Vacation Scheme Review

I really enjoyed my two weeks at Shearman & Sterling. Everyone was very friendly and I felt that I got a true impression of the kind of working environment that the firms has during my two weeks here. The work was very interesting and people always took the time to explain the background and wider context around the pieces of work that I was doing for them.

I felt as though we were treated like trainees are treated and that all the work that I did was valued by others. Everyone who I worked for always thanked me for the work that I had done and people always took the time to explain the background and wider context around the pieces of work that I was doing for them which I really appreciated.

The way that the vacation scheme is structured meant that I felt like I had a lot of support at all points throughout the two weeks that I was at Shearman & Sterling. Having both a supervisor and a trainee buddy, as well continual contact with the rest of the HR team I felt that there was always someguidance being given or support when it was needed.

All the skills that I have developed and the information that I recieved will significantly help me in my future. I feel like I learnt a lot during my two weeks at Shearman & Sterling and have gained a lot from the experience. Everything that I have learnt will help me during both my GDL and my LPC.

I found the insight very well structured, it was a good mix of socials, workshops and talks (along with the assessments). The way that the insight was structured meant that I got wide exposure to a variation of people who worked at the firm which I liked. It also meant that I got to do some real work and I feel as though I have managed to gain a true impression of what it would be like to work here.

The atmosphere was as relaxed and friendly as a law firm can be! I feel that everyone at this firm takes the time for each other, and as much as there is always work to be done there is also always someone to have a conversation with to help you relax. The firm is very unhierachical which meant that it was easy to talk to and approach anyone, no matter how high up in the company they were.

I feel like the impression that I have got of Shearman & Sterling from my two weeks here has been a very true one. People have been very honest about the hours that they work and the enjoyment that they get out of their work, and why they enjoy working here. I feel that over the course of the two weeks I have managed to gain a very useful insight into what it would be like to have a full time role with the firm.

Doing my vacation scheme at Shearman & Sterling confirmed for me that law is definitely the correct career choice for me. I found all of the work that I did incredibly interesting, and both the seats that I sat in were really enjoyable. Both the work that I did and the various talks that we had from different departments in the firm has shown me that this is definitely the right path for me.

The whole firm was really friendly and the un-hierachical nature meant that it was very easy to approach any employees of the firm. I felt that the socials that were organised definitely helped give us exposure to a wider variation of groups within the firm, and the workshop talks were very informative.

There were a lot of social events organised for us over the two period which were a lot of fun. There were both large group socials and smaller socials with people I worked directly with during my two weeks. My favourite was the pasta making social - I had a lot of fun doing this!

I would definitely recommend this insight to a friend if they are considering doing law. The vacation scheme gave real insight into what it is like to work for a US law firm with people who are at the top of their game, which from a work point-of-view has been very itneresting. Overall I really enjoyed my two weeks here, I thought that they were both insightful and a lot of fun.