Jones Day Easter Vacation Scheme Review

Found the placement really rewarding and intellectually challenging. Work on some really exciting cases and deals, as well as being able to attend some great after-work socials to get to know those in the firm better, particularly partners, out of the working environment. Loved the non-rotational scheme in place for the training contract and the placement was a brilliant opportunity to get get a realistic feel of that system as it was created like a mini-training contract. You are thrown straight into the deep end, walking the floors and finding your own work, which is difficult and daunting at first but everybody in the firm has an open door policy and most have been through the system themselves and are used to trainees coming round in this manner for work. It is a very realistic and truthful insight into being a trainee at the firm and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Because you are walking the floors for your own work and put into your own offices for the vac scheme you get genuine work and your research and work actually contributes to the matters, as opposed to sitting with one associate/trainee and being given glorified para-legal work. For example I got to write-up research emailed straight to partners and I was given several letters which were to be actually sent to clients/other corporations involved in the case.

You are given a good deal of support on the first day and the recruitment team to a mid-scheme de-brief one-to-one to check up on how you're doing and coping, and to give you advise for the next week. However, as it is a realistic mini-training contract scheme you do have to go out and find your own work and knock on people's doors without help and supervision. It is a very independent scheme, you can take what you want from it and you make it what you want, so if you are prepared to throw yourself in at the deep end on your own (even if their are people watching and waiting if you do really need help) and go out and meet people on the floors and ask for work and be able to go back and get feedback and advise on that work and ask for more then it is a brilliant scheme for you. If you want a strict itinerary of work and what to do and a set spread of particularly practice areas with not much flexibility or independent time to go around and explore the firm then this isn't for you. You have to be very confident as well to be able to go and just know on office doors and ask for work, and be prepared that a lot of the time people may not have work for you but everyone is so friendly and willing to give their time to talk to you or help you.

Extremely busy most of the time, but of course, because there was no set itinerary and you were going out and finding your own work, there were a couple of quieter days/hours where you didn't have too much to do and you were just going round meeting and chatting to people in the office. I was never bored and always felt like the work I was given was interesting and valued work. Never had any photocopying jobs!

Lots. The work given was real work that contributed to the matter in hand and I had several pieces that were sent directly to the client/partner in charge/other corporation involved in the issue/deal.

It was a steep learning curve but the level of independent learning and proactive finding of work, meeting trainees, associates and partners and being given real work they need done was brilliant and I learnt much more that I feel I would have sitting with one person and being given odd jobs just by that person and their surrounding practice area/team. Got a really broad experience of all the different practice areas too as you were free to walk all the office floors and practices asking for work.

Very active. Even if one particular practice was a little dry for work there was always something kicking off somewhere else. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. Saying hello everywhere and making it very easy to go and knock on people's office doors to introduce yourself and find work. Operate an open door policy so people only have shut office doors when they're on the phone or in a meeting.

It was well organised, with a great first day full of introduction talks, get-to-know-you's, IT and library inductions, laid out lunch and activities to make settling in easier. Also put on a mock negotiation workshop, organised for vac schemers to sit in on a trainee seminar, held talks from partners and BPP law school, a partner's luncheon and mentor scheme and lunch. Also had a mid-scheme de-brief one-to-one with each schemer and a presentation for each schemer to give in the first week. But after the first week days at the firm the scheme as very much independent, for you to spend your days in the firm as you liked. Also had a great evening of drinks and nibbles in a local restaurant/bar for trainees and vac schemers and then a whole-firm Easter Party on the Thursday which was a brilliant way to socialise.

Mid-way through the second week we were all given a training contract interview. Would love to work at Jones Day after my vacation experience there. However, realistically the trainee intake per year is quite low and competitive at around 11-18 (they have no set quota and may take as they please but the intake is respectively low compared to other city firms).

Were given plenty of lunches together put on at the firm. The first night of the scheme there was a paid for social between schemers and trainees at a local restaurant/bar and also a whole firm party on Thursday night. The vac schemers ended up organising going out for drinks together themselves a few times. Very good social balance during the two weeks.

High as it was embankment, St.Paul's and the West-Wnd of London in which the firm was situated.

As a local Londoner I know it is good, but didn't really go out late whilst on the scheme as was shattered and often stayed quite late/had a social organised by the firm.

Sports teams emailed around to see if vac schemers were interested in coming along. There was also pro bono and socials.