Vacation Scheme Review

The placement was a really beneficial insight into the world of commercial law and it opened my eyes to a wide range of areas I would not have considered before. It was very valuable in terms of developing my skills and understanding the work a trainee solicitor does.

My team were very friendly and welcoming. They were all approachable and willing to help with any queries I had. Although I had been assigned a trainee buddy, I was pleased that many members of the team, including Senior Associates and Partners, approached me and introduced themselves, as well as giving me specific tasks to complete.

Everyone in the team was very supportive and I was offered constructive feedback on the work I completed.

The placement helped me develop the skills that would be required to be successful as a trainee solicitor. It has also helped me make an informed decision on my career path.

Very well structured. First day was spent in London with students from offices across the country in order to give a group induction. We had regular presentations from different practice groups and other areas of the firm such as corporate responsibility. There were regular social events to help us get to know trainee solicitors outside of our practice area, and a partner lunch where we could interact with more senior members of the firm.

There was a good rapport between the trainee solicitors across the firm and between my team as a whole. Everyone seemed to get on well and work well together.

The firm paid all expenses for travel to London on the first day, meaning we could have a beneficial induction. All social events were covered. In terms of personal training, we had regular meetings with our trainee buddy and supervisor where constructive feedback was offered.

Spending two weeks with people who have a full time job at the firm has enabled me to see the work they do and to talk to them about their career and how they have progressed. I have seen what daily life would be like in the job, and by the second week I almost felt used to coming to work there.

From the first day the firm's values and goals were explained, and an emphasis was given on what makes the firm different from others. The social events enabled us to see how employees interacted outside of the office and I was introduced to a range of personalities.

The two weeks I spent at the firm affirmed the career path I want to go down. It has given me an honest insight into the work trainee solicitors do. I have been given a variety of tasks and the opportunity to sit in on several conference calls with clients.

I was paid; however due to mistakes made with my tax code I was wrongly taxed. This meant I have only received three quarters of my wages.

There were lunches and office drinks meaning we could interact with people from across the firm. In addition, the lunch on the first day provided an opportunity to interact with trainee solicitors, partners, other vacation scheme students from across the country and also the graduate recruitment team.

We had two evening socials, a partner lunch, and office drinks on both Fridays. I greatly enjoyed the social events and they were an opportunity to meet people from across the firm in a relaxed setting.

We had a corporate responsibility presentation which was very insightful. After this presentation I asked trainees in my team about the work they had been involved in. However, there were aspects which were not mentioned, but I had heard about from friends, such as the Birmingham Trainee Solicitors Society and sports teams.

Definitely. I believe a placement like this will almost certainly help to determine the career path and even area of law you want to go down. It was well structured and very valuable in terms of the experience it offered.