Vacation Scheme Student Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the Vacation Scheme. It was had the opportunity to experience a diverse range of work and spoke to people from all departments of the firm to further my engagement and understanding of the work. I was able to engage with the ethos and culture of the firm. Because of all of this, I enjoyed the Vacation Scheme tremendously.

The people in my Department, and in particular my supervisor made the time and effort to really make me feel part of the team. Everyone in the Department was happy to talk and happy to give me real work to do. They then also gave me feedback on the work I gave back to them.

There were many events which gave us guidance and support. The organised seminars and interactive presentations taught me very much as they were both informative and engaging, so I was able to absorb as much information as possible. My supervisor and other department colleagues were also always more than happy to explain things to me, despite being very busy.

I experienced the application of law in the real context. I saw how legal research then guided the strategy of deals. This was all highly useful as I know understand how to interpret the law and apply it to different scenarios in the most effective way. The insight I gained will also aid me greatly when I embark on my training contract.

The timetable was structured perfectly. There was a good balance of workshops, experiencing real work, and networking opportunities. I was able to experience every aspect of being a commercial solicitor in the short period of time I was at the firm. The external events were also a nice addition to the overall experience.

The general atmosphere was wonderful. We were able and encouraged to learn as much as possible, to ask questions, and to get first hand experience. We were made to feel truly like part of the firm. The graduate recruitment team were there every day to ensure everything went smoothly, and this greatly contributed towards the overall incredibly positive atmosphere of the insight.

The company invested a lot in me. The held several workshops and presentations. These were both informative and interactive, so that we could apply what we learnt straight away, and receive pertinent feedback immediately. The company also gave us many opportunities to network and become part of projects such as the Womens' Network.

I was able to fully understand the role of a trainee at the firm as I was given the opprtunity every day to do real work, be a part of the team as they worked on a deal, and also I experienced the overall ethos of the firm, which showed me how it felt to be part of the firm.

There were many opportunities to talk to people at different stages of their career and at different departments at the firm. Moreover, there was a range of activities, which aimed to show us different types of work, such as pitching to clients, or negotiating a contract. Therefore, I was able to fully understand the company culture.

The Vacation Scheme helped to confirm that commercial law was the route I wished to go down and that the firm was the best firm for me. It was a rich, varied, and extremely rewarding experience which gave me much motivation to continue to pursue the career path of commercial law.

I was paid for my work during the insight. As I lived outside of London, where the firm was based, I had to pay for short-term accomodation in central London, which was expensive. The firm reimbursed the accomodation costs, in order to ensure people from outside of London were not disadvantaged in any way, and that future applicants would not be deterred from applying.

The firm set up several opportunities for me to network. The networking breakfast gave me ample opportunity to speak with trainees from the major departments of the firm; I gained a lot of useful insight from them and this would greatly help me when choosing my seats on the training contract.

The networking opportunities allowed me to learn a lot, as well as uinderstanding the culture and approach of the firm. The social opportunities were also excellent, for example, we had Christmas drinks and cakes. We also had the pleasure of dining at wondeful external restaurant with partners of the firm, who were incredibly friendly and accomodating.

I found out about many activities employees can get involved in. For example, there are multiple sports clubs. There was also a choir, which gave a festive performance in the lobby of the firm. Employees can also get involved with volunteering and pro bono work, which is both very important for the community and legal profession.

I would highly recommend this insight to friends. This was a one in a lifetime opportunity to experience life at the firm. It also allowed me to experience personal growth and development of many valuable skills. In addition, it was highly interesting and enjoyable as I was able to meet and make many new friends.