Vacation Scheme Student at Taylor Wessing Review

Thoroughly! The firm has a genuine culture of friendliness and warmth; everyone I spoke to or interacted with was happy to answer questions or help with tasks I had been assigned. There were plenty of opportunities to mingle with senior members of the firm, and enough work to keep you busy but leaving enough time to socialise and get to know the departments a little better.

From the very first day, when you are taken around your department and introduced to everyone, including the most senior partners in every department, it is clear that absolutely everyone is approachable, friendly and wants to hear what you have to say. Over the next few weeks, whenever I submitted a piece of work, I would invariably be thanked in a genuine, appreciative manner, and that certainly goes a long way in terms of making you feel valued.

Taylor Wessing is a big law firm and everyone is conscious that there's a lot of work to get done. Bearing that in mind, I think it was remarkable how frequently people went out of their way to offer feedback on my work and give constructive suggestions for improvement. I certainly had ample guidance and support throughout my time at the firm. In each department I was paired with a supervisor and a trainee buddy, and at least one was always available for guidance.

One of the main benefits of work experience like this is to give you some perspective on what law in practice is like; learning law on a degree course is completely different from working to secure a positive outcome for a real life client. That is invaluable experience, as being successful in the course of a degree does not necessarily translate to success or happiness working as a solicitor, and it is important to understand what the scope of the job entails before deciding on pursuing a career as a solicitor. Beyond receiving that clarity the two weeks also helped sharpen my research skills, and developing an appreciation for how law is rarely divisible into segregated modules, as it tends to be on a university course.

The two weeks were packed with an incredible array of activities; sessions to get to know each department in the firm a little better, a group presentation (which we worked on over the entire vacation scheme period), and of course social events after working hours where we could bond over drinks with each other and trainee solicitors. Essentially, there was a really good mix of work and play, which really gave us a well-rounded insight into the nature of life at the firm.

Fantastic. Every day had a diverse range of tasks and activities, which kept things fresh and interesting, and allowed me to learn continuously. Everyone I spoke to was also incredibly warm and welcoming, so it was genuinely a pleasure to arrive at the firm every day, and interact with everyone around me. It really feels like an environment where everyone is invested in collective success, and to achieve that everyone works together.

The structure of the insight pairs you with a buddy (who is a trainee solicitor) and a supervisor (associate). This allows you to gain insight into different stages of life at the firm. Furthermore, the social events allow for plenty of time for frank, genuine one on one conversations with trainee solicitors, who represent the most immediate next stage for you in terms of progress at the firm. Partners and associates do not attend these social events, which means that you get a real opportunity for hearing their honest thoughts, which were very helpful in building a realistic picture of the firm's inner workings.

There were ample opportunities for networking and meeting employees; there are numerous social events organised throughout the two weeks (including a welcome drinks session, two social events after working hours, involving dinner and drinks, and a final drinks session at the end). On top of this you are actively encouraged to seek out employees at the firm to ask questions, and everyone is very receptive to this. I emailed several partners asking to meet for coffee and they were happy to oblige, which says a lot about the culture and friendliness at the firm.

A lot of fun! The food served was invariably top-notch, there was a steady flow of drinks, and the activities planned (such as an evening playing darts with other vacation schemers and trainee solicitors) were fun while also facilitating conversation and interaction. There are a range of events which allow you to meet individuals from all levels of the firm's structure, from senior partners to trainee solicitors, which allows you to have all conceivable questions addressed and to gain some perspective into life across different levels in the firm.

Absolutely. This is the rare firm that lives up to its own promotional literature, having created a genuine culture of friendliness, warmth and supporting you as you work to do your best both personally and for those around you. It was fantastic being able to experience that and to learn about the day to day lives of solicitors at Taylor Wessing. There are tremendous opportunities here to build meaningful connections and to learn about the realities of what is expected at such a level, a good deal of which centres around the ability to establish a strong rapport with others, and to work hard! Thankfully Taylor Wessing is a place which makes it easy to do both.