Vacation Scheme Review

Although the scheme had to be conducted online I still had a fantastic time. The vacation scheme was extremely engaging and I feel I learned a lot throughout the scheme, and I had an opportunity to meet and talk with a range of people within the firm. Everyone was very kind, welcoming and helpful; they were always happy to answer any questions and go out of their way to help you out. The work was extremely interesting and I feel I gained a lot. Overall, it was a great experience and feel I have learnt a lot about the firm.

I am putting an 8 because the scheme was online so feel it’s hard to award any higher than this. Everyone was very welcoming and were keen to answer any questions and give an honest and open opinion of their experience of the firm. Based off this I think had we been in the office I would have given a 10 rating, I have the impression that the firm has a great culture and would certainly be happy to work at a firm like SH.

Throughout the scheme we got a great insight into each of the different practice areas, this was really helpful and interesting. We also had a series of tasks for some of the departments, the instructions were very clear and the staff we happy to help with any questions, we haven’t yet received any feedback on our tasks (although I believe we will in the coming weeks). I feel that I can’t give a 9/10 without having received this yet, but I felt throughout the scheme that I was supported and there were opportunities to talk about any difficulties.

The information I learnt throughout the scheme will be really useful for any future applications, and was very helpful for preparing for my assessment centre with the firm. I learnt a lot about SH specifically, but also about the legal industry in general and what a corporate lawyer does. Through the tasks I also gained an increased awareness of the skills which a lawyer needs and how I should approach a legal tasks in the best way possible.

The insight was structured very well and was adapted appropriately to the new online platform. The days were a good length (giving us enough time to learn lots but also not being too long on the screen). There were also a good amount of breaks which were useful to give us some time away from the screens. The assessment centre being in the middle of the week as we could relax for the final two days.

The graduate recruitment team were fantastic throughout the week, they made sure we all felt welcome and comfortable from the start. The scheme struck a great balance between learning, getting to know each other and having fun. Everyone seemed to be very likeminded, engaged and open minded. Although the scheme was online I feel as though we all got a great feel for the firm and got to know each other very well. Overall fully thought the atmosphere was great.

I feel as though most of the scheme was aimed towards the group at general rather than personally. We did have one on one sessions with trainee buddies and associates which were really useful. I think it would’ve been very hard for the firm to do any more than this given that the scheme was online, it simply wouldn’t have been feasible, so although the rating of 6 is not high, I was very impressed at the given that it was online.

Everyone was very open and honest about their experiences of the firm and what they thought was good and bad about it. This was very refreshing as often insights can be very one sided and afraid to say anything about heavy workloads etc. I thought the tasks gave a good indication of the work that a trainee at SH would do on a daily basis, as well as the differences between each of the departments.

Although the scheme was online so we could not get a full grasp of the office environment, through a combination of group and one on one sessions we were able to really experience Stephenson Harwood’s unique culture. The evening socials were a great opportunity to get to know people better in a more informal environment which was very relaxing as well as fun. I came away thinking that Stephenson Harwood seems like a great place to work even though it was online.

The scheme was so useful in shedding light on the work of a city solicitor and definitely helped me cement the idea that I do indeed want to be a solicitor. The virtual vacation scheme also was very useful in letting me learn more about Stephenson Harwood, and made me even more certain that this would be a firm that I would be thrilled to work for in the future. In this respect it was very helpful.

Given that the scheme was conducted online we were paid for the one week rather than two weeks that was originally intended. I thought this was a great gesture from the firm. Working online meant that we did not have any expenses so it was very nice that we were still paid even though we did not have to pay for accommodation in London. The reimbursement is roughly similar to other vacation schemes in London.

The scheme offered great opportunities to network with both employees and other interns. Through the regular department sessions we met an array of lawyers and were able to ask questions. We also had one on one sessions with a trainee and an associate. We also had two socials with the current cohort of trainees which were informal and lots of fun, as well as a networking lunch. They were all very welcoming and it felt as though we could ask any questions that we had.

As mentioned above, we had a range of social and networking events which were really enjoyable and useful. I was really impressed by these.

We were given an insight into the social lives of trainees, as well as sports teams and societies that employees can get involved with. We were also spoken to about the various networks that the firm has.

I’d certainly recommend this to any prospective solicitors.