Vacation Scheme Student Review

I really enjoyed this vacation scheme - I thought it provided valuable insight into the firm and into the type of work it undertakes. It involved sitting in and getting to know a different department each week as well as getting involved in a number of workshops and socials.

I felt incredibly valued in every department I sat it and was given tasks similar to those you would expect a trainee to undertake. I got given a range of tasks, including research, drafting and reviewing legal documents and attending meetings (both with clients and within department), which were both challenging and interesting. For all of these tasks, I felt as if they made a real contribution to the work of the lawyers and was greatly appreciated by them. Furthermore, all of the lawyers I met were incredibly friendly and open to any questions or queries I might have.

Throughout this vacation scheme I was given a high-level of support from lawyers at all levels of seniority. At all stages, including work in departments, the presentation project and the workshops, the lawyers of the firm were enthusiastic about answering my questions and broadening my understanding of certain concepts or issues.

Overall, I would say that the skills I developed here would not necessarily apply to my degree studies but will certainly aid me in future should I get a training contract at a corporate firm. The vacation scheme was essential to developing my research skills, helping me start to balance an array of tasks at one time and to challenge myself into understanding more complicated legal issues. I thought this was the best possible way of getting a taste of what it would be like to be a trainee.

I thought this was a very well organised and structured vacation scheme with a good balance of working in departments, participating in workshops (finance, advocacy skills and corporate etc.) and attending social events. The only improvement I would suggest was for the workshops and additional sessions to be spread more evenly between the three weeks to ensure a more equal time spent experiencing each department. Overall, I thought everything was planned seamlessly and that all the vacation scheme students were kept very up-to-date on what was happening each day.

I thought the atmosphere during this vacation scheme was very friendly and enjoyable. Everyone I came into contact from the firm seemed friendly and enthusiastic about advising and helping the vacation scheme students. Furthermore, I thought the atmosphere with other vacation scheme students themselves was very friendly and not too competitive at all. This made all of the social events after work particularly enjoyable.

I think the firm was very dedicated to helping us broaden our skills and understanding of the work that is undertaken at a corporate law firm. In each of my departments, I was given work that challenged me intellectually and prepared me for the role of a trainee. Furthermore, the workshops and training sessions we regularly undertook during the vacation scheme were vital in developing my skills in terms of delivering and preparing presentations, conducting research, advocacy and undertaking finance and corporate law work.

I think this vacation scheme was excellent in giving an insight into what it would be like to have a training contract with Hogan Lovells both in terms of the type of work undertaken and the culture of the firm.

I think this experience was incredibly helpful in getting exposure to the firm's culture and understanding what the firm is like on practice as well as on paper. I think Hogan Lovells' culture is very true to what it claims it to be and all of the lawyers there are incredibly friendly and easy to work with. Throughout my experience I felt like a valued member of the firm and it felt incredibly easy to approach and ask questions of all the staff there.

This vacation scheme was valuable in that it confirmed for me that a career in corporate law would challenge me and keep me interested and that Hogan Lovells is my preference for getting a training contract offer from.

Vacation scheme students were paid £300 per week so £900 overall. This was helpful for anyone who had to pay for accommodation or transport in London.

There were a number of opportunities to network and meet other employees of the firm. Besides the lawyers I met in each of the departments I sat in, I met a number of employees from socials with current trainees, weekly lunches with partners and associates, a summer reception with lawyers from throughout the firm, and dinner at the Ivy with partners and graduate recruitment.

These various networking events were incredibly enjoyable and insightful into the work and career paths of the different lawyers of the firm. We had at least two socials in the evening of each week and these were very enjoyable and good way to get to know the trainees and other vacation scheme students better. I particularly enjoyed the night at Bounce, a ping pong bar, and dinner at the Ivy on the penultimate day.

We were given a really great talk on the different citizenship programmes employees can get involved in, including tutoring in schools and a wide range of pro bono work, and could gather from the different lawyers other extra-curricular activities people got involved in at work. Of the lawyers I met, many used the gym at the firm and were involved in other activities, including yoga classes, team sports, the firm's choir and an annual dancing competition the firm hosts.

I would definitely recommend this insight to anyone interested in a career in corporate law as it gives valuable insight into the type of work undertaken and the culture of a corporate law firm.