Vacation Scheme Review

I had a great time on the vacation scheme. Everyone was extremely welcoming and happy to chat. I felt that the people I met wanted to see me succeed on the scheme and took a genuine interest in me.

I was delighted to be given real work, and everyone who gave me work also took the time to give me feedback. This is probably what made me feel most valued, as it gave me a sense that they had an interest in ensuring that I got some genuine and valuable work experience.

On the first day, my supervisor was very busy, so my 'buddy' - a trainee in the department - took me with her as she went to talk to a few people about a piece of work she was doing. I was never left to twiddle my thumbs, but my workload was never too overwhelming. At one point, my supervisor realised that I'd been given (a lot of) photocopying right at the end of the day. He took it upon himself to negotiate my release!

It really was the perfect balance. Most mornings we had a talk about a department in the firm. This allowed all the vacation schemers to see each other and catch up. Then the rest of the day would be a combination of talks, a piece of work we had all been set, and work given to me by my supervisor or other colleagues. It was a challenge to fit it all in to the day. But it was possible and extremely satisfying.

I gave an 8 but I think this is the right amount! I wasn't given too much so as to be overwhelmed, but I was given enough to make me feel that what I was doing mattered. For example, I was given one research task that involved making a couple of international phone calls to get information which a colleague was relying on to progress a matter.

Understanding how lawyers apply the law on an everyday basis has helped me understand the angle I need to be taking in my LPC studies. It has also made me much more confident about hitting the ground running when I start work.

Everyone was very cheerful and smiley all the time. People were always willing to talk and have a laugh when they had a spare moment. The firm also laid on some evening events for us which were a lot of fun.

On the first day we had a min-induction where we were given the contact details of anyone and everyone we could need to contact, along with a schedule for the two weeks, so we had a very good idea of what we were in for.

In addition to the talks we had from every department over the course of the two weeks, I was invited to all the training sessions that were being held for the departments I was in. I was also given a lot of on the job tuition about the areas of law relevant to my departments. By the time I finished, I had a head start on the LPC.

Very!

I'm still in touch with a group of friends I made on the placement. We had a lot of fun and all went out together at the end of the scheme.

It was pretty average for central london ... which is to say expensive.

The nightlife in central london isn't really my scene!

We had a lot of events laid on for us in the evenings. Not so many that I never got a chance to go home or make other plans, but enough to feel like I was a part of something.