Vacation Scheme Intern Review

It was an invaluable experience in getting to know the culture at Dentons first-hand. The two seats I sat in (TMT and PRM - aka Employment) were varied and interesting, and my Supervisors and Trainee buddies in both seats were very welcoming and quick to offer their time and support throughout the scheme. I was particularly impressed with the thoughtfulness behind the tasks we were given (which unfortunately were not active matters within Dentons given the circumstances) to ensure that our tasks were topical and relevant to the current climate. Receiving feedback for the work we completed as Vacation Schemers with such quick turnaround given the shortened length of the scheme was incredibly valuable (and immpressive). It gave me the opportunity to reflect on areas I could improve before my next task! The group events and socials that were organised by Dentons before and throughout the scheme were incredibly well put together and I really valued the opportunity to get to know the other vaction schemers as well as the current and future trainees who took the time to meet us all by joining these events!

I think this is a difficult question given the circumstances. On the in-person scheme we would've been working with teams, likely on active matters, for a longer period of time. On the virtual scheme we weren't able to make those types of contributions, but Dentons did a remarkable job of making us feel valued despite this. It was clear that our Supervisors and teams were invested in us as potential future colleagues and went out of their way to ensure we felt supported and held regular meetings with us where we were encouraged to ask questions. I was able to join the team meetings, and everyone had a real and genuine interest in us as vacation schemers, which definitely made me feel valued! I was even cc'd into the daily TMT Brain Teaser email after I left the seat - little details like this reinforced my above sentiment.

The Supervisors/Buddies, as mentioned above, went out of their way to ensure we felt supported, and they ensured the task and the resources I had been provided were complete and succinct. Above and beyond our scheduled meetings and my set tasks, my Supervisors and Buddies made sure I knew I could contact them by phone or email if I needed further support. I felt encouraged to ask questions about the task, and felt comfortable asking any questions I had about Dentons or the team I was sat in more widely. The Graduate Recruitment team were also always on hand to respond to emails or put us in touch with networks/specific individuals in the firm we wanted to speak to. They were great at supporting us throughout the scheme by ensuring we always knew what to expect from the group task, our seats and the recruitment process overall.

I did already have some formal legal research training both from university and other firms I've worked at, so the research tasks (whilst incredibly insightful) were not completely new skills, but from the scheme I am now aware of what kind of research and presentation style Dentons look for when engaging with clients. The other tasks such as document drafting were incredibly valuable and I picked up a whole host of transferable knowledge and skills which I can use as I embark on my career. In both seats I was encouraged to look at the legal issues from a commercial perspective for the benefit of our client, and adopting that outlook/mindset is an invaluable skill that I will be able to take away with me. Overall I think Dentons succeeded in giving us a comprehensive overview of the types of tasks trainees undertake and we gained valuable practical experience and a range of skills by completing them.

As this was a virtual scheme that had to be formulated on relatively short notice, I was incredibly impressed by how well organised and streamlined this scheme was. There was a good amount of time to do own tasks, but this was nicely balanced with lunchtime seminars on topics such as diversity, what to expect from the TC and a session with the Training Principal. Bar a few minor timing issues (which were actually only a result of Vac Schemers having too many questions for the allotted time for Q&A's) the whole scheme ran incredibly smoothly.

Again - a difficult question given the circumstances! Being virtual we were unable to fully grasp the 'office atmosphere' - but atmosphere within the teams and the warmth from individuals I met on the scheme gave me a good idea of what to expect when everyone heads back to the office! Dentons have a really inclusive culture and this is apparent without having to be in the office. With a this type of culture inevitably comes a positive atmosphere and that is one of the key take-aways I had from this scheme.

I received feedback on the tasks I had been assigned very quickly after submission. Even though it wasn't formal 'training' the teams I worked in were keen to help ensure that I was drafting documents correctly etc. There were multiple opportunities to discuss personal development from a diversity and inclusion perspective also, and we were encouraged to investigate the diversity networks and inclusion initiatives in place at the firm. It was clear that Dentons were keen for trainees to get involved in these and encouraged remaining involved with groups such as Aspiring Solicitors even after we secure a training contract.

The graduate recruitment team were very thoughtful with our Supervisor/Buddies and Interviewers, all of whom were from my office, so I still got a great insight into what it would be like to be a trainee at the Dentons office I had applied to. In my final interview I was asked if I was confident in knowing what kind of work I could expect to be doing if I became a trainee, and I felt confident answering this off the back of the scheme.

The scheme was set up to allow for lunchtime seminars, in which there were sessions on the Dentons Training Contract, the Diversity and Inclusion networks and initiatives and a Q&A with the Training Principal. I definitely felt as though these sessions, along with subsequent conversations with other employees at the firm, gave me a solid insight into the company culture and the efforts Dentons make to cultivate such an inclusive culture more widely, but also its role within our training contract.

This experience only consolidated my desire to practice commercial law as a solicitor. It further served to confirm that Dentons is the place I want to pursue this career path. It highlighted to me how important it is that the firm be the right fit for you as much as you need to be the right fit for them. For those who have less experience, this vacation scheme will definitely help in confirming whether this career, and this firm, is right for you.

Despite only being on the scheme for just shy of a week and not always for 'full days' Dentons were generous enough to afford us what would've been a full weeks pay on the usual scheme.

Unfortunately given the difficulties of large group zoom calls, a dedicated 'networking' event would not have feasibly been possible; however Dentons did organise a formal social event (and facilitated numerous informal social events also) during the scheme. This gave us the opportunity to meet current and future trainees, through which I gained a lot of insight. There was also ample opportunity to reach out to employees who worked in teams we were interested in and everyone was happy to facilitate meetings or emails.

The social event was very well organised ahead of time and had a great structure. After our team got to grips with the format of the quiz/treasure hunt we had a lot of fun working together to get our answers. There was a healthy amount of competitiveness between the teams as well! Dentons also helped facilitate a number of informal social events where candidates were able to get to know each other better, which was really valuable given we couldn't meet in person!

I was told about the social events, outreach initiatives and other activities that employees can get involved in outside of work. There were a wide range of things to get involved in, some of which were office specific, but many of these were 'inter-office' and I found that encouraging and reaffirmed that offices outside London were not merely 'satellite' offices. At my office there were school reading schemes, and social events for trainees which were jointly held with the London trainees - amongst other events!

There is absolutely no better way to understand and appreciate the culture at Dentons than by participating in this vacation scheme. I had already been to open evenings and completed legal work experience before I joined the scheme, however only by spending a prolonged period within the Dentons virtual workspace, engaging with employees and the teams you're working in, can you truly and fully appreciate the culture, the seats, and type of work available in those seats at Dentons, specifically.