Vacation Scheme Review

This would usually be a two week in person vacation scheme, but reverted to a one week virtual scheme due to COVID. The days involved presentations and introductions with different departments, and time to complete individual tasks. On two of the evenings we also had socials with other placement scheme students and current trainees. There is one day dedicated to the assessment centre.

The experience was a great opportunity to learn more about different areas of law, and the individual tasks also allowed you to develop your research skills. Part of the assessment involves giving presentations to your peers and answering questions on your work, so it was a good opportunity to develop those skills too.

It was really enjoyable meeting the different departments at the firm and understanding the kind of work trainees get involved in. Meeting the MIT department in particular was really interesting as this is a department/work you might not have had exposure to at other firms. The presentations gave a glimpse into real life cases, and trainees gave an honest account of what they're day to day work looks like.

Extremely welcoming and friendly. Lawyers at all levels from partner through to trainee were really keen to talk to you and invited you to get stuck in with everything. The graduate recruitment team are also some of the loveliest people you'll meet and spent lots of time chatting to us in between sessions. It really feels like the firm wants to get to know you and they want you to succeed.

I really enjoyed the scheme and I got a lot of value out of it. The presentations were interactive and interesting (I particularly enjoyed the comm lit and MIT sessions) and I loved hearing about real cases the firm has worked on. I've also been in touch with lawyers at the firm after the scheme ended and they've been more than happy to talk and answer questions which is amazing.

Yes

Spend time getting to know the firm's strengths and the markets they work in; Demonstrate a genuine interest in their work; Try reaching out to current trainees to get a sense of what it's like working at the firm; Be yourself as much as possible and show that you are well rounded; Take advantage of open days and webinars!