Student Review

The week-long vacation scheme provided a valuable insight into Shearman & Sterling. Whilst a longer period at the firm would have allowed me to gain more of a feel of the place, a week is more than enough to be able to accurately assess the culture and the way the firm works.

The department I sat in during my vacation scheme was very busy and accordingly I could not offer much real help to the trainees and associates I was sat with- the work was simply too important to give to me. Nonetheless, I was given a number of typical 'trainee tasks' in the run-up to the completion of a deal. These were tasks that were directly related to the deal and helped lighten my trainee's workload. There was no sense that the work given to me was 'invented' just to keep me busy.

We were given a trainee mentor during the week, who would give us work and help us out, as well as receiving support from associates and the graduate recruitment team. Despite my mentor being incredibly busy, I was given a lot of support. I was given a full overview of the deal that was approaching signing on my first day which allowed me to understand the 'big picture' of what everyone was working towards, and the relevance of the tasks given to me during the week.

The skills developed over the course of the week are not particularly relevant to my degree studies, but will be very useful as I start my training contract. I gained a valuable insight into an area of practice that I had not previously experienced, an area that I would like to revisit in my TC.

The vacation scheme featured talks from the major departments at the firm, including corporate, finance, project development & finance, as well as a talk from an ex-Shearman & Sterling solicitor who is now an in-house counsel. The talks gave a good overview of the firm and its various practice areas. Additionally we were encouraged to talk to solicitors in other areas of the firm, who were more than willing to talk to us. There were a number of socials too which allowed me to socialise with the other vacation scheme students, as well as trainees from other departments that we might not have otherwise met.

The general atmosphere was very good during the week. All the other vacation scheme students were very easy to get along with. There was no sense of competition between members of the group.

The firm invested in the vacation scheme students, with partners and associates taking the time out of their day to talk to us about the firm and their work.

The vacation scheme provided an accurate insight into the life of a trainee at the firm and the levels of responsibility that trainees are given in the early stages of their careers.

The culture of the firm became very apparent during the vacation scheme. Despite how busy the firm was, it was clear that the culture was very friendly and supportive.

The vacation scheme confirmed my desire to work in commercial law.

I was paid more than adequately for my time at the firm.

The socials throughout the week allowed us to meet other members of the firm, and we were actively encouraged to talk lawyers in other departments.

There were plenty of networking opportunities throughout the week. In addition to the planned socials, we organised drinks after work most nights during the week.

We were given information on the firm's pro bono opportunities.

I would happily recommend a vacation scheme at Shearman & Sterling.