Summer Vacation Scheme Student Review

I immensely enjoyed the insight. It exceeded my expectations and I felt I was able to gain a clear insight into the culture and the role of a trainee lawyer at Taylor Wessing. It was undoubtedly a challenging two weeks, but I enjoyed the opportunities this presented and never felt too out of my depth.

During my time at the firm everyone I was working with found time to speak to me and made an effort to see that I was enjoying and learning from the experience. They were also happy to offer career advice and reflect on their experiences at Taylor Wessing.

I was appointed a trainee ‘buddy’ each week that I was able to go to for extra work or to ask questions. There was plenty of support and guidance when needed, but independent and logical thinking were also encouraged. This I felt was highly reflective of what life as a trainee would be like.

The skills I developed have been invaluable and will definitely assist me in numerous areas. One key skill I built on was my confidence, after the two weeks I felt much more able to talk to more senior people, start conversations and ask questions. I was also able to build on my commercial awareness hugely during the scheme. I gained invaluable insight into how a law firm operates and how a lot of their focus for clients is practical and business orientated as well as legal.

There were twenty or so fellow students on the vacation scheme and there was a detailed timetable for us over the two weeks. This included daily Focus On sessions on each of the departments. The social events were also well placed throughout the scheme and provided opportunities to speak to trainees in a more informal setting.

I really felt like I was able to truly gain an insight into the atmosphere of the firm over the two weeks and it was overwhelming supportive and enthusiastic. I felt it lived up to and exceeded my expectations in this area.

I felt Taylor Wessing provided us with all the necessary information to deal with our various seats. Throughout the two weeks there were daily Focus On sessions from each department, explaining their work and running through case studies. This allowed me to gain an insight into other departments and gave me an idea of what areas of law I might pursue in the future. I also learnt from current trainees about the training and development offered at Taylor Wessing during the training contract. At the end of each week we had a student appraisal meeting with our supervisors, which provided opportunities for feedback and areas to improve for the following week. It demonstrated that the firm was committed to fostering our own development.

The vacation scheme provided an invaluable chance to experience life as a trainee and to gain access to people who have been there themselves and hear their experiences.

I was able to gain a clear sense of Taylor Wessing’s culture. Its unique focus and culture was immediately apparent in the different departments I sat in. The research for our final group presentations also allowed me to gain a greater insight into the company culture and how it hopes to expand and challenge itself. Overall, the scheme lived up to everything I had heard and read about the firm.

The two weeks spent at Taylor Wessing reaffirmed my motivation to become a commercial lawyer! I now feel much more informed about my career choice and what a training contract entails. In addition, through the range of tasks I was given to complete in each department I was able to clearly see for myself the skill set that a lawyer requires.

Yes, the vacation scheme was paid at a similar rate to other city law schemes.

There were numerous opportunities to speak and network with other employees of the firm, with events three or four times a week. I was able to attend a pro bono clinic, a female fee earners BBQ and a presentation and drinks for one of the business groups, all of which provided opportunities to speak with a range of people from the firm that I wouldn’t have otherwise come across. There were also specially organised trainee and vacation scheme events that offered more informal opportunities for networking.

It was apparent that a lot of time and planning had gone into all the events I attended. They were a great insight into the culture of the firm, and also what life as a trainee would involve.

Yes, there were opportunities to join in with touch rugby and 5-aside football matches. There were also limited spaces to attend nearby pro bono clinics.

I would highly recommend this vacation scheme to anyone interested in becoming a commercial city lawyer at an innovative and forward thinking firm.