Summer Vacation Scheme Student Review

It was great to spend 3 weeks at Norton Rose Fulbright. I met a range of people from trainees to partners, and Graduate Recruitment maximised the time we spent actually sitting in our departments. They also arranged fun socials which gave us time to get to know lawyers on a more personal level.

Despite being a vacation scheme student who would only be staying at the firm for a few weeks, everyone I met was incredibly open and supportive. I was given tasks that would help me understand the deals that were being worked on, or tasks that would help me actually learn what a trainee would be doing.

Everyone I met were very supportive and ready to answer any questions that I had, no matter how small. We had talks with various partners, and they all were happy to answer any questions and give advice. Whenever I was set tasks to do, I was always welcome to ask for guidance.

The practice of law is very different from the study of law as a degree, but I did develop my research skills and my attention to detail while carrying out tasks within my departments. These skills will undoubtedly help me in a future legal career. I also became more knowledgeable about the different practice areas which will definitely be useful.

The vacation scheme was very well structured. We had an introduction day a few months prior so we, the vacation scheme students, could get to know each other a little before the start of the scheme. We spent a week and a half in 2 departments of our choice, and we had a few 'Deal Talks' and socials in the morning or the evening. However there were a lot of room and venue changes.

The firm has an open door policy and everyone who works here are genuine, supportive and friendly. We were encouraged to learn as much as we can and there was little to no pressure. The socials were great fun too and I really enjoyed getting to know my fellow vac-schemers and the people who worked at the firm.

Graduate recruitment made sure to organise a presentation skills session in preparation for the group task and for our future careers. The people in my departments always made sure to involve me in tasks that I would actually learn something from, as well as take me to conference calls and meetings.

The vacation scheme did give us an insight into what kind of work the firm does, but it would be impossible to understand what a full time role actually entails as a vacation scheme student and without experiencing it for ourselves. The trainees and lawyers did give us a good picture as to what their lifestyle was like however.

I never understood how a firm's 'culture' could be unique and different until I came to Norton Rose. The firm is incredibly genuine and does not pretend to be what it's not. The people are incredibly welcoming, down-to-earth and supportive, and many stay at the firm because of the people and the company culture that results.

As I have already mentioned, there were quite a few opportunities for networking and meeting employees that were arranged by Graduate Recruitment as they held various socials and networking sessions. While in our individual departments, employees were always willing to chat over coffee and were very approachable, so really one had infinite opportunity to talk to employees if they wanted to.

Definitely. Norton Rose has a unique company culture and many strengths as one of the best law firms in the world. I met some amazing people through this scheme. The vacation scheme was well structured and I learnt a lot, so I would recommend it to a friend.