Vacation Placement Student Review

It was a tiring three weeks, but it surpassed all my expectations. I was worried I would be placed in a corner and forgotten about, or chained to the photocopier - that couldn't be further from the truth. From day one I was made to feel part of the team and was involved in the work that was going on. The tasks I was given were things that could easily have been done by the trainees, but instead they took the time to explain it to me and then check my work once I was done. Outside the time spent in our individual practices group a real effort was made to introduce the placement students to the firm. With organised socials and the opportunity to participate in the Pinsent Masons hockey team!

I was made to feel the work I was doing mattered because rather than just giving me a task in isolation I was told how it fitted into the wider picture and hence the ramifications it had. Therefore what seemed like a small research task turned out to be a pivotal point of law that could have serious ramifications for the client.

You are assigned a trainee buddy and a supervisor (usually an associate). The trainee buddies role is 100% supportive and they play no role in assessing you during your time with the firm. Meaning you feel at ease and willing to ask them all those little questions, the answers to which seem obvious to someone who has been doing it for years but to a novice are unclear. The supervisor is the one who is responsible for you in your practice group, and throughout the placement you will have regular meetings with them to discuss how you are getting on and how you feel the placement is going.

At university you learn library law - you learn the theory and black and white default positions. Law in a commercial firm is poles apart. The theory is in the background and instead you have to focus on how the aims and needs of the client and their business can be met. Having straight As is only going to get you so far you need to learn to be apply to apply and mould what you know to the situations - a skill which will most certainly be of assistance in the future.

The HR team at Pinsent Masons is second to none. Prior to the placement you are provided with a schedule which details what you will be doing and where you need to be every day. Although you are situated in one practise group throughout the 3 weeks for an hour most mornings we were given a presentation from a different practice group from the firm. Meaning we got a real insight into other areas and the opportunities that were available. The placement was also structured to be an assessment for a traineeship contract, but rather than one all or nothing interview we were given multiple different ways in which we could demonstrate our abilities.

I did not meet a single person who wasn't friendly open and genuinely wanted to help. My practice group was coming towards the end of two big deals and everyone had a lot on their plate, yet no one hesitated to stop what they were doing and answer a question or explain something again. If I didn’t understand a task a point was made of saying that wasn't because I was an intern it was because the person explaining hadn’t done a good enough job. The firm sits as an open plan office, and that lack of hierarchical divide isn't just limited to physical structures – regardless of whether you are a partner, associate, trainee or intern you are treated with the same level of respect and courtesy.

Every effort was made to ensure that I got the most out of my placement that I could.

We were given an insight into the many different practice areas within the firm through presentations, highlighting the different working atmospheres and cultures within the firm. Within my individual practice group I saw first hand the life of a full time employee of the firm.

I gained a true experience of the firm's culture as there is no way of hiding it over 3 weeks - not that Pinsent Masons has anything to hide. The firm is open and truly cares about nurturing and developing the next generation of lawyers.

I got an insight into the day to day life of a trainee at the firm; and it's a life I would happily pursue.

Yes, there were office wide socials organised as well as the presentations from the different teams and the placement student were taken out to lunch by a cross section of associates. Giving plenty of opportunity to meet people in both a formal and informal situation.

Well attended, non-threatening and enjoyable

Yes - hockey, lunchtime yoga, trainee drinks.

100% and having talked to people who have done placements at another firms I would say Pinsent Masons not only gives you the best experience, it also provides you with the most support and structure