RateMyPlacement
A mix of presentations from HR and other individuals from around the firm and departmental experience.
Completed work- often research/ drafting, which was then reviewed and assessed by my direct supervisor. I was frequently engaged in sessions regarding the firm, it’s business and its culture throughout the scheme. I also had a trainee buddy who provided support and further work to be engaged in throughout the week.
Each day varied, but was a mixture of attending talks, speaking to current staff and trainees, preparing for a presentation, and doing work for the department in which you spent the week. There were also coffee socials throughout the day and two longer evening socials.
The vacation scheme involved working within a chosen department (you submit your preferences prior to the week) and assisting with work whilst attending various webinars, workshops, networking sessions, Q&As, 1:1 virtual coffees and socials.
Gained an insight into the operations of an international corporate law firm, shadowing a Real Estate Associate for a week. Sat in on client meetings and collaborated with trainees to contribute to current cases. Developed my researching, drafting, commercial awareness and client communication capabilities.
The Vacation Scheme consisted of group presentations organised by the Graduate Recruitment team, which covered things like FinTech and innovation, as well as sitting in a department and working with a trainee buddy and a supervisor there. I was placed in the Financial Services Regulation department and my day-to-day tasks included sitting in on team meetings, working on FCA documents, and doing research and proofreading for the team. I met daily with my supervisor and other lawyers within the FS Reg team.
We would spend time in our departments completing live work for trainees and associates. During the week we had a coffee with a partner and were able to observe client calls and arrange catch ups with other members of the firm. There were also a number of sessions around responsible business, introductions to areas of law and Q&A sessions with trainees to learn more about the training contract process.
The week was engaging and interesting with several social activities (chocolate and pizza making), talks about technology and the firm, networking sessions and several opportunities to tackle real-life work.
On day one, we listened to a wide range of talks. These included talks about Simmons & Simmons' culture, the pro bono work they do, the emergence of FinTech (something Simmons specialises in), and life as a trainee. On the second day, we were put into a certain division (eg banking, construction, real estate) and given work to do by our trainee supervisors. Our tasks ranged from putting together a presentation, to filling out a tax return for a client! The insight scheme was made up of just 20 attendees, making it a really intimate experience!
I really enjoyed the four days of work experience at Simmons and Simmons. I was very pleased to learn that in light of COVID 19 they adapted their vacation scheme, making it virtual. It proved an excellent opportunity to speak with and learn from a range of employees at the firm. Everyone including my trainee buddy, my supervisor and the partners were very kind and happy to answer questions.
I enjoyed meeting lots of new people however felt the time scale for the workload was unrealistic.
It was very positive and very well organised. A great mix of social events and proper work allowed us to see the firm in an accurate light
I found the 4 days very insightful and I learned a lot, it's hard to believe the scheme was so short in comparison to how much I had learnt from it. There was a lot of opportunities to set up extra meetings and talk to people after events to get more of an insight into their careers. Everyone was also very friendly and supportive, including the vacation schemers, which made the experience even more enjoyable.
I very much did enjoy the insight since this was my first time working within a legal practice and I got to have a real insight into the working of legal practitioners and their job role on a daily basis. It also helped to expose me to what I may be doing in the future and who I may be working with which was very helpful and yet fun.
My placement with the firm was for one week but had an excellent balance between time with the department and working on tasks and introductory seminars. The firm did an excellent job of providing exposure and insight to its various components, functions and objectives. The overall effect of this allowed me to better understand and consider the potential and variety of a career with the firm.
Everyone made a genuine effort to include me in both the social and professional aspects of Simmons. People were welcoming, helpful and engaging. All of the Grad Rec hosted activities were useful and a great way to ask questions and meet the other vac schemers. I left the Vac Scheme feeling like Simmons was a place I would love to work.
I really enjoyed the winter vacation scheme at Simmons & Simmons. The week was packed full of workshops, social events and working within your department. I found the training workshops to be extremely useful and learnt a great deal from them, and had a lot of fun at the social events. The work in the department was also challenging and rewarding.
I thoroughly enjoyed my vac scheme at Simmons; I felt very much included in my team and was invited to its weekly meeting, as well as to its Christmas lunch and drinks. I enjoyed meeting the other vac schemers too: a particular highlight was our trip to Wok and Roll!
Not the fault of graduate recruitment at all, the firm just wasn't for me!
The scheme was very enjoyable. It was a great way to learn more about the firm and its culture by experiencing two weeks in the office. Graduate recruitment had organised some fun socials as well which was a great way of getting to know the other vacation schemers as well. There were also many opportunities to get involved in other aspects of the firm such as sports and pro bono.
