Vacation Scheme Student Review

by Pinsent Masons LLP

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

4.5/5
  • About You
    4.4
  • The Company
    4.3
  • Everything Else
    4.8

    About You

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy the insight?
  • I thoroughly enjoyed my vacation scheme at Pinsent Masons. It was an excellent two weeks which struck the right balance of hard work, opportunities to learn more about the firm and great social events.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued during your time at the company or firm?
  • I felt very welcomed into the firm at the beginning of my placement and continuously throughout the two weeks. I felt like I was a valued member of my department, often approached by different solicitors of varying seniority with a range of different tasks and responsibilities. As the placement progressed, I was trusted more and more with difficult and time-sensitive work.

    5/5

  • 3. How much guidance/support did you receive during the insight?
  • A lot of support was provided. A trainee buddy for day to day questions and guidance, and a supervisor to oversee your work, make sure you are meeting your personal objectives and give feedback on behalf of the department.

    5/5

  • 4. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and information you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • As a Law and French student, the skills have given me a more practical understanding of the law and how it can be used to one's advantage. Learning about the different practice areas of the firm through presentations has shown me what modules of my degree will me most relevant to different practice areas of a commercial law firm.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 5. How well structured was the insight?
  • The two weeks were well organised with allocated slots for practice group presentations in the morning and adequate working time in our departments. Spending two weeks in one department rather than two is fairly unique compared with other law firm vacation schemes.I felt this was a positive aspect to the vacation scheme as it allowed you to get to know the department members and the type of work that they do much better. It also meant that I was able to see transactions develop and work on different aspects of the deal.

    5/5

  • 6. How was the general atmosphere during your insight?
  • Extremely nurturing and positive. I felt welcomed into a firm of outgoing yet down to earth lawyers who know how to balance work life with a social life.

    5/5

  • 7. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • At the start of our placement, we were asked to consider what our personal goals and objectives were for the placement. Together with my supervisor's assistance and feedback, I was able to ensure that I was meeting these targets and getting the most out of my placement. Furthermore, when I was given a task, the person who delegated me the task would always sit down with me in the kitchen to discuss what/who the task was for, the context surrounding the transaction and how my work would fit into the bigger picture. This was hugely beneficial in terms of my understanding of how the tasks of a trainee contribute to a transaction.

    5/5

  • 8. To what extent did the insight help you to understand what it would be like to have a full time role with the company or firm?
  • I was given similar tasks to what a trainee would be given in my department therefore I was able to see clearly what a training contract would be like at Pinsent Masons.

    4/5

  • 9. How much did the insight help you in understanding the company culture?
  • Sitting next to a trainee and a partner, and more generally, in an open-plan office allowed me to get a good insight into the people at the firm and what the firm values in their employees.

    5/5

  • 10. How valuable was the content in helping you to decide on your future career path?
  • It confirmed my aspirations of becoming a commercial lawyer and the type of law firm I would like to work in.

    4/5

    Everything Else

  • 11. Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
  • I was paid accordingly for my placement and was not out of pocket on any occasion.


  • 12. Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees of the company or firm?
  • Many opportunities including a lunch with trainees, a lunch with partners, a lunch with both trainees and partners and a lunch with those who had been on a secondment to clients or abroad. In addition, I was invited to my department barbecue and quiz evening which gave me a much more informal networking opportunity.

    5/5

  • 13. How were the networking/ social event opportunities?
  • Very useful. They ranged from more formal sit-down lunches where we could ask the questions we wanted to ask, to more casual drinks on a Friday afternoon to chat with members of the firm and get to know the lawyers and our fellow vacation scheme students better.

    5/5

  • 14. Did you find out about activities that employees can get involved in outside of work?
  • Yes, we were included in all e-mails for sports games going on during the two weeks of our placement. I was also included in the e-mails for my department's social evening.

    5/5

  • 15. Would you recommend this insight to a friend?
  • I would highly recommend this insight to a friend interested in a career in commercial law at a mid-sized international firm that offers an excellent level of training.

    5/5

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Details

Insight / Vacation Scheme (< 4 Weeks)

London

July 2015


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