Summer Scheme Student Review

A genuinely enjoyable, informative and honest insight into the workings of this firm. I won't say into a 'law firm', because RPC is unlike almost anything I've heard about most other law firms. The progressiveness in their manifesto is real, and everywhere. The work was engaging, the scheme was well thought-out, with a business project to keep us engaged and thinking about the firm, as well as socials with trainees, other Vac schemers, and plenty of networking events. It never felt like a show was being put on for us, but like we were visiting the family for Christmas: they might put on the best spread they can, but the relationships and people were what made the scheme for me.

This being my first Vac scheme, I wasn't sure what to expect from the firm and the people I was to interact with. Whether it was the open-plan office arrangement or simply the genuine attitude of everyone there, at no point during the 2 weeks did I feel like a burden. In fact, the very opposite: work done well was praised, and I was included on emails and communications relating to work I had done. The firm also won Law Firm of the Year during my placement, and our whole group was invited to a spontaneous celebratory drinks party, as if we were as much a part of the firm as anyone else.

Support was there as and when I needed it. There is no culture of micromanagement here, so you have to be prepared to step into the breach, take the responsibility, and use your ingenuity to solve the problems thrown at you. But you should also not be afraid to ask questions - no question was ever too small, and people were always happy to take 5 minutes to sit down and talk through ongoing client matters with me. Everyone appreciated that this was quite a new world for a lot of the Vac schemers, and we more than ready to step in if we or they felt too much was being given to us. A genuinely supportive bunch, and nothing ever seemed and inconvenience.

In terms of the law involved, it was about 50/50 - I benefited from my recent Land Law modules in some of my work, but for those without a knowledge of the law, it was really not a hindrance. To this end, the real skills I will take away from the scheme are communication and confidence: being able to say what you need, and to who, and to be confident in what you are doing and the decisions you are making. The business project presentation to partners and associates was a big part of this.

The structure of the week was well thought out; some days were busier than others, but there was also, rightfully, days left for you to operate your own schedule and take responsibility for your own day in the departments, as real trainees have to do. Again, there was no micro-management, and if you needed to spend more time on a particular thing, or a great opportunity came up, in my case the opportunity to attend an inquest, you were able to flexibly work around the prepared programme. Social events were well thought-out and formed good pillars to the week, whilst the days were the right mix of structured and free.

As with any scheme, and city life generally, there were moments where the fun was not so present - filing doesn't stay fun for long! But, menial tasks are as much a part of a trainee's tasks as anyone's, and this represented a small reality which it was important we saw. But by no means were we lumped with the boring tasks, and, in fact, I think it was the opposite: it seemed to some extent we were given the most interesting jobs to do, as everyone seemed to want to give us the best insight they could into the breadth and depth of variety they experienced day-to-day. Some of the partners, associates and trainees seemed as excited, if not more so, as we were to be there! There was a genuined buzz around the scheme, and a consistent feeling that people wanted us to get the most out of our two weeks, rather than treat us like useful temps to clear their in-trays.

There was good feedback from almost all of the tasks we undertook, and there was a definite feeling that the firm was keen for us to improve and grow as lawyers, commercially, and as people - even during the two weeks.

Obviously there were limits to the extent that we could be fully involved - client interaction, for example, was limited. But, coming in at 9.30 and working the day through to the evening in departments, lunching alongside the trainees, getting involved in their tasks, certainly gave a strong indication of what a training contract with RPC would feel like.

RPC are big on culture, largely because it's so fundamental to their entire ethos - you can read it in their manifesto, and we received a number of talks on the culture of the firm, the brand, and the like, but you also become acutely aware of how real it is. The open-plan offices, again, illustrate every day how progressive the firm is, and the fact that no partner, associate or trainee was too busy to talk to us or come down to events we were involved in really showed how involved the firm is as a family.

The renumeration is £275, which is said to be for expenses, but for me covered those and more, leaving me with a little extra at the end. You also receive money on your security pass to cover some food from the canteen, which is a nice extra.

Absolutely loads - from informal to more formal events: nibbles over lunch, speed networking, drinks after work, etc. Networking is a skill and an asset, and something they were keen for us all to get involved in. Outside of these occasions, there was also opportunity to get work from other departments, to some degree, even outside of your assigned seat, largely because of the large level of interaction between the headline umbrella departments, and this in itself allowed some good networking opportunities.

Almost all networking events, everywhere, start off slightly awkward; but with some novel twists, such as speed networking, and a frequently dressed-down approach, any apprehension was swiftly dispelled, in equal measure by the relaxed approach of many of the individuals involved.

RPC has a unique 'house system', Harry Potter style, and through this there are many events for employees to get involved in, as well as firm sports teams and the like. We didn't really see this in action, but it was clear that it was something enjoyed by most, and regular updates over the firm's intranet informed us of new exploits by individuals throughout the firm, outside of office hours.

Absolutely. Eye-opening, engaging, and honest. Really valuable.