Vacation Scheme Student Review

Taylor Wessing went above and beyond to offer us a quality and enjoyable work experience scheme in spite of the COVID-19 disruptions. We were able to enjoy a wide array of activities and social events.

The graduate recruitment team were always available to us for any issues we may have faced. Further, all lawyers, from trainee to partner, were willing to give up their time to speak to us individually and answer any questions. The lawyers always responded to us quickly and in a friendly manner.

In terms of logistical guidance and support, there was never any confusion, and help was only ever a message away. As regards the work, how much guidance you received was determined by how much guidance you needed, but the lawyers all said you could ask for as much as you wanted.

We were able to gain a real insight into the various practice areas a law firm provides. In our individual practice areas, we were able to develop the skills that would be required of us were we to enter the profession.

We had extremely busy timetables for the week. Whilst at times this was stressful, and we certainly felt the pressure at points, it was nice to know we were getting real value from the week.

Considering the scheme was entirely virtual, the atmosphere was lovely. All the other interns were friendly and I was able to get on with them really well both in and outside of the formal experience. The lawyers all made an effort to be friendly and down to earth, which was also appreciated.

It was difficult to receive extensive training as it was only a week-long scheme. Further, for my assessment, I was made aware that being independent was a quality that would be positively assessed. The firm did, however, provide skills sessions where they gave us some training on innovation and effective collaboration.

Whilst a single-week virtual scheme could never provide the same kind of insight that the old scheme would have provided, I was still able to get a decent feel for the culture and what a normal working day would look like. I am certainly in a much better position to make a decision now that I was when I started the scheme.

We had access to lawyers of various seniority, meaning we were able to have conversations with and gain insights about the firm from a variety of different angles. The willingness and amount of time the lawyers had to talk to us individually proved to me that the culture was a good one.

The content was hugely important for my career path. We took part in 'focus on' sessions, where associates would give us an introduction to the practice area they worked in and answered any questions we had. Speaking to lawyers individually also gave us an insight into what an actual working day looks like at the firm.

The firm usually offers a wage to reimburse the expenses of living and travelling in London for a fortnight. Despite the fact we took part in the scheme virtually, the firm still offered to pay us for the week's work that we did. This was a very nice touch, which I am appreciative of.

We were actively encouraged to seek out people at the firm we were interested in talking to. We put down three preferences for practice areas, and were assigned one, but the firm put on meetings for us to still speak to the practice areas that we did not get. Lawyers would actually take the initiative and arrange meetings with us before we asked them, which was nice.

Generally very good. The best ones were the individual chats we had over Microsoft Teams, as this allowed us to ask questions that were tailored to our unique interests. In general, lawyers from all positions of seniority were contactable, which was a very good opportunity. All the opportunities were amicable and informative.

Yes, we were told about the various clubs and activities within the firm.

Yes, I would recommend this insight to a friend. Taylor Wessing proved their commitment to prospective employees by putting on a great vac scheme in spite of the current situation. The scheme was well organised and we were given a lot to do, making for an incredibly valuable experience overall.