Spring Vacation Scheme Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the vacation scheme - the firm had clearly made a huge effort. There were a number of events, including ping pong at Bounce to drinks with partners, to a curry night with the trainees. there were a number of opportunities to get involved on the firm's CSR initiatives also.

Yes - I felt the work I was doing was interesting and important. It was also great that partners, associates and trainees all took time to speak with and get to know people on the vacation scheme. This made made the scheme feel more like an accurate representation of what being a trainee at the firm is like.

When I was given tasks to do I had the time to ask questions about how to do the work but also what its purpose was in its larger context. This was useful because I felt that having this context made me better able to complete the work to a high standard.

I have definitely found that the research I did in the Intellectual Property department to be helpful as I am studying Introduction to Intellectual Property in my final year. Similarly, witnessing how the advisory side of employment law works has been helpful in giving my employment law revision more practical context.

The placement was really well structured. At the beginning of the scheme we received a detailed booklet explaining what the schedule would be like, and there was no point at which I was unsure of what I was supposed to be doing or where I was supposed to be which was really good.

The atmosphere in the firm is generally quite exciting, you can tell that the people are passionate about what they do and it comes across. There was no competitive atmosphere between other people on the scheme, and everyone was really friendly, both in graduate recruitment, people working at the firm and the other vacation schemers.

At the start of the two weeks at the firm, we received IT training, library training, training to prepare us for the vacation scheme and public speaking training. It was great to have information on how to do well on the vacation scheme, as it made the process more transparent.

We were responsible for finding out own work, which is very much like the process would be for trainees at the firm. I found that helpful as it allowed me to move out of my comfort zone and speak to partners / associates. It was different from the work that trainees were doing in that we couldn't get involved on anything that you needed prior knowledge for, for example tasks involving writing emails to clients or following up things happening with cases.

The vac scheme really did help me to gain a proper understanding of the company culture. We had sessions on the diversity and corporate social responsibility initiatives at the firm, and I even had the chance to attend a corporate social responsibility event. It was great also to see the collegial and friendly culture come through in how different people at the firm worked together and through the general atmosphere.

Although I was fairly certain I wanted to become a commercial solicitor anyway, this scheme definitely solidified by decision. You can only read so much about the job online, it is completely different to actually be in the firm and experiencing the work first hand. Not only that, but watching what the trainees, associates and even partners do gives you an even broader insight into what work you would be doing throughout the rest of your career.

We were paid every Friday following the week of work we did. This was extremely helpful as staying in London can be quite expensive. That being said, the firm often held dinner and lunch events, which would significantly cut expenses. Also they allowed us to use the subsidised canteen, which also contributed to lower expenses generally.

There were a number of events where we were allowed to meet members of the firm. In the departments we were working in we were given a tour to meet everyone. We also had the opportunity to meet members of the firm at a welcome drinks event, a lunch with the management committee and over a number of social events with trainees.

The networking and social events were great - we had the chance to talk with trainees about what it's like to work at the firm day to day which was really helpful in generating a true picture of what the firm is actually like. We also were able to meet partners at the welcome drinks, who were extremely approachable.

We were invited to go and watch a netball match against another firm, and we also had the opportunity to attend the legal advice centre in bethnal green with a number of trainees. I attended a corporate social responsibility event with college students on employability too which was really enjoyable.

Yes I would absolutely recommend this to a friend - the firm clearly went to a lot of effort to put the scheme together and it was an extremely beneficial experience. It is also great to have the chance to try out a firm and try out the job before you start so you can be sure you want to work there.