Vacation Scheme Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the virtual vacation scheme at Baker McKenzie! The scheme provided me with an invaluable insight into the firm and its culture as well as the day to day role of a corporate lawyer. I particularly enjoyed the various networking sessions organised by the grad recruitment team and my trainee buddy which provided participants with plenty of opportunities to speak with a number of people across the firm from a wide range of backgrounds and practice areas.

I felt valued during my time with the firm and was invited to take part in departmental lunches, team calls and social activities and was made to feel as though I was a member of the team! I felt that the virtual nature of the scheme did not stop me from being able to get involved with lots of exciting work and make a real contribution to my teams in both departments over the 2 weeks.

I felt extremely well supported during my vac scheme. We were paired up with a supervisor and trainee buddy whilst in each department. They were always happy to schedule in zoom calls and answer any questions that I had about the firm as well as discussing the tasks that I had been working on. My supervisors were also happy to provide feedback and help me develop my skills wherever possible. The graduate recruitment team were also really supportive throughout the scheme and had scheduled in a number of catch up calls across the 2 weeks. I found the initial ice breaker zoom call particularly useful as an opportunity to meet the other candidates before the scheme started.

I believe the experience will be invaluable in assisting me in my future career as it provided me with a real insight into the firm and the workings of a law firm and corporate lawyers more generally. Alongside the tasks set by our trainee buddies and supervisors we were also given the opportunity to take part in various pro bono projects which I believe has provided me with key skills and experiences that I will be able to take with me in my future career going forwards.

The vacation scheme was extremely well structured and organised with a number of informative presentations, networking activities and social events scheduled in across the 2 weeks. We were provided with a schedule of this in advance of the scheme so that we were able to prepare for these activities accordingly. We were also sent zoom links on our work laptops in advance of each meeting/presentation. I was extremely impressed by its seamless coordination given the virtual nature of the scheme!

I was initially worried about how interactive and sociable the virtual vacation scheme would be given the circumstances, however I was pleasantly surprised! The graduate recruitment team had organised a number of fun and interactive social events for the students to take part in including a virtual escape room and a virtual takeaway and quiz night. I was also invited to join a number of virtual drinks and team calls via zoom within my departments.

I felt that my supervisor and trainee buddy in each department were able to provide me with an insight into the role of a trainee solicitor and associate at the firm. They involved me in typical tasks and activities during my time at the firm, including pro bono work and joining a client call. I found that this provided a useful overview of what it would be like to work at the firm in a full time role.

Yes there were a great deal of opportunities to network and meet other employees at the firm! My trainee buddy had kindly offered to set up a number of zoom calls as an opportunity to introduce myself and meet with a number of people within the department. The graduate recruitment team also scheduled a number of sessions across the 2 weeks including a virtual speed networking session during which we were able to meet with a number of individuals from 8 practice areas across the firm.

I was really impressed by the number of networking and social event opportunities available during the scheme. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to meet with various people across the firm from different departments and roles during both formal networking events as well as more informal zoom calls with individuals at the firm who were happy to answer any questions that I had about the firm. I also really enjoyed the interactive social events put on by the firm as I felt it enabled those taking part in the scheme to get to know each other in a more relaxed and fun setting.

Whilst at the firm, we were able to find out about the corporate social responsibility projects and pro bono projects that employees are able to get involved with at the firm. We received presentations on these opportunities and then were also able to join a follow up call in order to find out more. We were even able to contribute to and take part in one of the pro bono projects during our time which I found to be an extremely rewarding experience.

I would thoroughly recommend this insight to a friend as I believe it enabled me to gain an invaluable insight into the firm and its culture as well as the more general day to day role of a corporate lawyer. There were an abundance of opportunities to network with people at the firm and learn about various aspects of the firm and how it operates. In particular, I was able to get involved in typical trainee tasks set by both my supervisors and knowledge lawyers as well as the pro bono and corporate social responsibility activities!