Summer Clerk Review

Very enjoyable, gave a real insight into the work done by a corporate solicitor and how a multi-national law firm operates.

Always made to feel very welcome by all staff including trainees, solicitors, partners, secretaries, receptionists all the way through to the staff working in the lunch hall. - I was often stopped in the corridors by people I hadn't met who asked me how things were going and whether I was enjoying myself. All vacation schemers were invited to a Question & Answer lunch with the Managing Partners which I thought was a particularly insightful experience to see how friendly and welcoming the most senior staff at the firm were.

Office support staff, trainees, HR and partners always happy, willing and able to give good support and guidance on work.

I was able to see aspects of project management and client handling, as well as the more day-to-day dealings of research and presentation skills.

The scheme was well structured with a clear timetable provided at the start of the vacation scheme which included insights into various departments, as well as presentation skills, interviews and social events. The only thing I would mention is that I was sometimes quiet on the work front, but that can be expected during an August placement especially when much of the work in a corporate firm is too complex to be delegated to a vacation scheme student.

Everyone was very welcoming and pleasant to work with.

At the start, I was explained how to operate the firm's case management system so I could assist on various tasks - We also had a talk explaining how to use legal research websites, which is helpful to all non-lawyers as much of the work is research based.

I was able to speak to all staff from trainees to the management committee who were great at explaining what life was like at Baker & McKenzie including what the working hours were like, what kind of work a trainee is expected to do in various departments as well as the social life the trainees and solicitors have outside of the work in office sports teams and so on.

The firm culture is exactly as it says it is - welcoming and friendly, at all levels of the firm.

It was very helpful - Different areas of law differ so much from each other that it was particularly useful in giving me an insight into the life and work of a corporate lawyer.

The vacation scheme pay is provided openly on the firm's website.

There were many social events including a welcome lunch, curry night, bowling & kareoke, pizza making and a farewell lunch. As well as this, we had lunch with the managing partners, lunch with the partners and lunch with the trainees. So very good opportunities for networking.

Couldn't have asked for a broader range of activities. I thought the pizza making evening was particularly fun, enabling us to make our own pizza with a competition for the best one at the end.

It came up briefly in conversation to a trainee what activities employees can get involved in outside of work (not including the pro bono work) such as the sports teams, but I don't know much detail on this.

Yes, it was a welcoming firm and I enjoyed my three weeks here. It was sometimes quiet work wise, which I suppose could have been resolved by us being set more research tasks as some vacation placements do - But I did my placement in August when it can be expected to be relatively more quiet than in say June or July due to holidays and court closures.