Vacation Student Review

Whilst it is not always easy for fee-earners to apportion work to vacation students, a genuine effort was made on behalf of supervisors to provide interesting and varied work throughout the seat. The social events were a fantastic process through which to get to know everybody on the scheme, and those trainees who were currently at the firm. These varied from welcome drinks on the first evening, to an international visit to a foreign office of the firm. The length of the placement is a perfect duration in order to get an accurate insight into two different departments of the firm, and yet undertake the various assessment stages for the training contract. The duration (which is longer than almost any vacation placement available) provides the combination of a true chance to get to know and understand the firm and the culture through which it operates.

The firm genuinely treats each and every vacation student as a potential future trainee and you are treated and valued as such. The work you undertake whilst on the scheme is absolutely involved in the deal and you are encouraged to attend meeting whenever your supervisor sees it appropriate or interesting. You need to look little further than an international day trip to a foreign office to appreciate that the firm values you as a potential candidate for a training contract and thus the future of the firm.

A full briefing of what would be undertaken during the placement was given at the induction meeting for the scheme, and the same again during any assessment stages which were required to be undertaken for the training contract application (for which there were only two). During specific tasks in your seats, briefing of work can sometimes be short with the time available to the supervisors, or otherwise, to provide you with the background and objectives of the task. With the nature of the firm however, time is always allocated to you should you require any additional information, direction, or advice on a particular matter.

The placement was well structured with a good combination of social events and assessment tasks divided equally throughout the scheme. A strong emphasis is placed on legal tasks and undertakings while sitting in your seats with this naturally being the way of best understanding the roles and responsibilities which you would undertake as a trainee at the firm. Talking in relation to the social events specifically, welcome drinks were set up at a local wine bar on the first evening, with a chance to again meet graduate recruitment, your 'buddy' trainee, and other trainees practising at the firm; along with your fellow vacation students. The international experience was positioned in the middle of the scheme which acted as a good divide and break between departmental seats. Clearly much thought has gone into the way in which the scheme is to be structured to provide the vacation student with as much exposure to legal matters and similar responsibilities to those they will likely undertake should they train at the firm.

The firm as a whole, including members of staff from HR, to trainees, and even including partners, were incredibly friendly, supportive, and involved throughout the vacation scheme. There was a very strong atmosphere on the scheme as a whole; particularly with trainees being willing to get involved in a variety of aspects of it. The connection between all the vacation scheme students was particularly strong with lunch organised together daily and additional social drinks events with trainees occurring.

The firm is incorrectly labelled as an 'American' firm. Whilst the type of firm you as an individual want to practice at may vary greatly, it would could not be further from the truth to associate Mayer Brown with the culture or approach of so called 'American' firms. Should you have any issue or question, or require any support or guidance during the scheme, you could decide on any multitude of people or services to turn to within the firm. The amount of exposure you get during social events to HR, trainees, your 'buddy' during the scheme, will provide any combination of support that any vacation student could need. Every member of staff in the firm were welcoming, friendly, supportive, and available if ever you should need anything. Whilst it would be naive to consider such a global, complete-service law firm not to be driven for results and determined to strive for the very best, it is the manner in which you as an individual are nurtured and trained to provide as such. There seems to be a perfect combination of support and willingness to give advice with any individual at the firm.

The social events have already been discussed elsewhere in the review and so will not be repeated here. There were plenty of opportunities to be introduced to trainees at the firm and be able to use those as a point of call for any advice or questions you may have about the firm. Particularly noteworthy however is the networking partners lunch on the first Friday of the scheme where you get introduced to various partners and have an opportunity to network and ask any further, perhaps more advanced, questions about the firm. These same partners are those who conduct the final-stage interviews for the training contracts and therefore is an invaluable opportunity to make your mark. Furthermore, it is not just an opportunity to scope out potential interviewers, but rather they as a whole discuss interviewee's and anybody who stands out in their memory from the networking opportunity is bound to have helped their chances.