Vacation Scheme Student Review

I really enjoyed participating in the scheme. I felt that everyone got on really well and people were willing to help you out if you needed anything. Also, we developed a good relationship with graduate recruitment and I also felt that I was able to go to them with any issues I had. The lawyers I worked with were always willing to talk to me about the firm and the work they were doing and I didn't feel hesitant in asking any questions. The work I was given was challenging and pushed me out of my comfort zone which was a good experience.

I felt valued in the sense that people wanted to see my potential as a lawyer and how I might fit into the firm. Of course the actual work you do as a vacation scheme student will be of limited value but I felt that the tasks I was given such as research and proofreading enabled me to be of some help. It was these tasks, that actually contributed to the work my supervisor was doing, that I enjoyed the most.

We were given a lot of guidance, especially with a week of induction. Although, towards the end of that induction week I think some of us were itching to get started with work. Graduate recruitment were very supportive and were not dismissive of any issues. Also the trainees were a big support as they were regularly checking that we didn't have any problems with the work we were doing and they answered a lot of the questions we had that we may have felt were too basic to ask a partner.

I think seeing the commercial and practical side of a lot of the concepts we learnt in contract law for example was very helpful. I think having experienced the law from the practical perspective will be very helpful in completing the LPC and the skills I developed in terms of structuring research tasks and how to markup a contract will be especially helpful at the start of my training contract.

Having the induction week was very helpful in terms of setting out exactly what was going to happen during the scheme. Also, the booklet we were given was again very helpful, particularly the photo directory as remembering names can be difficult. I felt that we were always kept up to date of any issues and the graduate recruitment team worked hard to do this whilst dealing with the technology issues.

Although there were very few organised social events, towards the end of the scheme we ourselves organised some lunches and evening social events. I think the balance was well struck as people were working hard during the day on the work they were given by their supervisors and also working hard in the evenings and on the weekends doing their group projects. In terms of the atmosphere amongst the students, it did not feel competitive at all and I felt we all wanted everyone to be successful.

The amount of time that lawyers were willing to spend explaining different concepts and the cases they were working on was impressive and was it was very insightful. I think this significantly developed my commercial awareness and has helped me to further understand how a law firm operates.

It helped me understand what level of work is expected of you and that you will constantly be challenged by the work that you face. The work is constantly changing and you really have to keep on top of the sector you are working in as companies want lawyers who know their business in-depth. Also, the job involved a lot more team work and collaboration than I initially thought.

I think the scheme was particularly valuable in enabling me to learn just how friendly and welcoming the culture of the firm is. I felt that the people I met were genuinely interested in what I had to say. The atmosphere was not competitive or cut throat and it seemed like people wanted to see you succeed. I always felt included and people were always introducing themselves and asking how I was finding the scheme.

The scheme confirmed that a career in a global law firm is the path that I want to take. It was also extremely helpful in terms of providing more information about the area of law within the firm that I may want to work in and what departments I may complete a seat in during the training contract. It was also helpful to hear about the potential career progression and the various paths within the firm that you can take.

They were very generous in terms of salary and expenses.

I think the talks from the different department heads were very valuable especially as they allowed a significant amount of time for questions. The diversity and inclusion breakfast was also interesting although it was noted by a number of students that there was a lack of discussion about any BME inclusion schemes that the firm runs and some of the employees at the breakfast were unable to answer questions about this. We also had a number of opportunities to talk to trainees which was particularly helpful.

I think there could have been a few more social events with just the vacation scheme students, especially during the induction week but the events that were organised were enjoyable and we had lots of opportunities to talk to employees. We also got to speak to lawyers of a range of different levels which was particularly insightful.

We heard about a few activities but I think this was an area that we could have heard more about. We did hear about the music competition that the firm was organising and some of the diversity and inclusion projects and events that employees can get involved in.

Yes- I think this is a great scheme for anyone considering a career as a solicitor at a global law firm and especially if they are unsure about what area of law they might like to work in as the breadth of practice of the firm enabled me to get a much clearer picture about what areas I am interested in.