Vacation Scheme Student Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my insight. The amount of knowledge and expertise we were exposed to was incredible and I really felt like I was given an in-depth insight into the work and culture of the firm despite the scheme being run online. The presentations/sessions were extremely informative and getting a chance to interact with the sessions (e.g. through polling) only improved the experience. Everyone at the firm that I interacted was extremely welcoming and friendly and this helped to make me feel at ease during my vacation scheme.

I felt extremely valued during my time at the firm. It is abundantly clear that BCLP invests in its future talent. This is evident given that the firm decided to make the effort to run the scheme instead of cancelling it which could have easily been done. From the first to last minute I always felt valued and everyone at the firm was more than willing to speak and have a phone call about their work or just general life at BCLP. Graduate recruitment was also extremely receptive to emails and kept us updated throughout which was great.

Definitely had plenty of guidance and support throughout the vacation scheme. We were regularly communicated with via email of any changes to the schedule and the High Q site was always updated when necessary. The site also had a very good diary function which was constantly updated as and when necessary. We also had trainee buddies who could provide support and they were always willing to talk.

The information I received will assist me massively going forward. The scheme gave me so much knowledge about the inner workings of a city law firm and specifically how BCLP runs. I have learnt more about real estate, corporate, finance and litigation which will stand me in good stead going forward with my legal career. In terms of skills, I have certainly improved my networking skills through virtual coffees and I feel like I have improved my ability to build relationships. These are 2 skills which are key to becoming a successful lawyer

Given the unprecedented events of the moment, the vacation scheme was extremely well structured. Our days were planned out for us in advance with sufficient breaks to allow for virtual coffees and working on our trainee tasks. If anything, the scheme could have been 2 weeks and in the second week we could have maybe been able to choose a department we would like to learn more about/do some work in that department. Overall though, the structure was very good

Really great atmosphere throughout.. This was definitely helped by the fact that everyone, from partners to graduate recruitment, were extremely friendly. This helped to put everyone at ease and be themselves. All the other students on the scheme were extremely inquisitive and friendly as well which helped to contribute to the great atmosphere. Despite the scheme being online, the atmosphere was unaffected.

The firm certainly invested in us in that sense. By being given trainee tasks we were able to get a sense of the work we would be doing at BCLP which is definitely a help in terms of development. We also learnt the inner workings of a large and successful city law firm which also helps with legal development.

The vacation scheme has really provided a flavour of just how enjoyable it would be to work at BCLP. Through being able to speak to so many people in the firm, including partners, associates, trainees, business development representatives etc. we were really exposed to all elements of the firm. By having trainee lunches we got to learn more about what exactly the role entails and a personal perspective of what it is like to work at BCLP.

I believe that I know have a thorough understanding of the firm's culture despite the scheme being online. I believe that a firms culture is expressed through its people and every single person I met and interacted with was extremely welcoming and friendly and I can't speak highly enough of them. Everyone was willing to sacrifice time out of their busy schedules to take with us and have long phone calls and so the firm's culture is clear to me.

This scheme has only further cemented my desire to be a city lawyer. The scheme has exposed me to the range of challenging, multi-jurisdictional work on offer at BCLP and it is something I really want to get involved in. Not only that, but it has shown me a different side to city law, that being CSR and pro bono work which was extremely insightful and something I would also like to get involved in alongside fee earning work.

Given that the scheme was online, the payment was extremely generous.

One of the best parts of the scheme was the virtual coffee function. This allowed us to meet with whichever firm representatives we wanted despite not physically being in the office. As soon as a request was made it was promptly responded to and people were willing to chat about anything you like and were extremely friendly. We were also put into a trainee networking lunch which gave us even more chances to network which was great.

In terms of the virtual coffees, it was up to you to make the most of this opportunity. I managed to have coffees with 5 people during my week at the firm and each chat was extremely informative and helpful. We also had a trainee networking lunch which was great and a vitrual escape room social which was extremely interesting and engaging.

Yes certainly. We found out about the range of pro bono work that employees can get involved in such as working for Reprieve or at the Sonali Gardens Legal Advice Centre. We also heard about things like socials and sports teams which were also great. There are also numerous panels and roles that lawyers can take up outside of their job. For example, being a part of the Social Inclusion & Ethnicity network.

I would recommend this scheme to any aspiring lawyer who wants to work at an innovative and welcoming city law firm. From my time at the firm, BCLP seems like an amazing place to start your legal career and to progress further and the training contract here seems like it would be thoroughly enjoyable.