Vacation Scheme Review

An extremely enjoyable scheme packed full of insightful talks, genuine experience in two of the practice areas in the firm and opportunities to both network with existing trainees, associates and partners and get to know the other people on the vac scheme. It was a genuinely great two weeks and I feel I got a great insight into the firm and working as a lawyer!

I entered the vacation scheme feeling slightly nervous about how I would get on and whether I would gel with the other people there. However, the reality is, the scheme is designed to make sure that you feel extremely valued, both by employees of the firm and by the other vac schemers! We were all given plenty of opportunity to talk to trainees, associates and partners and the HR team did everything they could to ensure that we felt comfortable and welcome. We were even given some awesome personalised gear!

We were guided seamlessly through the entire scheme, from the very first introductory breakfast session through to the last night drinks party! We were given the opportunity to ask questions as much as we wanted in a very open fashion, so that we really didn't have to worry about feeling self-conscious. There was even a session in which we were able to ask anonymous questions to an associate and partner to make sure we didn't have any questions or concerns that hadn't been addressed.

Obtaining a really great overview of the structure and workings of a law firm, as well as the different practice areas will be extremely useful as I move forward pursuing a career as a lawyer. There were a number of interactive talks from associates and partners who encouraged us to gain a firm understanding of the legal framework in which each practice area functions, and also the commercial knowledge needed to work as a lawyer at the highest levels.

This scheme is by far the best-structured scheme I have done, with a totally seamless programme that made us feel extremely comfortable and valued throughout the process. The first week had a good mix of introductory talks and ice-breaker socials to make sure that we got to know one another and the firm. There was then a residential weekend which really helped us to feel comfortable, followed by a slightly less rigidly planned second week, once we had got comfortable with the firm, allowing us to really settle into the practice areas in which we were working.

The scheme was extremely enjoyable: the social events were brilliant (including an awesome treasure hunt round London on the last day!); the people part of the firm and the other vacation schemers were all great people and the overall feel of the two weeks was very positive. However, the scheme also doesn't entirely sugar-coat life as a lawyer: you see the genuine experience of lawyers in the practice areas, get a chance do similar work to a trainee (which can be arduous) and you come to understand that this is very much a 'work hard, play hard' environment.

Throughout the course of the two weeks, we were given a range of interactive talks and classes from trainees, associates and partners (who bill an awful lot!). All of these were extremely informative, either as to the business of a law firm and how it works, or as to the types of work Clifford Chance does across its different practice areas. We even had a few sessions with external professionals whose sole job was to try and help us in our personal development (public speaking, presentation and productivity).

The scheme really showed us exactly what it is like to have a job at Clifford Chance. Some vacation schemes try to sugar-coat the whole experience, meaning that you constantly feel like people aren't being entirely honest with you. However, on this scheme, we had many opportunities to talk to employees at all levels, who would answer very openly about their experiences. We even had an anonymous question and answer session in which a partner made sure none of our questions or concerns remained unaddressed.

The firm gave quite a few presentations on its ethos and made sure that its very international and diverse culture came across. We were then also really encouraged to get involved as much as possible in the day-to-day life of employees at the firm, to try and get a sense of the overall vibe at the firm and to see whether that suits us. There was a very strong sense that presentations were not trying to convince us that the Clifford Chance culture was the best, but rather that we should decide for ourselves whether it suited us as individuals.

The scheme paid £400 per week, which was pretty good considering I didn't have to pay for any food or drink over the course of the two weeks!

Over the course of the two weeks, we had plenty of opportunities to network with employees of all levels at the firm, from trainees to partners. We had regular breakfast networking sessions, a speed-chat session in which we could ask trainees what their role was like in the firm, and partner dinners where we had an opportunity to discuss the future of the firm and the partners' careers with them. My one criticism of these networking opportunities was that they were perhaps a little too organised and we could have done with a little more time to chat more informally with employees!

Absolutely! The scheme was an absolutely fantastic opportunity to gain extremely helpful insights into working as a lawyer at one of the world's best law firms. It was great fun, enabled me to meet a range of really lovely and driven people (some of whom may become my future colleagues) and genuinely tried to enable us to decide whether becoming a solicitor and working at Clifford Chance are the right decisions for us personally. I had a really great time and feel I learnt an awful lot over the course of the two weeks!