Vacation Placement Student Review

My vacation placement with Pinsent Masons exceeded all of my expectations. It gave me a real feel for what it's like to work for a top international law firm and I learned so much about the different areas of the business. It's clear that everyone who works for the firm is passionate about their job and they really care about you enjoying your placement and understanding what the firm is all about!

A soon as I arrived in the office I felt as though I was part of the team because everyone was so friendly and welcoming! The people at Pinsent Masons went out of their way to introduce themselves to the other summer student and I, making us feel welcome both within the office and at the social events. One of the great things about Pinsent Masons is that everyone seems to be treated equally, regardless of title, experience level and hierarchical stereotypes.

From the initial application to the last day of the placement, it was clear that everyone at Pinsent Masons wanted me to get the most out of my experience and provided me with the support/guidance to ensure that was the case. As soon as I was offered my place on the placement, there was an online Q&A session with HR which was a great way to prepare for the placement in advance. Also, before I had even started my placement I recieved an email from my "Trainee Buddy" who introduced himself and told me about the type of work I'd be involved with during my time with the firm. This gave me the opportunity to ask any questions before I started. Throughout the placement, both my Buddy and Supervisor (and everyone else!) were always willing to talk me through the work that I'd be doing that day and were enthusiastic about giving me background to the tasks that I had been given and client cases that I was working on. It amazed me how much time everyone dedicated to helping/ supporting me, even if they were incredibly busy doing client work!

I've developed more skills and experience in 3 weeks than I could ever have imagined - even the Assesment day was a (reasonably enjoyable) learning experience! From effectively researching and proof reading contracts, to learning about the practice area that I was working in, I've become more confident in the way that I work, have a better understanding of working in an office environment and have built up a huge network of contacts in the legal field. I believe that having spent 3 weeks with Pinsent Masons, I'll go onto study the Diploma next year with a better understanding of what being a lawyer is "all about" and a real drive to train and succeed with a top law firm in the future.

I was given a schedule on day 1 of the vacation placement which let me know when I had presentations from different departments, socials, assesments, times at my desks etc. This was great to have as it allowed me to plan for the weeks ahead and make sure that I met all of my deadlines throughout the three weeks. It was great how many events were planned during my time with the firm!

If one thing stood out for me about Pinsent Masons during my time with the firm, it would have to be the atmosphere! The firm seems to have found the perfect balance between a hardworking environment and being approachable and fun. Pinsent Masons people (from support staff and trainee to partner level) make the office atmosphere and working environment an absolute joy to be part of.

A lot of time was clearly spent in making sure that I got the most out of the vacation placement. We were asked to set ourself "personal goals" on day 1 of the placement which was a great way to assess my own progress during my three weeks with the firm. All in all, the training programme was really well organised.

I was lucky enough to be involved with a huge range of tasks and experiences during my time with Pinsent Masons. A three week long placement was such a great amount of time to spend with the firm. I've done other, shorter placements which feel rushed and too pressurised, but 3 weeks allowed me to get a real "feel" for the firm and to develop some close relationships with employees and other summer students.

Without doing a summer placement with law firms, it would be difficult to understand what the culture was like at a certain law firm. Spending three weeks in Pinsent Masons offices gave me a real feel for what the company culture is like and showed me that the firm really lives up to its promises on the graduate recruitment website (something that many firms do not achieve!).

In addition to day-to-day working in the office, there were a huge number of opportunities to meet other Pinsent Masons employees, for example, on my first day there was a "Partner Welcome" and throughout the placement there wereoffice tours, trainee lunches, partner lunches, etc. These all gave me the chance to meet a wide range of people in a variety of environments.

The social events organised during the placement were a lot of fun! The lawyers/ trainees at Pinsent Masons clearly understand the importance of "work-hard-play-hard". We had a number of socials during the placement, which were a great way to get to know the firm's lawyers in a less formal environment.

The firm's employees are a really sociable bunch of people. There are currently a team involved in the tough mudder competition and there are events for employees to attend each month which seem like a lot of fun. In addition to social activities, a lot of the employees are involved with CSR work - something that looks like a lot of fun - I'd love to get involved with it if I worked for the firm full time!

Absolutely - it would be an invaluable experience for any law student looking to train and build a career with a top international law firm!