Vacation Scheme Student Review

The insight was a great way to learn more about the firm and to experience what it would be like to work with Herbert Smith Freehills full time. There were also plenty of opportunities to be involved with social activities run by the firm which helped to make the scheme informative and fun.

The firm had organised many events, including a dim sum master class and a presentation for each of the major practice areas within the firm; it felt like Herbert Smith Freehills had really gone out of the way to make you feel welcome and introduce you to as many members of the firm as possible. Also, the work I did for me supervisor was real, fee paying work and research tasks involved you looking for answers to unanswered questions asked by client.

My supervisors were always great at answering my questions and even when they were busy, they had introduced me to lots of people within the practice area so I could ask anyone who was available if I needed help. They also arranged feedback sessions for you and were happy to provide you with tailored advice on an individual piece of work.

The scheme really helps you learn about what it is like to work in a large commercial law firm. You understand more about the type of work, the social skills involved when communicating with clients and the hours you may have to put in to be successful. The presentations about each of the firm's practice areas also helped you to decide which sector areas you may want to practice in if you were to join the firm.

The insight was very well structured as it allowed you to meet a lot of HSF representatives, experience working life at the firm, learn more about the practice areas and enjoy the social events the firm put on. You were also given free time to meet with other individuals but given enough of a structure that you normally had at least two events to attend every day.

The social events, including the Future Joiners' Quiz, Drinks with Partners and helping with the First-Year Insight Scheme were incredibly enjoyable. Working in the office was as fun as it could be. The work the firm does is serious but my supervisors were always happy to help out and keep you motivated and driven. Everyone in the firm is always happy to help you, whether they know you're a Vacation Scheme Student or not and its this genuine desire to help that make the atmosphere truly incredible.

Associates, trainees and partners were all happy to help you with tasks and help you find something that you could do. The social events which included other members of the firm, showed that they were willing to dedicate their time to the scheme. The Future Joiners quiz was hosted by two partners, for example.

I think the insight is useful for giving you an idea of the culture of the firm and the amount of time it is willing to invest in you. It also gives you a good insight into the structure of the training contract as you learn more about each of the departments and sit in a seat with a supervisor which is something you will do as a trainee.

HSF's culture is a lot easier to understand now that I have undertaken the scheme. When working in the office environment, not everyone will know you are a vacation scheme student, however, everyone is still just as willing to help you find out what you should be doing or where you need to go. You also get to experience the collegiate culture at HSF and see how deals are structured in terms of the role of a trainee in each transaction.

The days were very well structured with no more than two practice areas giving talks, per day. They were informative and gave you a good insight into the work the firm does.

I was paid £394.12 a week for each of my two weeks at the scheme. In total, I completed 9 days at the firm, due to the Easter bank holiday but was still paid the same for both weeks, receiving payment via cheque each Friday. I was also given some accommodation advice when choosing where to live during the scheme.

There were many different social events which provided many opportunities to speak with people working all over the firm. The presentations on each sector within the firm, also provided the opportunity to ask questions to a representative in each department. Networking opportunities also opened further doors to meet other employees; for example, when speaking with a partner within the firm, I was also introduced to a member of the pensions team who spoke to me about the specific pensions work within the firm.

The events were very well attended by the HSF representatives. They were also very well structured and planned and catering was provided for each event. The events gave you the opportunity to talk to partners in small groups or individually and the larger events, with the trainees or future joiners, allowed you to speak one-on-one with them.

I received many emails about the opportunities that HSF staff can be involved with. When speaking to my trainee buddy, I also learnt about the sports teams, language classes and Choir that representatives can attend. We also had a separate talk about learning and development where we were told about all the different classes.

I would definitely recommend it to a friend. It is a great way to learn about the work the firm does, its culture and to see if it is right for you.