Summer Vacation Scheme Student Review

I thoroughly enjoyed the placement. I gained a valuable insight into how the firm operates and I was able to experience a wide range of work throughout the time I spent at Baker & McKenzie.

I felt that I was valued as an active member of the team throughout the three weeks. I had the opportunity to actively contribute in each department in which I was based and work for a range of work providers.

On the first day I received extensive training to introduce me to the Baker & McKenzie systems, and prior to arriving at the firm I was given a lot of guidance and support from the Graduate Recruitment team on how the summer vacation scheme would operate. Throughout my placement, I was assigned a supervisor and a trainee buddy to whom I could go to if I had any questions or queries. The Graduate Recruitment team were also always on hand to anwer any questions.

The placement has allowed me to develop skills that I can use throughout my degree, such as time management and communication skills. It has also allowed me to develop skills that I do not necessarily get an opportunity to develop at university on a regularly basis, such as team-work and presentation skills. I feel that the skills I have gained will be invaluable for ensuring that I am successful in my degree studies and beyond.

The placement included some structured talks and presentations but a large majority of my time was spent in two departments. The unstructured time allowed me to develop my understanding of what the day to day working environment is like at Baker & McKenzie.

The firm was very welcoming and supporting. All employees across the firm were willing to introduce themselves and provide me with work during my stay.

The firm provided students with a well-structured timetable including a variety of skills sessions, team-based tasks and networking events. I felt the firm demonstrated a commitment to ensuring that all students found the summer vacation scheme informative and enjoyable.

I gained a good insight into how Baker & McKenzie operates on a day to day basis, which has allowed me to appreciate the working environment that I would have if I was to have a full-time job at the firm.

I learnt a lot about the culture of the firm and how its employees interact with one another. I found that being an active member of each department allowed me to experience how the company culture operated within the firm, and the social events outside of the office allowed me to see how the company culture operates outside of the office.

The placement has given me a very useful opportunity to think about the practice areas of law that I am interested in and where I may wish to specialise in the future. However, it has also taught me to stay open-minded about trying out new areas of law and developing my skill set.

I was paid weekly for the three week scheme.

There were plenty of opportunities to network with trainees, asociates and partners within the firm, as well as with other students on the vacation scheme. Regularly office lunches were organised and social events at the end of the working day.

The firm organised a variety of social events including bowling and karaoke as well as pizza-making. They were thoroughly enjoyable events, and as different trainees attended different events, I had the opportuntiy to meet a range of different people.

We had presentations on pro bono and charitable work that the firm gets involved in and I had the opportunity to meet with representatives from a variety of projects to find out more about what Baker & McKenzie does outside of work.

I would highly recommend the three week vacation scheme to students considering a career at Baker & McKenzie or who wish to experience life at an international city law firm. The scheme is very well organised and provides an extremely beneficial insight into how the firm operates day to day.