Virtual Vacation Scheme Review

I very much enjoyed the virtual vacation scheme. It was extremely well organised and varied in terms of the content. I enjoyed attending the presentations such as that by the Diversity and Inclusion Officer and some current trainees. I also enjoyed meeting the other Vacation Scheme students. Although this was a virtual vacation scheme, I felt that I gained a good insight into the culture of the firm as well as a better understanding of the type of work I would be involved in as a trainee solicitor.

I felt extremely valued during the Vacation Scheme at Dentons. I spent time in 2 different departments during the Vacation Scheme and I felt very much a part of the team I was working in. Everyone who I met was willing to give me their time despite being busy themselves. The fact that trainees and other members of the firm made the time to talk to us on the scheme helped me to feel valued.

I was extremely impressed with the level of guidance/support received during the scheme. I was assigned a trainee buddy while working in the two different departments. The trainee buddy was helped source of support in case I had difficulty completing any of the tasks or accessing anything online. I reached out to my buddy a few times during the scheme and my buddy was willing to check over any work completed before I submitted it to my supervisor. My supervisors were also willing to answer any questions I had which I appreciated.

I felt that the information received was useful for me in terms of understanding how a commercial law firm operates. Although I did not learn many new skills, I did appreciate the ability to practise some of my existing one such as drafting emails and managing my time. Taking part in the group exercise while on the scheme was useful because it allowed me to develop my teamwork and research skills. I was also required to present to the group exercise panel and this helped me to increase my confidence when speaking in front of an audience.

I was extremely impressed with how structured the vacations scheme was, especially noting that it was fully online. I could tell that the event had been planned well; we have been given a timetable some weeks in advance. There was a good effort to stick to the times allocated in our itinerary. There was also a good balance between work and events (such as talks) planned. Everything ran smoothly and the technology also worked very well. I personally experienced no issues in this regard.

The general atmosphere was positive, upbeat and friendly. There was sense of everyone being part of a team and willing to help each other. There was no one on the scheme that was overly dominant and I felt that there was a colleagiate atmosphere overall. The graduate recruitment team were always positive and enthusiastic and patient when there were some issues with the technology. This contributed to the overall sense of collaboration and helped me to come to the conclusion that Dentons is a friendly place to work.

I felt that the firm did invest in me in terms of training and development. There were lots of resources that were available to me during the scheme which I actively made use of. I was also impressed that my supervisors were willing to provide feedback on the tasks I completed and to tell me how I could improve my work going forward. As a result, I felt that I learned a lot during the scheme and this has contributed to my overall development as a lawyer.

I felt that I gained a real insight into what it would be like to be a trainee solicitor at Dentons and the sort of work I would be involved in. I was impressed with the level of responsibility Dentons gives to its trainees. I was also impressed by the range of secondments available.

The Virtual Vacation Scheme helped me to understand the culture at Dentons. I was impressed with how friendly everyone was and how much time they were willing to give to me to explain tasks and answer any questions I had.

The content was extremely valuable in helping to me to decide on my future career path. I was already committed to a career in commercial law however the virtual vacation scheme with Dentons helped to cement my decision. I was impressed with the quality of the work undertaken at the firm and the range of clients Dentons' lawyers work with. After attending the talk with the Trianing Principal, I was impressed with the focus that Dentons places on being innovate and this helped me to decide that Dentons was the place I wanted to train as a lawyer.

I was paid a good amount for a virtual vacation scheme.

Yes, there were and I was extremely impressed at the opportunties that were offered. For example, there was a talk by the Diversity and Inclusion officer as well as the Training Principial. Moreover, there was a very useful panel event with current trainees at the firm. I also appreciated the time allocated to meet my supervisor and buddies and ask them any questions I had. I felt that everyone I spoke to made the time to answer any questions I had.

Yes, there were networking/social opportunities on the virtual vacation scheme however due the scheme being online, these were natural limited in terms of number and format. There was a quiz offered on the first night of the scheme which I attended with some others on the Vacation Scheme. It was extremely engaging and well-organised.

During the trainee panel talk, I learned a lot about activites such a Poplaw that are available to lawyers working at Dentons. I was impressed also with the range of non-law activties such as a reading club and a range of networks that I could be involved with at the firm. This helped me to come to the conclusion that Dentons is a firm which encourages its employeers to have extra-curricular actitivties which ultimately help us to become well-rounded individuals.

I would very much recommend this insight to anyone wanting to pursue a career in commercial law at a top international law firm.