Vacation scheme student Review

I totally loved it. It was everything I could have imagined the placement is; skills development, research done, knowledge gained included. Definitely recommend it to everybody interested in doing commercial law!

From day one I got to work on real cases with some of the really important clients, so I felt like despite being here only for two weeks I can really contribute and people around me are happy to have me there! Makes a huge difference and makes your job really rewarding.

Everybody, from people in the canteen, through trainees, to partners, were really willing to give me some guidance and talk me through any issues I might have had.

I learnt incredibly a lot about the areas I am interested in (energy, Africa, emerging markets) and I greatly improved my research skills, attention to detail and overall time management. I was given regular tips on these skills so I found the overall experience really really valuable!

The structure was incredibly good, each presentation was followed by advice/explanations where required. What's more, you always have your trainee buddy with you and in case something is not clear, they are always there to help! Getting in touch with the rest of the team or Graduate Recruitment is also really easy.

The atmosphere was really good, everybody was friendly and open and there was no 'artificial politness' but genuine feeling of being in one team.

We were given presentations on Practice Areas every day, so that was a lot of investment in terms of time. They were all really insightful and definitely improved my understanding of what the firm does and what options are available to me as a commercial lawyer. We are also able to use all internal knowledge resources, so that was brilliant.

Presentations, talking with people working here (at every level) really improved my idea of what it would be like. Despite being busy everybody is ready to talk you through their career choices, excellent opportunity to learn more about what you want to do in the future.

Values and company culture are a big theme at Pinsent Masons, so I think every day we were exposed to something that gave us a better understanding of this area. I feel like I really know how the business operates, how it sees itself in the future and how it differentiates itself from other law firms.

I was paid for the time spent here, as I live in London I did not need any expenses reimbursements.

There were many opportunities to meet employees of the firm. My trainee buddy would take me to lunch with people from our Practice, also after each Practice presentation there were Q&A sessions. If you wanted, you could always ask for an individual meeting over coffee or lunch, which gave you a really easy access to more detailed information on the Practice. Social events and sport events allowed us to interact with employees in a less formal environment, which is always good for making connections and getting to know people.

There were many, many, many social/networking opportunities. From lunches, dinners, drinks, sport events to anything you could possibly imagine. Very well organized, we always knew what time they start, where everybody else is going (so we could join half way through if we wanted). Also, we had phone numbers of our trainee buddies so even if you get lost somebody would surely pick you up.

We had a separate presentation about CR side of the firm. Also, it is really easy to talk about employee's external life, as there are so many networking opportunities.

I would absolutely recommend it to a friend, particularly because I got to do a lot of actual 'trainee tasks' so I learnt some valuable legal skills, like drafting, amending agreements, presenting my research. As a non-law student, I learnt how to use legal research tools, I could observe group meetings and I got a much better understanding of how the legal world operates. Overall, even if you are not looking at joining the firm, I think that this vacation scheme really teaches you a lot!