Vacation Scheme Student Review

I enjoyed it very much, overall. The lawyers I worked with were friendly and enthusiastic, the work I was assigned was (generally) interesting, and the social events were all very enjoyable.

The graduate recruitment team and the lawyers I sat with and worked for, nine times out of ten, made me feel very welcome and valued. I was made to feel that my opinion mattered and that my work was of some importance. Furthermore, the amount the firm invest their time and money in social events and training programmes show how highly they value their interns.

The amount of guidance and support received during the insight very much ranged from supervisor to supervisor. Personally, both of my supervisors were very helpful and supportive. Despite how busy they were, they were (usually happy) to advise me and answer my questions. The graduate recruitment team were equally helpful in supporting us through our seats and the Training Contract application process.

The skills I developed will be unlikely to assist me in my degree studies, but doubtless will contribute to my professional career - particularly the skills I developed in working as a team, proofreading, drafting, winning work, and engaging with fellow lawyers in a productive manner.

It was very well structured. We had a good amount of time at our desks, as well as well scheduled social events, talks and training sessions. The schedule for the three weeks was made very clear to us from the first day, and we were frequently reminded of our time commitments via emails from graduate recruitment.

There was a very friendly atmosphere during the three week insight programme. The vacation scheme students got on well, and the graduate recruitment team successfully achieved a relatively relaxed ambience throughout our time at the firm. That being said, at the desk, the atmosphere, whilst friendly and supportive, was serious and focussed - as it should be.

The firm invested a great deal in personal training and development. We had hour-long talks from partners in each practice area, as well as participating in negotiation games and a very valuable client pitch task. The time spent with lawyers was also extremely valuable for personal training and development.

The placement helped me to understand the type of work carried out by the firm, as well as their sectors and practice areas. Talking to trainees helped me to form an impression of the role I would be undertaking if I were to be lucky enough to work at the firm. However, as it was only a relatively brief insight scheme, and we were not required to work the hours usually expected of commercial lawyers, I was unable entirely to comprehend what a full time role would entail.

One of the insight's main successes was in enabling the interns to appreciate fully how much of the marketing literature's focus on the firm's culture was accurate. Through participating in social activities, meeting a variety of employees and sitting at departmental desks, I was able to understand the firm's culture very clearly and decide whether it was one in which I would thrive.

I was paid adequately, but the firm may wish to consider reimbursing travel expenses, as travelling to and from the office every day became relatively expensive.

There were numerous networking opportunities across the three weeks, during which we were able to interact with partners, associates, trainees and support staff, and all of which were helpful for gaining contacts for the future.

The social and networking events put on for interns by graduate recruitment were very generous and enjoyable.

There were contact details for the lawyers who run each individual club and society in the firm's literature distributed on the first day. We were required to take the initiative and contact them ourselves to find out more. We were also given a talk on CSR and pro bono activities conducted by the firm.

I would definitely recommend this insight experience to any ambitious friend interested in exploring a career in commercial law.