Vacation Scheme Review

I did some really interesting work for the majority of the week and met some really lovely people. I really enjoyed spending time with the other vac schemers, and meeting the trainees. We went out most nights after work which made everything more fun! Also my supervisor and the other partners/solicitors in the department were very friendly.

All the trainees and most of the staff are enthusiastic about the vac schemers and make time to set interesting work and come out on the socials with us. I didn't feel like we were in the way - unlike other work experience we were properly set up with email, desks, security passes etc so we weren't a nuisance and had the opportunity to really get stuck in with work. I thought that helped as far as feeling valued by the partners went.

You are expected to go and ask for work to do and also to independently ask for follow-up advice if you need it. The guidance and support you get when you do ask is always positive and not patronising. Everyone in the department was approachable and were happy to help even with small things (e.g. where to find file dividers).

I got a lot of advice from the trainees on vac schemes, interviews and training contracts which I found really useful. My supervisor also made sure to give me feedback that reflected not just the specific piece of work but also my work in general and how I should approach different members of the team.

There were some parts that seemed a little unnecessary - for example the 3-hour talk from trainees on different departments - where it may have been more useful to have a bit more time to finish the work I had been set by the department. The social events in the evenings were well-organised, and I liked that we were told very early on when the assessments were. We were also given documents the day before the first assessment to prepare, which did help in terms of anticipating the structure of the session.

The trainees were very enthusiastic about going out most nights, which was impressive since we were the second week of the scheme and they had all been out with the previous week's vac schemers! The atmosphere between all of us were good, we organised lunch and activities after work by email every day. The partners seemed pleased to have us around and that was reflected in the type of work we were given.

Some vac schemers had the opportunity to go to training meetings, but from their feedback it wasn't particularly interesting! The trainee in my department spent a lot of her time explaining some of the basics of her work to me and I thought that was really helpful and generous of her. Also my supervisor put a lot of time into my work and that was useful in terms of my personal development.

We didn't get to meet or correspond with clients, which would be a big part of day-to-day trainee activities. However I did feel that we got to know how the trainees interact with each other and with their supervisors, and they explained well how each department worked and what sort of atmosphere it had.

Throughout the week it was made clear that Walker Morris value trainees who can have a good time and socialise well with their colleagues. It was also clear that the firm wanted people who could interact well with clients and who weren't shy to speak up if they needed help.

I already knew I wanted to be a solicitor so it didn't really change my mind or help me decide in that regard. However it did allow me to spend more time in a commercial environment, which is something that I definitely want to do.

The socials were great for meeting trainees. We were also encouraged to talk to trainees over lunch on the first day. A lot of time was spent with them, but they are heavily involved in the recruitment process so this was extremely useful.

We played a pool tournament on Wednesday night that was very fun - even though I'd never really played before everyone was supportive (even if they laughed a bit!) - and we then went for drinks afterwards which gave us the opportunity to mingle with some of the trainees. We also met them at organised lunches and went out again on Friday night.

Aside from a Christmas meal that the trainees briefly mentioned, and social events, we didn't really hear about e.g. pro bono work.

It was a great experience, very friendly, and I had some good work to do. The firm seem to find the right balance in terms of activities, assessments, and setting work.