Vacation Placement Student Review

I really enjoyed the experiece. I was assigned a trainee buddy beforehand, who emailed me a couple of weeks before the placement to introduce herself to me. This made a real difference because it meant I knew somebody within the firm on day one.

I was given real work to do and was given constant feedback on this work. Further, when I'd completed a piece of work, my trainee would double-check it before sending it on to the relevant lawyer. My trainee gave me credit for the work I had done and this made a real difference. People within my team were great at giving feedback and this really helped to motivate me throughout my two weeks with the firm.

My trainee buddy provided me with lots of help and support and was always willing to answer any questions I had, or steer me in the right direction. We were also introduced to IT and library services on day 1, which meant I was comfortable approaching these teams for help when needed.

This experience has cemented in my mind that Law is for me. It has given me practical skills of using the Law, which is great in contrast to the academic side of law.

Very well structured. We were provided with a timetable in advance, containing all of the presentations the firm gave us and what our social events would be. This was really useful information to have in advance. Further, the firm organised Practice Presentations every morning so we could learn more about each team and get a flavour about what they do.

Such a good atmosphere in the office and on the socials. All of the trainees were friendly and really great to be around. On the Monday following office drinks on a Friday I discovered I'd been out drinking with a partner of the firm - and I think this shows how friendly the atmosphere is.

The firm encouraged us to set goals on day 1 and we had regular meetings with both my supervisor and my trainee buddy throughout the two weeks to review my progress and identify areas of development.

Significantly - the firm did not pretend the work would be easy and that I would be home for 6pm every night. But it was varied. This gave me a real feel for how it would be to work full-time for the firm. I even stayed late one night and got involved in helping at a client event.

Yes definatelty. It's all well and good reading a firm's values on their website but it is so much more useful to see them in practice.

It has confirmed that I want to practice law and has motivated me to make this happen.

Paid £500 for the two weeks.

Yes plenty! The firm organised socials and office drinks throughout the two weeks.

Really fun! We went to a comedy club one night and this was great to get out of the office, get to know the people and have a good laugh!

We had a presentation on Starfish, the firm's CR strategy and was also invited to take part in softball against another city-based law firm.

OH YES! It was well-organised from the start and a real eye-opener to what life really is like in a city law firm.