Placement Scheme Review

I really enjoyed my placement scheme. It was so well organised; the talks from various practice groups, individual tasks and evening activities all helped me understand the firm and the work Stephenson Harwood do. Although it was online, I couldn't have enjoyed the week more.

I felt very valued during the week. Stephenson Harwood organised one-to-one meetings with both a buddy (trainee) and supervisor which enabled me to ask personal questions and equally for me to feel like others at the firm were interested in getting to know me. During the assessment centre I also felt that the interviewers were interested in understanding who I was and my background rather than trying to catch me out.

I received lots of guidance. As well as having one-to-one meetings with a trainee and an associate to ask any questions to, the Graduate Recruitment team were always on hand to answer any questions. They made sure we had morning and evening catch-up sessions and one-to-one meetings too. This ensured I felt very supported throughout the week.

All the talks from various practice areas were very insightful. Having not studied law at University, I learnt a lot about what each practice group entailed which will be very helpful going forward. The tasks we had to do in the afternoons also enabled me to develop skills that will benefit me as a trainee lawyer.

Very well structured. We received a full timetable before the week which had scheduled talks, tasks and meetings throughout the week. This was extremely helpful, especially with the placement scheme being online.

Everyone was very friendly and nice. All the placement scheme students got on really well and it was nice to have them to chat to at lunchtimes and during the evening activities. I appreciated the effort put into the evening events. Doughnut time was especially enjoyable and enabled me to see the 'off-duty', relaxed side of the firm. There was also the opportunity to get involved in a firm-wide quiz evening. The overall culture at Stephenson Harwood was incredibly friendly and supportive.

The afternoon tasks were extremely helpful as they enabled me to develop skills important to a trainee lawyer; we undertook tasks in Rail Finance, Litigation and Innovation.

All the practice group talks ensured we had a broad overview of the firm and the work they offered. In addition, we had the opportunity to talk to lots of trainees who gave a full picture of their life in the firm.

All the social activities and lunchtime meetings with other trainees fully showed the importance of a supportive culture at Stephenson Harwood. I feel that I managed to get a complete picture of how essential teamwork and collaboration is within the firm. The culture was the main thing that came through and surprised me during the week placement. This was especially impressive as the placement was carried out online and through Zoom; even so, the culture shone through.

All the practice group talks ensured that I gained a better understanding of what a career in law would look like. In particular, I learnt from the trainees what the everyday life of a trainee lawyer would entail. I was impressed by how interesting and engaging the work was and therefore this confirmed to me that I definitely wanted to pursue a career in law. Again, I was impressed by this as the placement scheme was online.

We were paid £370 for the week.

We were encouraged to reach out to members of the firm who had given us practice group talks during the week. We also had specific buddies and supervisors to help us. The firm-wide quiz also provided a bit of an opportunity for networking. However, as the placement scheme was online, it was more difficult to meet lawyers and ask them questions in a more casual way. In general, considering the circumstances, I think the networking opportunities were good.

Very fun. I really enjoyed the firm-wide quiz and all the informal lunches with the trainees to ask questions in a causal, relaxed atmosphere. The social event opportunities were really enjoyable; especially Doughnut Time which allowed us all to interact informally and have some fun.

The trainees spoke a lot about the sporting and charity opportunities available and how encouraging the firm is.

I would definitely recommend this scheme. I had such an interesting and enjoyable week and I feel as though I learnt a lot from it.