Vacation Scheme (Winter) Review

Usually the day would start with a talk from one of the lawyers/partners introducing you to their specific practice areas, these are often quite interactive and a great opportunity to ask questions. You would then get some time to go to your office (the office of your supervisor) and they will set you a trainee-like legal task to complete. Towards the end of the day, the careers team may have arranged a social for the cohort, these are very fun and a great way to break the ice.

One skill I developed was the confidence in a commercial firm setting - initially this can seem daunting, but it's surprising how spending a week there can really make you feel settled in and comfortable - I think this is owing to the warm culture of the firm. I also developed my legal research skills, being a Science student I was worried I'd be slightly behind, but it honestly made no difference, and I felt comfortable undertaking a legal research task by myself at the end.

Although the scheme is mainly for aspiring lawyers, the diversity of practice areas available was surprising. Each day would start with a talk from a new practice area, this also complements the 4-seat system as it's reassuring you can test the waters of 4 practice areas of commercial law before committing to anything. Although all in law, the variety of tasks and work in these practice areas was completely different, offering work to lots of different tastes in the cohort.

Overall, the culture of the firm was extremely welcoming to all of us. Most people I met would take time out of their busy days to speak to me, and many of them would suggest a coffee chat or lunch that day which was warming. Throughout the day, lawyers in my department, partners included, would often come in and introduce themselves and ask me how my day/the scheme was going which was very inviting overall. By the end of the week, I felt very comfortable at the firm.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the vacation scheme. Particularly the involvement of the early careers team was excellent, the social and networking events arranged were a great way to get to know the lawyers/staff at the firm but also the other students on the scheme. Further, the work I was given was both challenging but I was also never thrown in the deep end, and was always supported if I needed some help, had some questions, or was confused.

Yes

When thinking "why law", don't write what you think the firm want to hear. I would try to really make it individual to you, talk about your experiences and why this has personally led you to aspire for a career in commercial law. Further, when discussing case studies in interview, I would take a logical stance. Pick apart the individual questions, any potential problems and then view it as an entire picture, instead of potentially being overwhelmbed by the entire case study. Also, make sure you research the firm.