Vacation Scheme - Summer Review

I thought that the insight scheme was well-structured, and provided a good insight into the firm’s workings. One really good point was that we got to spend a lot of time in our seats, which meant you could really get involved in certain aspects of the work. I thought it was a really good introduction to a commercial law firm as a non-law student, and I was offered my top choices of seats which was exciting.

Most people at the firm made a great effort to make me feel welcome, and gave me tasks that were part of ongoing projects they were working on. I felt very included in the work of the people I was sat with, and in both seats, I felt as though I was making a tangible contribution, even if it was small one, to bigger projects.

Various people went out of their way to explain certain concepts to me, which was really lovely. I actually found that although my supervisors were friendly, I received more enthusiasm and guidance from other people in the seats who were looking for some help with research tasks. Furthermore, the trainee solicitors I was paired with were friendly, but not very forthcoming in maintaining contact/guidance with me through the placement. The graduate recruitment team were helpful when they were around us, but we didn't see much of them during the two weeks.

The skills I developed, such as researching and networking, will be invaluable to my future career. I learnt a lot about the sector-specific work that Stephenson Harwood carries out, which was interesting. I also developed law-specific skills, such as how to bundle. It was great that my supervisor gave me the responsibility to do different types of tasks, from research to bundling, so that during my time on the placement I developed a well-rounded range of skills applicable to a legal career.

Overall, the programme was well-balanced – including time spent in seats, and time spent at a suitable range of talks giving insight into the different sectors of work at the firm. However, there was a lot of time spent in the seats, which was great because it meant that students could get stuck into the work in these departments, but it also meant that there weren’t many opportunities for socials/events during the placement - which was a shame.

The general atmosphere was welcoming at the firm, and most people who I met were keen to help the vacation scheme students in any way they could. Everyone seemed very busy, which was to be expected, but this didn’t stop them from being open and welcoming towards us, and from helping us where they could.

There were various presentations throughout the placement to help us gain an introduction to the different areas of work in the firm. The firm also gave us each a training booklet and some IT training at the start of the placement so that we could make the most out of the work we were given. My supervisors also gave me detailed feedback on my written work to help me to improve for next time, which was helpful.

One of the most beneficial aspects of this particular placement was how much time we were able to spend in our seats. This gave us a really true picture of what it would be like to work full-time at the company, as we were able to see how our supervisor and their colleagues worked on a daily basis, and could help out with certain aspects of their work.

The two-week long placement was enough time to get a feel for the culture of the firm, which seemed very friendly but also professional. As vacation scheme students we were invited to partake in various social events outside of work and lunches which gave us the opportunity to talk to other members of the firm and understand the culture better.

The work that I carried out to help the people I was working with in my seats was great because it gave me a sense of what I would do in this career, and in that sense I felt that the work I did was valuable in helping me to decide this is the right career for me, as I found it motivating work.

I was paid enough to comfortably cover my expenses in London.

There were several opportunities given to us to meet and network with other employees from the company, including lunches, drinks, presentations, and informal chats with other members of our team. Both my supervisors took me for coffee during my time at the firm, which was a lovely way to get to know them on a more informal basis.

There were a few networking opportunities which we were invited to alongside other lawyers. They were well-organized, with a relaxed atmosphere. However, there was little opportunity during the structure of the vacation scheme for social events with the other vacation scheme students, which meant there was less of a bond between our cohort than perhaps there might have been had we had more of such events. The biggest social we had was very near the end of the placement, which I thought was sad as I got to know people better nearer the end, rather than bonding earlier on.

One of the biggest things that I found out about was the charity events that employees of the firm can get involved in – as vacation scheme students, we were even asked to help support their charity of the year by raising funds when distributing quizzes in our seats. This was a really lovely way to feel included in the firm’s pro bono activity. We also were told about sports clubs and activities that employees can get involved in.

I would certainly recommend this placement to a friend because I felt like I learnt so much from my two weeks at Stephenson Harwood. I felt that the work I did was valued by the teams I was sitting in, and they made the effort to get to know me as a person so that I could contribute the most effectively to the firm’s work during my short time there (for example, they were very careful to give me work suited to a non-law student).