Vacation Scheme Student Review

This was my first official vacation scheme so I have no comparison with schemes at other firms, however I can say that my time at the firm has been fantastic. The people are incredibly friendly and the work is interesting.

Even though I was a vacation scheme student, the teams that I sat with made a great effort to make me feel part of the firm. For example, I was given the opportunity to have lunch with the one of the teams that I worked with. Furthermore, people who gave me work always thanked me and gave me helpful feedback on how to improve.

Vacation scheme students are not spoon-fed information; we are expected to learn by asking questions and exercising some initiative. However, that is part of the learning experience. Lawyers always took the time to explain new concepts to me so I was not completely thrown into the deep end and received plenty of help! Since every vacation scheme student has a trainee buddy and a supervisor, there are always people to rely on for advice.

Spending three weeks at a large, international commercial law firm gave me great insight into different practice areas and life as a commercial lawyer. I developed skills such as time management and organisation. The opportunity to talk to trainees and lawyers at all levels of their career provided me with plenty of information regarding what life as a commercial lawyer will be like.

The vacation scheme was well-structured. While there were many presentations, networking sessions, and several social events, the scheme gave me lots of time to sit at my desk and crack on with the tasks which I had been assigned. Having lots of "flexible time" meant that I could meet up with different members of the firm / other vacation scheme students and catch up over coffee or lunch.

The culture at the firm is one of its greatest highlights, Everyone is friendly, enthusiastic, and energetic. The firm's open-door culture means that even really senior lawyers such as partners or senior associates are more than happy to have a chat. Moreover, the other vacation scheme students were wonderful people and the small intake meant that I could get to know them on an individual basis.

The firm planned a Presentation Skills session and a group exercise. On top of that, there were three deal talks by partners - on banking, corporate, and dispute resolution. I think that the time my supervisors / other lawyers spent explaining concepts and deals to me was very valuable.

The insight scheme gave me a good idea of what training at the firm would be like. As a vacation scheme student, I did not have to work full trainee hours and I was, of course, not given a full trainee workload.

Seeing the way colleagues interact with each other was a good opportunity to see the company culture. Overall, I would say the culture is excellent and it's a pleasant and exciting place to work.

I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in commercial law well before the vacation scheme. The scheme has naturally increased my interest in this field of law. Sitting in two different practice areas (banking and corporate) was helpful because now I have a better idea of what seats I would enjoy.

I was paid very well.

Absolutely! HR planned breakfast sessions with senior members of the firm such as the global managing partner and graduate recruitment partner. During the diversity & inclusion breakfast, vac scheme students learnt more about he business development team and the various diversity networks in the firm. The socials were a good time to meet with trainees from different departments.

I enjoyed all the socials. The first was an escape room activity followed by dinner at Gauchos. Cookery School was likewise fantastic. For the final week, we enjoyed dinner in one of the client conference rooms.

I found out that there are opportunities to become involved with pro bono, sports, and music. The firm also has language sessions. Outside of work, many people have diverse hobbies.

Yes, I would. If you are interested in commercial law at an international and diverse firm, then I would strongly encourage you to apply.