Vacation Scheme Student Review

The vacation scheme gave me an in-depth insight into the kind of work lawyers complete on a daily and weekly basis, and in particular, the legal work that Corporate lawyers complete. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting with a variety of people in the firm and discussing relevant and interesting deals, projects and concepts. I enjoyed the insight to a large extent as I felt that throughout the week I was able to really connect with the firm and gain invaluable experience.

Throughout the scheme, my trainee mentor always made sure that I had work to complete and that I was enjoying being in the department. I felt that, even though I was completing smaller tasks, I was contributing in some way to the success of the firm. In this way, I felt really valued and part of the team.

I had a mixture of support and independent learning/work during the scheme. If I needed support, I was not afraid to ask for help, but equally, I was also able to complete tasks on my own. There was always support there for when I needed it, given especially by my trainee mentor.

Throughout the week I have been able to further develop my time-management, research, communication and analytical skills. This will prove to be very useful during the last year of my degree, where I can utilise what I have learnt throughout the week in my studies. In terms of the future, during the scheme I became even more aware of legal processes and language, which will help me when embarking on my career as a commercial lawyer.

The insight was extremely well structured. We were given an information pack at the start of the week which included a timetable of all the events that were occurring, for example, networking lunches and the office Christmas party. Even when I was in the department during the mornings and afternoon, I always knew what work I needed to complete, which gave my days structure.

The Corporate team in which I was sitting in was always friendly, and there was always a nice atmosphere in the office. There is definitely a sense of team spirit at the firm, which I am really drawn to. The atmosphere wasn't panicked but it was equally clear that people were working hard to complete their work. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of a friendly, supportive and determined department.

The insight gave me an in-depth view of what it would be like to work at the firm. Lawyers and other staff members at the firm work hard and there are also many opportunities inside and outside of work to have fun and to work as a team. A week's experience is long enough to make contacts within the firm and meet a variety of different people.

The insight was extremely valuable and helped me to decide on my future career path. I was able to get involved in a variety of different tasks and meet with many people across different departments, allowing me to ask what kind of work is done across the whole firm. The whole experience confirmed even more to me that this is the career that I aim to enter into.

Throughout the week, we had lots of opportunities to meet with a variety of lawyers, whether they were trainees, associates or partners. We were invited to networking lunches and were able to speak to lawyers at SPB about their most exciting work and interests. We were also invited to the office Christmas party at the end of the week, which allowed us to speak with a large proportion of the firm's employees.

When meeting paralegals, trainees, associates and partners, we were able to ask them about different opportunities outside of work, such as sports games and charity events. We were told of a recent event where lawyers at the firm had been able to skydive for charity and raise thousands of pounds. This is something that I would definitely get involved in if I had the opportunity to work at the firm.

I would encourage anyone who wants to gain experience in a friendly and hard-working law firm to apply for this scheme. The experience gives you a real insight into the profession and the work completed by trainees, associates and partners. I would recommend applying for the firm's Winter Vacation Scheme especially.