Vacation Scheme Student Review

by Squire Patton Boggs

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.4/5
  • About You
    4.5
  • The Company
    4.6
  • Everything Else
    4.1

    About You

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
  • I really enjoyed the vacation scheme as I was exposed to areas of law, such as banking, that I had never experienced, and feel I have gained a greater insight into multiple areas of law due to the practice group sessions put on by the firm. The scheme has made me want to join the firm even more than previously.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
  • I felt some members of the firm valued me more than others. Most of the firm were very friendly and would make an effort to come to my office and introduce themselves, but there were one or two people who seemed very detached, and acted as if I was a burden.

    4/5

  • 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
  • Whenever I had an issue with anything I was able to clarify with my supervisors very easily. Alot of responsibility was given to me and the tasks were challenging, however I never felt that I couldn't ask for guidance or their input. For me there was an ideal balance of challenge and support.

    5/5

  • 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • I think what I learned at Squire Patton Boggs will absolutely assist me in terms of my career, especially as ideally I would like to be offered a training contract with the firm, thereby starting my career. I carried out trainee tasks on the scheme, and learnt how to handle deadlines in a high pressure environment,

    5/5

    The Company

  • 5. How well structured was the insight?
  • We were given a timetable from the start, and were told very clearly what the structure would be, which I found very helpful. I enjoyed starting most days with a practice group overview to learn about that particular area, then to go to my department and learn even more about that department.

    5/5

  • 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
  • The culture of the firm is really positive and basically everyone was friendly, particularly the partners. England were performing well in the World Cup concurrently, and I felt this positivity seeped into the already positive office environment. The socials also helped to lift people's spirits, however there were of course negative aspects in regards to the inevitable stress people were under.

    4/5

  • 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • I felt that the firm were very interested in investing into me, especially considering the firm recruits soley off the vacation scheme, so it makes sense for the firm to do this. My supervisors sat down with me and ensured that I knew what I was doing in terms of the training.

    4/5

  • 8. To what extent did the insight help you to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the company or firm?
  • As I mentioned in a previous answer, I undertook the work of a trainee for most of my time on the scheme. This included completing necessary documents such as board minutes, company reports and conditions precedent checklists. My supervisors involved me in their own work, and so I feel I have an excellent understanding of what a full time role would entail.

    5/5

  • 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
  • Being a part of the firm confirmed my impression from the assessment centre, that the firm's culture is incredibly positive and the enviroment is one I feel ideally suited for. Being a part of the social events also helped in my understanding of this; I therefore found the insight incredibly useful in this regard.

    5/5

  • 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
  • I now know for sure that I want to be a commercial lawyer. I already knew this, but this experience has just reaffirmed my beliefs. I have taken part in another vacation scheme this year and will find out at the same time as this scheme if I am to be offered a training contract, but I know Squires is my first choice.

    5/5

    Everything Else

  • 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
  • This was a paid, two week summer placement scheme, which was basically a two week interview for a training contract with the firm. I was paid £500 overall the scheme. Expenses were not reimbursed, but the socials were all pre-paid. I definitely feel this was adequate, as it is a privilege to get onto one of these schemes.


  • 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
  • There were introductory and farewell lunches, as well as social events for pizza making at pizza express and a japanese food, junkyard golf evening. One of the paralegals also took it upon himself to make sure I was introduced to every member of the corporate team, which was very useful.

    4/5

  • 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
  • The events themselves were very fun (even though I don't like pizza or japanese food!), and were a great opportunity to show the trainees what our personalities were like in a more informal environment. The only issue for me was that it meant I arrived home quite late after the event.

    4/5

  • 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
  • At the practice group overview sessions the presenters told us what kind of extra-curricular activities they may get involved in, and if I wanted to I would have been able to ask anyone what they got involved in outside of work. This sort of thing tends to just come out in conversation.

    4/5

  • 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
  • Definitely. The only way to be considered for a training contract is to be a part of the vacation schemes, and I would absolutely recommend Squire Patton Boggs in general for any role, let alone a training contract. Not only that, the scheme itself was very enjoyable and challenging in general.

    5/5

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Details

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

Commercial Law

North West

July 2018


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