Legal Vacation Scheme Review

We spent a week in two practice areas, either two commercial or one insurance and one commercial. We did a range of legal tasks within each team and were able to meet with other departments if we so wished. We also took part in workshops on practice areas, D&I, sectors and trainee life, had the opportunity to write a business blog, participated in a group project and had training sessions e.g. presentation skills.

I drastically developed my legal skills and this was one of the most useful experiences I have had from that perspective. I drafted texts that went out on a client email, drafted legal documents, learned how to summarise research in a digestible format for supervisors and clients, reviewed contracts and researched complex legal areas. The scheme also trained us on soft skills like presenting and taught us how to tackle difficult/challenging tasks with confidence.

It was a fantastic experience in furthering my understanding of the nuances of the business, the knowledge that cannot be gleaned from the website or attending shorter presentation events. The talks covered a wide range of subjects and the group culture project allows us to meet with non-legal staff to gain a broader understanding of the business. We heard from trainees about their experiences as the end goal of the scheme was to be offered a training contract.

I have not experienced a firm with a better culture than RPC. I had an extremely tough time personally during the scheme and RPC were as flexible as I needed them to be in terms of what I needed and what I was capable of achieving, as well as providing fantastic emotional support. The general atmosphere was that employees are very happy at the firm and individuals are encouraged to be themselves. I found that a lot of associates had moved from other firms and were very genuine in their enthusiasm about RPC's culture being a key reason for their move and for staying.

I enjoyed the insight so much, it was a wonderful scheme and one of the best working experiences I have had in my life. It was a challenge in terms of the amount of work that we had to complete, but all the experiences were valuable and helped me progress in terms of my skills and understanding of the legal environment. I have a much better understanding of the legal practice areas I might want to qualify into or sit in on a training contract now and I loved getting to know the different employees around RPC. I wish I could do it again!

Yes

Prepare to work hard and to gain the most out of the opportunity you are given. In terms of applying, be honest and let your personality shine through. Tell the firm about that weird hobby you have and explain why it would make you a good lawyer! In terms of the firm, make sure that you understand the work RPC does and be prepared to explain your interest in litigation and insurance. Both of these areas are universal so you can relate them to your other interests if there is something you are more passionate about.