Vacation Scheme Student Review

The Vacation Scheme involved two seat rotations, where you sit with a Supervisor and a Trainee Buddy and are immersed in the daily work of each practice. This involved sitting in on calls and meetings, undertaking legal drafting and research, and attending various additional presentations and social events held by the Graduate Recruitment team.

I have greatly developed my legal drafting abilities, as I have had the chance to engage in drafting multiple complex legal documents, from transfer agreements to deeds of undertaking. I have also developed my research skills, as I was assigned a number of research tasks, which required critical thinking and detailed research into relevant areas of law. My communication skills have been greatly aided by the chance to learn through osmosis by sitting in the office.

The various talks and sessions held as part of the Vacation Scheme helped to deepen my understanding of the various practice areas in the firm. Lawyers at all levels around the firm were eager to meet up with me over coffee to discuss their practice areas, which helped me to understand the business better. By getting involved first-hand in real-life work, I now understand the expectations of clients, and how lawyers manage client relationships.

The culture at HSF is collaborative and welcoming. It was encouraging to see extensive collaboration between employees during my time at the firm, with lawyers sharing work and being keen to offer advice whenever it was requested. Lawyers at all levels were enthusiastic to answer any questions that I had about the firm over coffee, and I truly felt welcomed and energised by the level of responsibility on real-world work that I was conferred during the Vacation Scheme.

The Vacation Scheme has been a profoundly enjoyable experience. It has been rewarding to get to know my fellow Vacation Schemers during work and at social events, and I have relished discussions with employees at all levels surrounding their work at the firm.

Yes

I would advise students looking to apply to the Firm to familiarise themselves with the business' strategic aims, practice areas, and to ensure that they have sharp commercial awareness. Familiarity with the above are crucial in order to pass the three interviews as part of the Assessment Centre.