GDL Student Review

I enjoyed the vacation scheme tremendously. Everyone I encountered at the firm and among my fellow vac schemers was extremely welcoming, professional and impressive, and the work I was assigned was both challenging and fascinating. I also found the organised lecture series extremely informative and enjoyable.

I felt extremely valued, as though I were already trainee. My principal entrusted me with real work that needed to be completed on tight deadlines and gave me extensive feedback and encouraging praise. I felt that all members of the firm from trainees to the senior partner understood the role of the vacation schemers in constituting the future of the firm.

I received extensive guidance and support through both the centrally organised Graduate Recruitment itinerary and my principal, who was very generous with his time and advice. A partner also very kindly offered his pointers for making the most of the scheme over a coffee. Although one is always nervous about the outcome of a Vac Scheme, the HR team put us all very much at ease from the outset.

Although I had already completed my degrees, I anticipate that the skills I have developed will be very useful in practice, and I have already found the introduction to analysing and interpreting black letter law on my Vac Scheme set to have been very good preparation for the GDl I am currently undertaking.

The insight was extremely well structured - flawless in fact. The programme ran like clockwork and this served to demonstrate the consummate professionalism of everyone in the firm, from the canteen staff to the senior partnership, the HR team to the IT services. The Vac Scheme was also structured such that useful training was offered in conjunction with the setting of assessed tasks.

The general atmosphere was extremely positive and enjoyable. I was very surprised at and grateful for the speed with which the Graduate Recruitment team created an atmosphere of camaraderie among the Vac Schemers, and I certainly felt no sense of competition among us. Naturally, the experience involved moments of stress because of the desire to impress, but this was always mitigated by an uplifting environment and ethos on the scheme.

The company clearly invested a very high level of time and (therefore) expense in the personal training and development offered on the course. We had a very full programme of Partner and Senior Associate speakers providing specialist lectures, as well as many, more informal opportunities to discuss the firm, and our career ambitions with senior employees.

My particular experience gave me, I believe, a very deep insight into the reality of a full time role at the firm. The work I was involved in was intellectually challenging, looking at the perimeters of legislation, involved cross-border elements, and was for major, household-name clients. The work was also demanding and involved tight deadlines. In all these respects I believe that my experience was indicative of a true trainee's employment.

I believe that the Vacation Scheme gave me an accurate insight into understanding the company culture because I was able to interact with a wide variety of employees in very diverse circumstances. As such, the consistency of behaviour, in particular, intellectual rigour and friendliness, that I encountered in these different contexts would appear to have revealed the true nature of the firm's culture.

Extremely helpful - it vindicated me in my decision to pursue a career in commercial law as I found that the intellectual challenge and fast pace which I had read about was, in fact, the reality in such a firm, and, indeed, in these regards, the experience exceeded my expectations.

I was well paid.

Many.

Really very fun.

Yes, to a certain extent

Undoubtedly.