Vacation Scheme Student Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the insight as it gave me exposure to what a career in law would be like which I had never properly experienced before. The kind of work that I was experiencing was very enjoyable as it was engaging and challenging. I had a sense of achievement after completing the tasks that I was set.

I felt extremely valued by the firm. I believe the lengths that the firm went to in order to ensure we got the most out of our time here are an indicator of the value that the firm places on students. I appreciated the lengths that the firm went to in order to achieve this.

I feel that my time at the firm has been generally well supported. However, a lot of the time I was trusted to go away and work on my own. This was generally fine but sometimes I had hoped to be guided a little bit more to ensure that I was not doing the tasks set incorrectly.

As I have been sat in a corporate team in the firm, the information I received in relation to corporate law will be extremely beneficial to me when I undertake my company law module next academic year. I believe the general skills I have acquired such as attention to detail will also assist me much further into the future when I begin my legal career.

The first week of the insight was extremely well structured. We followed a very rigid structure of talks and acitivites which was great because I was always aware of where to be and what I would be taking part in at any given time. However, the remainder of the insight has been much less structured as I have been unsure of exactly where and when my work will come from.

The general atmosphere has been great overall. The firm has been successful in fostering a sense of teamwork in all the students who have taken part in the insight and the team that I have been placed in have been very welcoming. Sometimes the atmosphere has been a little bit quiet but this has usually only been when the amount of work available for me to undertake has been small.

There has been a very large investment by the firm in my personal development. This was largely through a full week of talks and activities relating to the business of law and personal development. For example we were given the opportunity to visit clients in their offices to interview them on what their business' needs are.

The insight definitely helped me understand what it would be like to have a full time role at the firm as I experienced many aspects of what working in the firm is like. I undertook many tasks such as reviewing documents which allowed me to experience what much of the day to day work will be like, however I also attended several meetings, giving me an indication of what working at the firm will be like if I was to progress through the ranks later in life.

I have definitely understood what the culture of the firm is all about during my time at the firm. I have seen first-hand the collaborative environment that has been created and through the work that I have undertaken I can see very clearly how the firm puts the clients first always.

The content of the insight has definitely made me certain of the career path I want to take. I am very much set on the idea of being a part of a large commercial law firm. The insight has also more specifically helped me to understand which are of a law firm I might wish to work in after graduating.

I was paid for the three weeks that I undertook at the firm. I believe the payment I received was very generous and definitely adequate. Additionally, as I am not from London, the firm covered accommodation for the first week of the vacation scheme which was very helpful for me.

There were many opportunities for networking and meeting employees. In the first week of the vacation scheme there were networking opportunities all day long and on every day of the week. During the second two weeks there were still many opportunities to network, such as a formal dinner and a networking lunch.

The networking events and social opportunities were very enjoyable and I met many people. In particular one networking event involved hearing from some of the organisations that the firm partners with for corporate social responsibility events and charitable fundraising. It was fantastic hearing about the work that is done by the organisations the firm partners with and why CSR is vital.

I found out from some employees about the activities and networks involved in outside of work. They stressed it was very important for employees to be active outside of work in the sports teams or in the various networks that the firm has which promote diversity and inclusion through regular events.

I would definitely recommend this insight to a friend. I have gained so much experience during this insight which I genuinely do not believe I would have been able to gain at a different firm. I would recommend that those who wish to be challenged and learn a lot about the future of the legal profession should apply to the firm.