Summer Vacation Scheme Review

I enjoyed the insight immensely. Everybody was welcoming and this vacation scheme was hands-on and supportive.

I felt like I was a contribution to the Firm. My supervisor expressed her gratitude for the work I produced for her, as the tasks that she had delegated to me were real pieces of work.

A lot! My supervisor and the staff were kind enough to have meetings with me to fully discuss the work, the purpose of the task, what I had done well and how I could improve. Everyone was also happy to discuss their experiences to me and impart their knowledge.

The professional skills I have learnt, i.e. on client care and working in a professional office environment, will help me in a future legal career.

Very structured. We had to work to set deadlines for mini-assignments set for us, as well as set time to participate in pre-planned office events.

Very friendly people in a commercial environment.

As mentioned above, my supervisor set time to have meetings with me to provide feedback on each work I produced and how I could improve. I was also given feedback on my mini-assignments after a day of submitting them.

You have to be able to work towards deadlines and you are busy, but it is still enjoyable and you develop as a result.

A lot, the people here are welcoming and so friendly! It was also great to the staff were true to Shoosmiths' values, which is something you get a feel for by being part of the office,

Very valuable. I learnt a lot about law in practice and definitely want to enter the legal profession! I also gained an insight into the legal needs of commercial clients, which has enabled me to have a fuller idea of what to expect in commercial law.

There were lunch events with the department and our supervisor. We also had the opportunity to speak to other departments when I was invited to help sell raffle tickets etc as part of the firm's charity initiatives.

Good. I was invited to lunch with the trainees and also the whole department. I was able to ask many questions about the firm and the work the staff did etc. It was good to be able to get to know the staff on a more informal basis.

Yes, I was able to hear more about the charity and social committee at the firm, the office events (e.g. the Christmas parties) as well as the networking events available for staff outside of work.

Definitely! I would recommend it because of its insight into the real work of a commercial law firm, whilst retaining a friendly, supportive culture.