Vacation Scheme Review

An absolutely fantastic opportunity to gain a true insight into the work and skills required of a city lawyer.

The level of feedback I received across both of my two weeks was far greater than expected. I particularly enjoyed the fact that we received feedback at the end of our first week, enabling us to create targets and areas for improvement in the second week. Lawyers within the firm (across all levels) were always happy to spare time to discuss your work/general questions with you, and in return, you were given meaningful work which instantly made you feel valued and part of the Taylor Wessing team.

The structure of the vacation scheme was very clear, giving me both a Trainee Buddy and Supervisor, both designated to support me and offer guidance as well as setting me work. The system of buddies and supervisors was very efficient, meaning that I always knew where I could turn for any support necessary. Furthermore, across the firm, everybody seemed more than willing to offer you guidance wherever necessary.

As a non-law graduate, I cannot comment on the usefulness of the vacation scheme for my degree, however, I know that it will prove invaluable in my GDL and general pursuit of a career in law. The vacation scheme was a fantastic opportunity to get a head start in learning many of the skills required of a trainee in a leading city law firm- the Trainee Buddy system meant that I was often doing work alongside a trainee, so I knew that I was being given the 'true picture'. Furthermore, the research skills I developed will inevitably prove immensely useful in my upcoming GDL year.

The entire vacation scheme was entirely well structured, beginning with a LinkedIn page created early in the year to allow all Vacation Scheme students to meet each other and introduce ourselves. Timetables and seat allocations were distributed in advance allowing me to conduct some initial research into my seat areas which was a huge bonus compared to other vacation schemes where such details are only disclosed on the first day of work. In addition, the 'Focus on' sessions, held across the two weeks, introduced us to each and every department within TW, meaning that whilst we only sat in two seats throughout the scheme, we left with a well-rounded view of the firm as a whole, and the ways in which departments were able to overlap and cross-sell to clients.

Immensely friendly. From the people that I met at my University careers fair, to the people assessing me in my final presentation on the Vacation Scheme, every person that I have met contributed to a friendly, relaxed yet hard working atmosphere. The collegiality is very clear once you get the opportunity to experience the firm first hand. For example, a highlight for me was sitting in on a client telephone call, in which myself, a trainee, an associate AND a partner were all present, and all discussing ideas together before and after. The socials planned also gave us the opportunity to mix in a slightly less formal setting. These were well-varied (and offered great food!)

I cannot think of anything else TW could have done to enhance my experience on the vacation scheme. Any query I had was answered, I had the opportunity to find work in areas in which I was interested, and I had access to all materials and resources necessary for the completion of my tasks.

As most of our work was set by our trainee buddy, and at many times, I was assisting my buddy in her own work, I believe that I was given a wholly accurate insight into the work required of a trainee. The Focus on sessions were also very useful for this, with trainees talking about their experiences in each particular departmental seat, explaining the kinds of 'trainee tasks' that they were expected to undertake.

The culture of Taylor Wessing is unique to the extent that it is highly motivated and driven by its core values. These values were reiterated throughout the scheme, culminating in a 'values lunch' on the final day, in which we were able to discuss the ways in which we saw the values in practice throughout our time at the firm.

The vacation scheme 100% confirmed my aspiration to become a trainee at the firm.

Considering that I live in London anyway, the payment that I received was more than adequate. However, I am aware that some people from outside of London paid far more in accommodation than they received in renumeration.

As mentioned many times before, the opportunities were many and varied, ranging from informal lunches with partners, to social events hosted by trainees, to impromptu drinks after work.

The social event and networking opportunities were many and varied across the two weeks, ranging from lunches with partners, to Urban Golf with the trainees. One aspect that I particularly liked was that many of the evening socials were planned and hosted exclusively by the trainees, allowing us the opportunity to ask any questions we might have in a relaxed and informal setting.

Many events were circulated via email across the firm. For example, I had the opportunity to attend a pro-bono law clinic, and other events such as Touch Rugby were proposed (yet unfortunately cancelled!)

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