Vacation Placement Review

I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Pinsent Masons. We were quickly integrated into the firm, and have been exposed to a wealth of opportunities. The placement allowed us to undertake a wide variety of work, engage with lawyers of all levels, and experience events outside of the working environment. The structure of the placement encourages you to make the most of your time, and those who seek out every opportunity gain the best experience.

Pinsent Masons has a well-known reputation for being a likeable firm amongst its clients and other legal professionals. This resonates within the working environment as well. Everyone I have encountered at the firm has been welcoming and friendly; always willing to interact. I have received work and feedback from all members of my team, including partners, and therefore it is rewarding to be entrusted with responsibility from those leading in their fields.

Despite having extremely busy schedules, this did not prevent the lawyers, of any level, from taking the time to provide guidance and feedback whenever I required this. Any questions that I had, whether regarding to technical legal issues, wider implications, life about the firm, or life in general, the lawyers were always willing to take the time and engage.

The information received is truly invaluable. Before commencing the placement, I performed a lot of research on the firm for a sustained period. However, there is no substitute for interacting with the people involved in this business. They are able to provide different insights on a whole host of matters which are not replicated on websites. Accordingly, gaining a deeper insight as to how law firms work as a business will assist with future endeavours, as regards interacting with other firms.

Personally, the structured worked very well for me. We were quickly integrated, so as to allow us optimal time to make use of our placement. Sitting in the same department for the two weeks, I believe, is beneficial. Some may argue that it restricts you in terms of the work you are exposed to; limiting your ability to understand the firm. However, I think this can be offset by the fact that you gain deeper relationships with your time, and a more in depth understanding into pieces of work. Furthermore, you are encouraged on the placement to seek interaction with other departments as well. Therefore, experiencing other elements is by no means limited, and members from other departments always made time to accommodate my requests.

The atmosphere started, and was maintained, at a positive level throughout. Most people felt privileged to have made it onto the placement, and were therefore keen to make the most of their opportunities at the firm. The variety of work experienced, and the opportunities for events outside of the working environment, meant that there was something for everyone to be involved and interested in. As a result, the general atmosphere remained positive throughout

On the placement, this was slightly more limited. However, I think this is to be expected for a two weeks placement because, if our time was filled with training activities, there would be less time available to engage with our departments. In any event, the work undertaken throughout the placement aids developments. One could argue that availability of some more personal training may have been beneficial, such as one or two workshops over the weeks - e.g. in relation to negotiation.

Despite being a short time period, due to the variety of work and events that one is exposed to, it is plausible to say that an understanding is gained as to what it would be like to be involved on a full time basis.

The most efficient way to understand the company culture was simply by engaging with the employees. With varying personalities, one was able to gain different insights into matters. This helped to realise the company culture as a whole, as well as the individuals within the firm. Pinsent Masons professes to embody the values - approachable, bold and connected - and it became clear over the placement that the firm lived these values.

The placement was very beneficial to me in this regard. For the first two years of university I wanted to pursue a career as a barrister. However, as I undertook more research and work experience in both paths, it became apparent that both my interests and skill-set were better suited to the solicitor path. Having undertaken this placement, which gave me first-hand experience as to what it is like to work as a trainee solicitor, I have received confirmation that this is the right career choice for me.

We were paid a generous sum for the placement, arguably more than was necessary (although no one complains at that). Most people are eager to gain insight into the firm and gaining relevant experience; therefore, money becomes more of a subsidiary thought. Payment processes, amounts and any relevant information was provided in a clear manner.

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There were several networking events organised for us, whereby lawyers of all levels from different departments arrived to engage with those on the placement. This was useful for establishing relationships and enquiring as to any work available whilst on the placement. As for the socials, there were, again, several events organised for us. In this respect, a slight improvement that could be recommended is for more trainees to become involved in these events; as access to them was fairly limited here.

There is a whole host of activities that employees can get involved in outside of work - whether it be related to social responsibility, sporting teams etc. I partook in touch rugby on Wednesdays, which saw trainee solicitors encourage all those to get involved. Afterwards, we went to get drinks and socialise. There are many of these types of opportunities.

I would thoroughly recommend this placement to a friend. Firms embody a personality, all of which are different. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that your values and characteristics match with the firm's, and obviously that they perform the type of work in which you are interested. If these were satisfied, I would happily recommend this to anyone.