Vacation Scheme Student Review

This was the best scheme I have taken part in. There was a good balance between getting to know the firm from a theoretical perspective, including various talks and informal coffee sessions, and getting some practical experience whilst helping out with various trainee and associate tasks in the two departments I sat in during the four week scheme.

I was assigned a trainee buddy and an associate principal in both of the groups that I sat in. In general, all vacation students sit with their associate principals. Therefore, I never felt alone and could ask any questions as and when they came up. I was also introduced to people from across the groups and took part in social activities with them.

The trainee buddies and the associate principals really tried to help me, answering all of my questions. When I was assigned work by other lawyers, they always provided context and were more than happy to give further explanations if needed. If needed, graduate recruitment were also happy to help. All the people I met from across the firm were open to answering any questions.

I think the skills I gained will be very useful in my future career, as I learnt a lot about how to manage projects and client expectations from watching my associate principals. For example, I researched some points for one of my principals and then listened in on a client call. I found that the information was presented to the client in a very commercial way that is specific to their needs. I think this is something I would not have noticed if I hadn’t taken part in this scheme as the associates are very forthcoming and like to involve the vacation students in what they are doing at Linklaters.

The scheme was very well organised. We were given a schedule at the beginning of the scheme. Whilst this schedule changed on a few occasions, we were notified well in advance. Furthermore, the talks we had by lawyers in different groups and partners from across the firm were spread out over the four weeks of the scheme. Therefore, I felt that we were not overloaded with information and could take it all in.

The scheme had more than 40 participants, which could have made it challenging to meet everyone and to connect. However, this was not the case, as all of the vacation students were enthusiastic and friendly. This was also the general atmosphere at Linklaters. Everyone I met was professional yet friendly, striking a good balance for a working environment.

We took part in a personal branding session with an external coach which was very interesting. She touched on stress management, which I thought would be useful for both the scheme and the future. Linklaters also made sure that we had interactive talks with people from across the firm, telling us about their experiences and what we could expect if we were trainees. Furthermore, we had talks by London partners, a New York partner and the Managing Partner. We also took part in practical exercises like the client pitch and the mediations exercise, for which we received feedback. Furthermore, both of our principals held transparent feedback and appraisal sessions with us so that we could learn from our experiences.

Due to the balance between time spent at talks and time spent at our desks, I found that I was sufficiently exposed to the work my associate principals had on. I always felt like I could ask them what they had going on, how their days were going and if there was anything they were worried about. Due to this open environment, I think I gained a very good understanding of what they were doing. Similarly, the trainees I worked with were also very open. They were willing to share their work with me, which further helped my understanding of their roles.

The friendly representatives I met at careers fairs and open days were not only there for show. During my vacation scheme, I met a lot of people from across the firm and was invited for chats over tea or coffee many times. I found that there is a genuine open door policy and everyone I met was more than happy to help with anything.

I knew I wanted to be a solicitor in the City, which is why I looked at multiple firms to see which one was right for me. I found that the main differences were the culture and the opportunities available during the training contract. As mentioned above, I got to know Linklaters’ culture very well during the scheme – much better than I could have meeting a few representatives. Also, it wasn’t until I spoke to trainees about their distinct paths and choices that I realised I could really customise my training contract seats to suit what I am interested in. In my opinion, there is far more freedom at Linklaters than in other firms. I got to know more about the deals I would be working on as a trainee and the knowledge and skills I would gain. I would not have been able to decide my career path without this vacation scheme.

I was paid at a competitive rate for this scheme and there was an opportunity to reimburse travel expenses to and from London at the beginning and the end of the scheme, respectively.

As mentioned above, there were plenty of opportunities to network and to meet people from across the firm. We were encouraged to get to know and to talk to as many people as possible.

The social events were engaging and provided plenty of opportunity to speak to other vacation students and to the trainees that were invited to come along.

We did not have talks specific to pro bono and volunteering opportunities, but we did have the chance to talk to trainees and associates about it as well as to look at the reading material that was made available to us.

This was a great vacation scheme and it gave an amazing impression of Linklaters. It is the perfect length to go see two departments, get involved in work, take in the delights of Silks (the in-house cafeteria) and to visit the gym when we overindulged.