Vacation Scheme Review

I enjoyed the vacation scheme to a great extent! I gained so much information about the firm and from a wide range of speakers. This included an Introduction to the firm, Introduction to Innovation, Client and International Secondments available, and also Pro Bono and Corporate Responsibility.

I felt very valued at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, as both an individual and also as part of the team for the week. This was particularly evident in the sessions as they were interactive, and allowed each and everyone one of us to ask and answer questions throughout.

I felt that I received all the guidance and support that I needed throughout the vacation scheme before and after. This included regular emails or messages to update me on any session changes or updates from both Graduate Recruitment and also my peers for the week, who were very collaborative.

The skills I developed and information I received from the scheme will assist me in my further studies and beyond to a large extent. This is because the information I received was from individuals who had first-hand experience and expertise on their practice areas or departments, which I valued.

The vacation scheme was structured really well! Before the scheme started, Graduate Recruitment sent us our programme for the week, which allowed us to see what events and speakers to expect. This allowed us to do some research before-hand, for example, on the Finance case study and presentation.

The general atmosphere during the vacation scheme was excellent throughout. Everyone was collaborative and respectful of each other.

In terms of personal training and development, the company invested in me very much. This is because throughout the week, I received over 22 different events that were very exciting and engaging. I gained so much information about the firm and also about life as a junior lawyer.

The vacation scheme really helped me to understand what it would be like to have a full time role at the firm because I gained solid understanding of the different practice areas that the firm is strong in and got to experience the culture through meeting the people.

I gained a really good understanding of the company culture, particularly through the virtual coffees. This is because I got to speak to a wide variety of people at the firm with different positions, practice areas and roles, who were friendly and welcoming.

The content was very valuable in helping me to decide on my future career path. The Introduction to Litigation and Corporate Risk (LCR) and Dissecting a litigation matter session helped to confirm my passion in litigation work. However, analysing the Term Sheet sparked my in interest in the Finance area.

I was paid adequately for this experience.

There were plenty of opportunities for networking and meeting other employees at the firm, particularly through the virtual coffees or phone calls that we had available. Moreover, we could network with all the different speakers we got the opportunity to hear from via LinkedIn or email them directly.

The were many opportunities for networking or social events. For example, during the Escape Room Social, we got to meet trainees, who we had not met before. This was also reflected on the Trainee networking lunch.

Yes, I got to find out about the different activities that employees can get involved in outside of work. This included sports clubs such as football or netball. Moreover, I also got to find about the different Pro Bono and Corporate Responsibility events like volunteering to become a mentor.

I would 100% recommend the vacation scheme to a friend. This is because it offered an in-depth and first-hand account of the firm. This provided well-rounded information on the different practice areas, client and international secondments, culture, innovation, pro bono and corporate responsibility and also Inclusion and Diversity.