Vacation Scheme Student Review

The Linklaters vacation scheme offered a fantastic insight into the world of work in a Magic Circle law firm. The opportunity to undertake seats in 2 different practice groups, couple with the multitude of practice presentations, skills workshops and tasks testing various commercial competencies meant that you were always challenged by new situations and ways of thinking, meaning that there was never a dull moment. Furthermore, a number of social events meant that there was great opportunity to interact with employees in a more relaxed and informal setting.

I felt particularly valued during the experience, with my principals on both occasions getting me involved on a number of tasks to do with their current transactions and where up to standard, using my work to pass on to clients, opposition counsel and the like.

The support that you receive throughout the scheme is first class. In your 2 seats you sit in the same office as your principal, which means that you are constantly able to ask questions on either the work that they have asked you to complete or any other matter. Furthermore, at the end of each seat you are given the opportunity to review your performance and understand aspects where you can improve. Graduate recruitment are also exceptionally good at keeping up to date with what you are doing and offering advice and support where possible.

The skills I developed will be particularly important, both in my degree and beyond. In my degree they will assist with adding a great deal of commercial context to the work I'm doing, helping to demonstrate where certain aspects of the course become applicable in the commercial world. With regard to future career prospects, they have given me an insight into the way lawyers interact both internally and externally (with clients etc.) and also a head start with regard to the understanding of the work undertaken, and various applicable skills that differ from those exercised purely through my studies.

The structure of the insight was exceptional. Sessions were timetabled from the start with very little deviation and there was never a moment where you felt that you didn't know what you were meant to be doing. Feedback sessions were timetabled for both principals and graduate recruitment at regular intervals and skills sessions were evenly spread throughout the 3 week insight. This structure meant that there were never days where you were left purely in your seat, helping to create such a positive experience for myself.

There was a fun atmosphere on the scheme throughout, however it is important to remember that this is one of the biggest and most prestigious law firms globally where huge transactions in high pressure scenarios are dealt with on a daily basis. The people take their work very seriously and so while the office was an enjoyable atmosphere to be in, it was a hard and committed workplace. The social activities, of which there were 2 a week, led to a more relaxed atmosphere, which offered a good contrast to much of the days work.

The firm invested a great deal of time in enhancing both our legal and commercial skills. Regular skills sessions and development exercises run by the partners offered the opportunity to practice and enact skills that are relevant to all aspects of a legal career and the feedback offered following these sessions provided for a strong base from which to develop these skills in the future.

The opportunity to work with trainee's and associates for a vast amount of time during the insight meant that I gained a great understanding of what my roles would be were I to work at the firm full-time. Furthermore, regular contact with employees at networking events and more informally over lunches etc. meant that I was able to ask a great deal about their experiences while at the firm, further broadening my knowledge about what I could expect were I to be offered a job there.

The greatest thing I took from the firm was an insight into its culture. The opportunity to speak to such a variety of employees in great depth over the sustained 3 week period meant that I had uncovered viewpoints of the firm from every different angle. This gave me a very full understanding of what it would be like to work there and the various policies and principles that the firm adheres to, such as its open door policy.

The 3 weeks gave a very real insight into the work conducted at a law firm. You were presented with work that you would encounter on a daily basis as a full-time employee and the various teams and people that you would work with. It fully affirmed my desire to be a commercial lawyer in this type of environment, and I could not think of an experience that would offer more value in assisting a decision as to whether or not this is the career for you.

I was paid £300 a week for the experience. I felt that this was a perfectly adequate sum given the work that I undertook during the scheme and the value that I could offer to the firm. The 3 weeks offered an invaluable experience with a major law firm that I could add to my CV, and so while it was nice to be paid well for the experience, the value of this was far more important and far outweighs the importance of being paid for the experience.

There were networking opportunities every day of the scheme. At each social event there were people from various levels of the firms structural hierarchy who were always available to chat to and network with. In particular, the partners dinner enabled you to sit down for a sustained period of time with a partner and really understand their work experiences and routes into the legal sector. Networking was also possible informally by organising to meet up with certain personnel within the business or having lunch with your principal and his colleagues.

There were networking opportunities every day of the scheme. At each social event there were people from various levels of the firms structural hierarchy who were always available to chat to and network with. In particular, the partners dinner enabled you to sit down for a sustained period of time with a partner and really understand their work experiences and routes into the legal sector. Networking was also possible informally by organising to meet up with certain personnel within the business or having lunch with your principal and his colleagues.

Yes, there were a huge number of opportunities for employees to participate in, from sports teams across a wide range of disciplines, to various other interests.

Yes 100%