Vacation Scheme Student Review

The vacation scheme was most enjoyable. I was fortunate to have sat for a week in the Patents department and for a week in Real Estate. The two seats were extremely different but provided me with a comprehensive overview of the nature of the work that is performed at Taylor Wessing. In each seat, I was provided with a high level of responsibility and I was exposed to a variety of work, from drafting clients emails to attending court. I found the culture to be inclusive and most encouraging, I would definitely recommend applying for a vacation scheme here.

From the outset, I was brought up to speed on multiple ‘live’ matters and provided with interesting and challenging work. I felt that throughout the scheme the work that I was doing was making a valuable contribution, not once did I feel that I was given a research task just for the sake of it. All members of staff gave me strict deadlines and encouraged me to push my understanding of the work I was doing and its contribution to the overall project at hand.

Each vacation scheme student is allocated a supervisor, a trainee buddy and someone to share an office with. At no point did I feel stuck with where to find information or about my role in a ‘live’ matter was. I found the HR staff to be most supportive and staff generally would go above and beyond to ensure that you had a comprehensive and enjoyable experience.

I believe that because of the range of experience I received sitting in both contentious and non-contentious practice areas, in addition to the diverse workload, I have developed a range of practical skills surrounding the operation and procedural aspects of law in practice which will be of great benefit should I be fortunate enough to enrol on the LPC.

The vacation scheme was extremely well planned. Students were provided with a comprehensive guide to the law firm itself, colleagues and the schedule for the two-week period. The two weeks was structure as to provide a complete overview of the firm, its strategy and the various practice areas, in conjunction with a variety of networking and social events.

The general atmosphere was inclusive and cohesive. The personnel all the way from support staff through to senior partners were welcoming and encouraging. I never felt that I couldn’t contribute to a task or unable to ask questions. Overall this was one of the best first I have experienced, culturally and from a work perspective.

The firm provides a host of activities aimed at developing key commercial skills which could be used in legal practice. A key example is a presentation task which enabled candidates to develop their teamwork and communication skills. Moreover, there were many networking opportunities, which allowed me to develop my commercial awareness and an understanding of how client relationships are developed.

The insight provided a comprehensive overview of the firm's culture and how a lawyer operates in practice. I learned that the role is extremely diverse with regards to the interplay between commercial decision making and advising on legal matters. Furthermore, I was exposed to how sector specific the roles are and the differences between operating in a contentious and non-contentious field.

I believe that I was provided with a complete insight into the culture at Taylor Wessing. I found the firm to be extremely inclusive and encouraging. The staff wanted you to push your knowledge and gain a real insight into how the law operates on a commercial basis. I found that all members of staff no matter how busy would find time to talk to you whether you had any queries or just to gain an insight into you as a person. I believe over my two weeks I was able to develop both professional and personal relationships with personnel across the firm.

The vacation scheme was extremely valuable in aiding in my decision as to what I would like to do int eh future. It consolidated my pursuit of a career in commercial law and has driven my ambition towards a more science based practice area such as patents or other forms of intellectual property. I can't thank the firm enough in the exposure it has provided me with and the valuable nature of the work I performed.

The firm provided a weekly wage package with covered the costs of my train fairs adequately.

There was a range of in-house social and networking events which provided the prime opportunity to interact and converse with other members of staff to gain an insight into their personal experiences of the firm, their practise areas and the work that they do. These opportunities consolidated positive experience of the firm.

There was a range of networking and social events throughout the two weeks. There was pre-arranged social event from playing a Top Golf version of Darts to having dinner with trainees and representing the firm in a Softball game. In addition to these, there was a range of in-house events.

There was a range of activities that I got involved in outside of work. There was pre-arranged social event from playing a Top Golf version of Darts, to having dinner out and representing the firm in a Softball game. In addition to these, there was a range of in-house events.

I would definitely recommend a Vacation Scheme at Taylor Wessing. The nature of the work is extremely varied, you are able to work on projects with big ticket clients and engage on high level and high responsibility work. The firm is extremely inclusive and always encouraging you to perform at your highest level.