Vacation Placement Review

I enjoyed the vacation scheme because it gave me the opportunity to see the realities of working in a top commercial law firm. Over the two weeks I had the opportunity to undertake a variety of work for different clients which I enjoyed. Everyone I met at the firm was friendly and approachable which increased my enjoyment because I felt relaxed during the placement.

I felt like I was valued because I was doing actual work that no one had done before, instead of just reviewing things that other people had previously done. This made me feel valued because it meant that they appreciated the input I could give to the work being done.

If I had any questions about anything, from the work I was doing to more general questions about the firm, people were happy to answer them. I never felt like I was asking a stupid question. I had regualr conversations and feedback, both from my trainee buddy and her supervisor, meaning that if I was getting anything wrong this was pointed out quickly.

My attention to detail has been greatly improved as this is something of vital importance for a lawyer and will be very useful in my degree. My confidence and communication skills have also been improved, another useful skill, both for my degree and beyond. I have also learnt more about prioritising tasks as I often had several pieces of work on the go at any one time, a skill that is always useful to have.

I was given a timetable of the vacation scheme prior to arriving and so knew when everything was meant to occur. This timetable was stuck to meaning that there was a clear structure to the scheme and I always knew exactly what was going on and where I should be.

Everyone in my team was really friendly meaning that the atmosphere was relaxed and enjoyable, whilst still being an office environment. The people I met from other departments in more relaxed, social environments were also really welcoming, creating a friendly, approachable environment through the entire office.

At the beginning I had inductions so I knew how the firm operated and what was going on. I also had regular catch up and feedback sessions with my trainee buddy and supervisor which have helped my personal training and development. My abilities and skills required to be a lawyer have definitely improved throughout the two weeks because of the feedback sessions.

I got to see a wide variety of work done for various clients, enabling me to get an overview of the type of work undertaken in my department. I also spent a day in a different department which has given me a greater understanding of the firm and what work is undertaken in different departments. Every morning there were presentations from the different departments about the work they do which enabled me to have a better understanding of the different departments and full range of work that is undertaken.

I met a wide variety of people which enabled me to undertsnad the company cu;ture as I could get a true feel for what people working there are like. We also had a talk on the firms '2020 Vision', what they do as part of the corporate responsibility programme, and the initiative set up to improve equality and diversity in the senior end of the firm. All these talks enabled me to understand more about what is important to the firm and the culture that exists.

I was paid for the two weeks and reimbursed my travel expenses for the induction in London as this was not the office in which I was based.

We had two trainee lunches (one in London and one in Leeds), a partner lunch, two socials with the trainees and two evening drinks to which the entire office were invited. As well as these events the practice presentations enabled us to meet more people from different departments.

There was a wide variety of activities in the networking and social events, all of which were enjoyable. The trainee socials in particular were a lot of fun. We went bowling one night and then had a Cluedo/Murder Mystery around Leeds for another.

I was told about the various social events that are organised, both for the trainees and afterwards. I was given the opportunity to play hockey for the firm's team along with other employees. There was also a presentation on the corporate responsibility programme and how people can get involved with that.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Pinsent Masons and would recommend it to anyone. I have had a proper insight into what it would be like to be a trainee at Pinsent Masons. Everyone was friendly and approachable and I have loved every minute.