Summer Vacation Scheme Student Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the summer vacation scheme - the people were lovely, the work was interesting and the socials were a lot of fun. The three weeks at A&O have gone really fast, and as much as I'm looking forward to catching up on some sleep, I don't want to leave.

A&O worked really hard at making us feel valued. So many members of staff got involved with our vacation scheme, and everyone who did looked happy to be there - the Senior Partner took a morning out of his schedule to talk to us all, we had partners from every department giving us practice area talks, associates joined in networking lunches, the pro bono day was run by trainees, we were each assigned a trainee buddy who was on hand every day, and our trainers all took the time to take us out of the office for lunch and for feedback meetings.

The grad recruitment team at A&O are amazing. They're always there if you don't understand something, and they're so approachable there's nothing you feel like you can't ask them. Between them, our trainee buddies and our trainers, there was plenty of support and guidance throughout the scheme.

The information from the practice area talks means I have a much better understanding of the work the firm does, and the morning with the Senior Partner means I know more about where the firm is heading in the future. I'd hope that my soft skills have been improved by my time at A&O - I've learnt to draft documents, got over the fear of talking to partners and senior associates and got better at writing concisely (and learnt to navigate the tube!).

The vacation scheme was really well structured. We were given iPads on our first day with an app on them which laid out the timetable for the three weeks, including the social events and information about our seats. Especially in the first half of the scheme, where it was still a bit new, events were organised so that we met up with grad recruitment and the other students in the morning before returning to our desks later on - that was a really good way to start the day. The social events were really well timed too, coinciding with the end of our pitch presentation and written assignments.

All the A&O publicity makes a big thing that it is the friendly firm of the magic circle, and that's a really good way of describing the culture - everyone is clearly very bright and works really hard, but everyone has time for you if you need some help and even when people are stressed and tired there is no aggression or rudeness. I have never worked in a place where everyone is so lovely, and as an outsider coming in, everyone was so welcoming. I've only been here for three weeks, but already it feels like I belong.

A lot of time during the scheme was spent on developing us - written assignments, feedback meetings with our trainers, a pitch presentation, networking events and real work, for example. They've also spent time explaining to us how training works if you're offered a job at the firm, from the LPC onwards.

A&O are clear that their vacation scheme is designed as a two-way street - they're trying to assess whether we're right for the firm, whilst we're trying to assess whether the firm is right for us. It really feels like that when you're here. There's no sugar-coating about the hours in the corporate and banking departments, and the trainees are open about the fact that sometimes you have to work weekends and cancel your evening plans, but I've really valued that. They've given us such an honest account of what it would be like to work at A&O, and have given us the opportunity to discuss our options with people from across the firm. I would love to work here.

The culture came across in everything we did during the vacation scheme - friendly, supportive, collaborative. Everyone is very intelligent and works very hard, but there's no hierarchy or real competitiveness. A&O succeeds because everyone works together as a team rather than trying to score points against their colleagues, and that sense of mutual respect and support is really clear.

We sat in two seats over the three weeks, and then had a number of talks and networking events to help us experience the rest of the firm. For the first time, the work of lawyers at magic circle law firms seems a bit more tangible, and that's been really helpful in deciding that this is where I want to be - I've seen and experienced what a day-to-day life of a trainee is, and I want that.

I was paid enough to cover my expenses and have some left over. They didn't pay expenses per se, but I haven't had to pay for anything during the social events. I have been taken out for lunch three times on top of socials (by both trainers and my trainee buddy), and the firm paid for that too.

There was plenty of opportunities for meeting other employees, from trainees up to partners. Everyone was chatty and engaged and willing to answer all our questions honestly. It never felt like we were being forced to choose A&O - everyone wanted us to make the right choice for ourselves, and because we've all had a fantastic time, everyone has said they'll be devastated if not offered a training contract on 1st September. We also met employees who aren't lawyers (PAs, the BD team and library, for example) which was a good way to get a wider perspective on the firm.

The social events were really, really good fun and grad recruitment clearly spent a long time planning them. They change every scheme, but some of the things we did included a room escape, dinner at the Oxo Tower and a hint hunt around London. They organised about 2 evenings a week, which was perfect - enough going on that we got a chance to spend time together, but still leaving enough time to see other friends in London, do the pitch presentation preparation and have the odd early night.

We were inducted into the firm's gym and received information about the sports clubs that the firm offers. We also learnt a bit out the pro bono work the firm does, including spending half a day at an urban farm helping out. Most importantly, we were introduced to A&O's bar and rooftop terrace, which is absolutely beautiful.

Yes, absolutely. If you're bright, hard working and like working alongside people rather than competing with them, this is 100% an option worth exploring.