Vacation Scheme Review

Really excellent scheme, brilliantly planned and very well executed. It was very difficult not to feel welcome: the very structure of the scheme is designed to get you talking to people throughout the firm, giving one not only a good idea of what it might be like to work here, but also a fantastic chance to be made to feel part of something. Supervisors were supportive, the social events excellent, and work interesting.

Formal interactions were rewarding and valuable. Both my supervisors and buddies were excellent and approachable, and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me. Informal interactions were also enjoyable: people at the firm were friendly and generous with their time - at all levels, from trainee to partner. Thank you very much.

While it’s always difficult to do enough to warrant feedback in only a week, I felt a real effort was made to create opportunities for a discussion that might be helpful after the scheme had finished. Feedback when it came was useful and balanced - giving one the chance to respond over the course of the fortnight.

I think it was useful, but that these skills take much longer to learn than a mere two weeks. However, one was certainly introduced to a broad range of skills - dealing with time management, managing expectations and so on, which gave one a fairly good sense of what life as a lawyer would be like.

Very well structured indeed - the week was excellently organised and proceeded without a hitch. The ‘focus on’ sessions are a brilliant idea - giving one the chance to find out about other areas of the firm where one might not be able to gain direct experience. I don’t think it could have been done much better.

Social events, and a fairly busy schedule, not to mention the collaboration task, meant that it is hard not to feel engaged and active during the scheme. However, the design of the office means that some departments are further away than others, and that it is possible to fall into something of a silo.

The firm invested a significant amount of time and effort in training. A lot of time was given by junior and senior staff to give a sense of the firm, but also to help one make a decision. The training, for only a fortnight, was excellent, and there was a real effort to push certain skills.

The structure of the scheme is such that it is very difficult not to spend time getting a proper sense of the firm. The tasks encouraged exploration, and as a result one comes away with an excellent sense not only of the work but also the culture - something that has to be seen first hand.

I was really impressed to see the company culture first hand. I met some very generous people, and felt wonderfully supported throughout the whole scheme. There was a very clear sense that one is wanted. The social events were also excellent opportunities to find out more about the firm - off the record.

I found the day to be very helpful indeed. The culture just has to be seen to be understood, while I also had the good fortune to meet some very generous and helpful people. The structure of the scheme certainly helped to promote exploration, which was very useful indeed. Thoroughly recommended.

Paid during the second week of the scheme.

The drinks events were a very good way to start the scheme - giving a brief introduction to a lot of people without being overwhelming. The two main events were exciting and good opportunities to meet other trainees, especially those with whom one wasn’t working. However, they were quite late, which might have been difficult for those that were living far away.