Winter Placement Scheme Review

I really enjoyed my time at Squire Patton Boggs. I learnt a great deal both in department and with the various talks and events that were scheduled during the week. SPB is a very friendly firm, at no point did I feel uncomfortable or a burden, they really welcomed us with open arms even if it was only for a week.

I was overseen by the employment team, they were very helpful with any questions I had and gave me some good work that meant something to the firm, not just to occupy me. They gave me constant feedback and thanked me when completing even the smallest of tasks.

My trainee supervisor especially took a lot of time out of his day to make sure I was okay and helped me in preparing for my interview. He was attentive and gave me honest and helpful insights into his experiences there. The graduate recruitment also checked in on us throughout the scheme.

The graduate recruitment set up talks for us from all practice areas in the firm. In these talks a member from each of the teams came to chat to us about their experience of the firm and their route to law. Those who came to chat to us weren't rushing off to be somewhere else, they really gave us their time and made sure all our questions were answered fully. I found these really helpful, we gained more insight into different practice groups and also got to meet various people from around the firm. We also took part in an assessed presentation and and an interview, both of which were helpful and well tailored to that which we had learnt in the week.

The graduate recruitment team are very organised and very efficient, from the start of the application process they were in close contact with us and got back to us promptly regarding the outcome of each stage. They tailored it perfectly to us potential trainees so that we got the most out of our time there.

SPB is no doubt a friendly firm, across all levels the staff were nice, chatty and helpful. From only spending a week there I realised that the firm places a lot of emphasis on this friendliness and its held as a really important factor when assessing potential trainees. There is no sense of hierarchy, I interacted with partners as much as trainees and they spoke to me with as much attention and willingness as anyone else. Everyone is valued and heard, the fact that I took this all from just a week is a testament to the firm.

The firm made sure that we got a well rounded understanding of practice groups they provided. They set up various socials and lunches for us to interact with trainees and staff to ensure that we were well networked. In various departments we did meaningful and useful work and were given the contexts in which that work would be used. Across all levels the firm really invested its time in us, ensuring we got the most out of our visit there.

I think with the nature of a week long scheme, it may be difficult to see what a full time, real life role would look like. It is in both their interest and ours to get a full understanding of the firm and all that it has to offer, so it might be very hard to show what actually working there might look like. From interacting with trainees and others however, I got a good understanding of the way in which the firm works and what a full time role would entail. It was especially helpful to meet with various teams and see how this differs depending on the practice you qualify into. I did appreciate how flexible SPB are in working hours, I think they are very much ahead of the game in this area.

Even in the space of week I noticed how strong the culture was there. Throughout the week, the firm had a lot going on in the run up to Christmas, yet they still dedicated the time to celebrate the festive season. In each department there were Christmas parties, secret Santa and even I got a small chocolate Santa from a Christmas elf. I also was lucky enough to take part in the charity sing-a-thon in Leeds Station where plenty got together to raise money for the firms chosen charity. Of course the firm knows how to be serious and gets down to work, but they have time for each other and those less fortunate, at every point being friendly and enthusiastic.

The firm really made sure we got as much out of the placement as possible. We met as much people as we could and learnt of their experiences. I think it gave us a good insight into what life would be like not only if we were to work at SPB but also in any commercial law firm. In department I got a good insight into what sort of work I would be doing and anything I wasn't involved in was explained to me so I could get the most out of it.

For the week long scheme we received £250.

The firm arranged on our assessment centre to meet with trainees. On the scheme we also had a welcome lunch with the trainees which was helpful to gain advice for the upcoming week. We also met with employees when they came to speak to us about their various practices. In department, I was introduced to the whole team and whenever someone new popped by, I was introduced immediately. The graduate recruitment partner came for lunch with us on our last day and really gave us his time to answer our questions and talk to us about the placement.

The firm kindly arranged a social event for all the vac-schemers on the second last day. We had a lot of fun and got the chance to meet with trainees outside the office. We did an escape room (which is a sort-of-problem-solving activity where you're locked in a room for an hour and have to follow all sorts of clues to get out), went to play mini golf, table tennis and ate pizza. This was a great chance to celebrate the end of the scheme with my fellow vac schemers but also interact with trainees outside of the office.

During the week we saw a lot of the extra activities in action. We went to help out at the fundraising sing-a-thon and socialising after work. A lot of the employees we met from different practice groups spoke about their experiences in pro-bono and their involvement with the charity committee. It was encouraging to see so many people, across the board were involved. They also spoke about the various sports teams they organise.

My time at SPB was extremely enjoyable. I learnt a lot about what it means to be a commercial lawyer from a firm that is both down to earth and one of the best in it's field. I think to be able to spend a week here was very helpful in determining what I will value in looking at potential employers, SPB have shown me that to be successful doesn't mean you don't enjoy what you do, or kill yourself for it, the people there are very real and all have lives outside their work. I was given a lot of support, from inside and outside my department, from trainees and partners and from the graduate recruitment especially. I would recommend the scheme for anyone looking to work in the Leeds area, its an obvious choice!