Student Review

As everyone at the firm was approachable from day one and made an effort to find interesting work along with work reflective of what you might be doing as a trainee, it was a real pleasure to be so involved and engaged.

Although some work appeared to be set more to keep you occupied than to necessarily make an important contribution, on the whole it was possible to see how the work you did do made a difference and was appreciated for doing so. For example, it was rewarding to receive an email from a trainee thanking me for the corporate structure chart I had constructed and the positive feedback he had received from the rest of the department to which it had been circulated.

From Partners, Supervisors, Trainee buddies to the HR staff, there was a lot of guidance: people took the time to explain the background to tasks as well as how to go about completing them understanding that it was likely to be the first time you encountered such work.

Having already completed my studies, what I have learned will not be directly applicable, but the skills will be useful for any future trainee at the firm or indeed at another.

Despite some rescheduling issues, the scheme was well-structured and clearly laid out with any changes being well-communicated. I think it is a nice touch to have assessment centre in the middle of the second week rather than hanging over you throughout the full two weeks and being the abiding memory of the firm.

The culture of the firm is one of its greatest assets; the fact that the firm has grown organically is evident from the level of camaraderie between everyone working at the firm and the positive outlook and friendliness that greets you.

Considering in all likelihood only a minority of the schemers will, in fact, truly be invested in by the firm with a training contract, the amount of time dedicated to you is impressive. Having said this, future trainees would of course have far more time and resources devoted to them.

Perhaps to some extent the scheme was not so reflective of how it would be to work at the firm, but this is in part down to the nature of the work; many projects or cases last for months and it would be difficult to find a role for you in the short space of time you are there.

The scheme was excellent at getting an insight into the culture.

Not that helpful as my mind was already made up! But it confirmed what I felt.

I believe the pay reflects the minimum wage.

Yes, there were several drinks occasions and there was an open-door policy.

They were well attended by the current trainees and well-organised.

There was mention of these activities and I received an invitation to play tag rugby.

Yes, definitely.