Vacation Scheme Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the placement. It was varied and the right amount of time and I got on really well with the lawyers at the firm as well as my fellow vac schemers. There was just the right amount of social activities and organised events and I feel that having left I know the firm really well. It is definitely somewhere I would like to work and somewhere I would recommend to others.

In the first seat I sat in the department was very quiet, so I didn't have as much contact with my supervisor etc as I would have liked. But in the second seat and on various tasks I felt truly valued and like my work was actually more of a help than a hindrance. I was often thanked for my work and people took the time to talk to me around the office.

Again this very much depends on the particular seat. My second supervisor was very attentive and friendly and made a lot of time to ensure I was busy and support me in my tasks. I also didn't feel thrown in at the deep end, but challenged and supported in equal measures. I was also given plenty of guidance on how to approach getting work by HR which was very helpful.

Once or twice there were periods where I had nothing to do, but law firms (particularly certain departments) are notoriously quiet in August when many partners etc go on holiday, so this couldn't be helped. Even when I didn't have any value-added work to do, trainees made time to show me what they were dong and answer questions about the department or the firm in general. In my second seat I was busy all day - doing varied and interesting tasks which I relished.

Again differs according to seat. In the second seat - Insurance, the department was busy enough for them to value my help and entrust me with real work which would be checked and appraised, but ultimately contributed to fee-earning matters. Sometimes I had several tasks and had to prioritise, at other times I had one big task to focus on.

This scheme has been invaluable in showing me what sort of place I want to work and what I look for in a potential employer, however the skills I learnt won't help me in my degree much because practical law is very different to academic degree-level law.

I was struck by how friendly and collegiate the culture is at Mayer Brown - in contrast to some other firms I have worked in/seen. Everybody has time to talk to you and answer questions, in fact many trainees often sought me out to explain things they thought might be of interest to me. There were lots of impromptu drinks events and socials within the department and trainee talks, etc which showed how friendly everybody is to each other. It was nice to hear that associates go on holiday together - a testament to the friendly environment at the firm.

I couldn't fault the organisation of the placement. Nothing was left to chance and everything was explained well in advance with comprehensive, clear schedules drawn up for us with a really useful welcome pack handed out at the beginning of the placement. The organisers kept in touch with us over our firm email accounts to notify us of changes, meeting points etc and I felt settled in very quickly.

We were invited to trainee sessions etc, and given talks on the different practice areas, but this wasn't training so much as a preliminary introduction to the firm and an overview of it. The vacation scheme is one step before training.

I absolutely loved the firm and am anxiously waiting to hear the results of my business exercise and interview for a training contract. I didn't meet anybody who didn't have good things to say about it and it was easily the most enjoyable work experience placement I have undertaken.

We emailed each other internally and met up for lunch nearly every day. I organised a birthday meal for my 21st which was well attended by colleagues and we often went for after work drinks too. We got on really well on the various social activities and I feel confident in saying that we will remain firm friends throughout our future careers.

Central London is notoriously expensive. Travel, even with an oyster card isn't cheap, but I was lucky enough to stay with family so accommodation and food was provided for. The remuneration the firm gives you is fairly good but would only just meet the costs of living if you had to buy food and somewhere to stay.

Liverpool St is more of an office area although there are good lively bars around. In terms of clubs etc you would need to go to different areas of London but it's all really close.

Almost every day there was an internal email inviting us to departmental drinks, firm sports events, etc. We were very much made to feel like part of the firm.