Vacation Scheme attendee Review

Each day tended to have a detailed presentation of an introduction to a different practice group as well as a task that we had to prepare, mimicking the work of a real trainee, to be handed in at the end of the day. We would have been given real client matters to work on but this was not possible due to the remote working situation because of Covid.

I have learnt so much from this week. Working on the tasks was very helpful. I built my research skills as well as my written communication and oral communication through presentations that we had to give. I worked in a small team with two other attendees for one presentation which helped build my remote team working skills. I also learnt how to analyse key information from a large text.

We learnt a lot about the main practice areas of the firm. It was very detailed, interactive, engaging, and informative. I was surprised to see that the firm was so much more than shipping, that it is known for and has a very good reputation in. It really is an international, full service firm and the case studies of the work that presenters had worked on really demonstrated this. It was very exciting to see the high quality work that you could potentially do at this firm.

The company culture was open and friendly. This was shown in the ways that the lawyers and HR teams interacted with not just us as attendees but with each other. The work environment seems to cultivate a welcoming and accepting atmosphere. The people that I spoke to were very honest, even about the bits that may need improving. This instilled confidence in me because it showed that the firm is aware and also committed to improving itself.

I really enjoyed the insight. It was difficult to always remain or feel connected whilst participating online but the firm did a great job planning and running a high-quality scheme. I was nervous before but from day 1 the atmosphere they created, even online, made me feel comfortable and I feel as though I was able to be myself and do my best. I ended up really enjoying the scheme, even the assessment centre to a certain extent, which is a huge feat on the part of my assessors and the firm!

Yes

I applied through Aspiring Solicitors and this supported me a lot with my application. I would advise researching the firm as much as possible and looking past the big names like shipping as it really is a full-service firm. It is very proud of its value and this is something I would look into because I think it defines the firm as well as its motivations and growth.