Vac Scheme Review

Very much. There were Focus On sessions so we could get an insight into every practice area, with lots of opportunities for discussions. Some of these were interactive so there was a good mix of presentation styles. Beyond this, the TSC planned two great socials (darts and dinner) for us to get to know each other in a more informal setting.

Everyone was amazingly approachable, demonstrating the lively and warm atmosphere TW has a reputation for. This was from the HR Talent team who organised everything seamlessly, the trainees, who were on hand to answer all our questions and the associates and partners who were willing to help us learn. We were never just hidden, everyone gave us work and invited us along to meetings, making a real effort to ensure we were involved.

The trainees were amazing here, answering all our little questions like how to set up our canteen passes or how to work printers. Associates and partners were always on hand to answer our questions on the work they gave us and provided feedback and discussed things further. Even for our group presentations, everyone was willing to grab coffee and have a conversation to aid our research. Our supervisors were excellent in bringing all this together and providing a valuable overall reflection on our seats.

My first seat in IP was great for getting into a new area of law that I had not come across before. This was therefore of substantive value. My second seat in Disputes, by contrast, really stretched my existing legal skills, especially in research. I therefore had two very different but equally valuable experiences, allowing me to derive that much more from the vacation scheme experience. We were also given a variety of work: research, drafting emails, administrative tasks, listening to client calls and going to meetings with counsel.

Lots was organised by Talent and the TSC but still left us enough space to derive what we wanted from the experience, therefore it was the best mix between structured and personal. We were trusted to get on with our work, meet with our presentation groups and network across the firm. This was very refreshing and says a lot about the TW experience and just enhanced our learning experience.

The general atmosphere was genuinely positive. Everyone was happy to meet us, got us involved in office events like the IP Bake Off and was always on hand to answer all our questions. The other vacation scheme students were a great bunch to share the experience with. They were all friendly, ambitious and supportive.

They got us involved right from the Focus On sessions in many different ways - scenarios, mock client calls with associates. We were also given feedback and were told and shown exactly were our work was going, how our drafts were amended and how we could improve in light of strategies used in practice.

We spent our time fully integrated into the firm life, even in things beyond being based in practice areas e.g. eating in Cloud 9 together, having full access to the firm's resources and having some time with the trainees to tell us about the vital early years in a law firm. This meant a more holistic experience. The trainees were excellent here, drawing on their experiences and relating it back to us and what stage we were at.

We were encouraged to talk to people and so many people made the effort to come to all our networking events, getting to know us beyond the working environment. Everyone was so open. For example, I emailed three people to seek advice about our group presentations and within the hour, I had three replies and had organised three coffees!

Invaluable. I now know that what I was looking for in a firm was the right fit for me. I always looked for a firm with the reputation for a friendly environment, opportunity for unique experiences with practical law, where I could get the best training. TW lived up to expectations and beyond.

The fact that this was a paid placement really helped with covering costs

Many opportunities in the practice groups, networking drinks and lunches and socials. People even made an effort to chat to us in the lunch queue and find out who we were so there were many opportunities. Our buddies and supervisors always made sure they came to get an update from us, understood our interests and pointed us in the right direction.

Very good, lots of variety. The welcome and leaving drinks were a nice touch in this regard. The two main TSC socials were great as were all the smaller events organised by Talent. Beyond this, we had access to TW emails so we could organise more informal meetings, for example, to aid our group presentations.

We had access to the TW intranet to enable us to explore the firm from the inside. Most of the trainees were also part of the different committees and demonstrated how we could get involved with the firm outside work and what that would entail e.g arts, sports and even partners talked to us about the industry events they are often invited to.

Absolutely! The TW vacation scheme was great. By the time we had to leave, I felt well settled in so it was quite sad. Talent make sure to have a debrief with you so you can reflect on everything which is a nice close. Also, TW's reputation will attract other lively and interesting people to do your Vac Scheme with, which makes the whole experience better.