Intern Review

It was a really enjoyable three weeks and everyone was incredibly nice and welcoming. There were lots of activities put on that were a great chance to get to know the other vac schemers a bit better, but also a nice chance to unwind after a day in the office!

What was nice about this vacation scheme was that I was given real work, which meant that I felt that I was a real help to the departments I sat in. Everyone was grateful for what I was doing but were still very much interested in me as an individual and didn't just see me as a body to offload paperwork onto!

The grad HR team did a great job letting us know where everything was but also drawing us up a timetable so that we knew exactly where we should be at any one time. Straight away we were told where we could find research materials, and we even had a crash course in online law searches which was very helpful. I also had a supervisor and a trainee 'buddy' who sat in the department that I was currently sitting in, who were more than happy to answer any silly questions I had. The secretaries were absolutely lovely too!

The scheme certainly opened my eyes to the critical importance of grammar in a solicitor's arsenal, and I came away knowing that time spent improving this skill would definitely be useful in the future. Also, just being in the firm for three weeks and talking to people was invaluable in getting a true understanding of what working in the different practice areas of law might entail.

It was brilliant that I got a chance to experience two different departments over the three weeks, and I think that the week and a half in each gave me a good idea of what it might be like to practise in that area. There were events spread out over the course of the scheme which taught us useful skills, or were a bit of light relief (like shooting a corporate video!) but these did not get in the way of our departmental work and it was nice to see how the fellow interns were getting on.

There was a very social atmosphere to the firm, and many of the evening sports events were just part of what the firm does normally and weren't put on especially for the vacation scheme, I was made to feel like I was truly part of the department I was working in. Everyone was extremely friendly and seemed both happy to be there and to see us there too. It felt like a really nice place to work.

They put on some excellent talks on immediately relevant subjects like litigation, but there were also events like the negotiation competition which taught us skills that would be useful in any career.

Through close contact with the trainees and the fact that we were given proper work to do, I feel that I gained a good insight into what working life at Simmons & Simmons would be like.

There was a large emphasis on integration with the trainees and we were encouraged to ask them whatever we wanted. The events that were put on also told us a great deal about the firm's culture.

Because we were given real work to do I now understand a bit better what life as a trainee might be like at the firm and it has given me the reassurance that the career is the right one for me.

I thought we were paid very reasonably.

There were plenty of opportunities for this throughout the scheme. We were given a lot of chances to talk to trainees, but also to more senior members of the firm on an ad hoc basis. Also, there was a scheduled 'speed networking' event which gave us a chance to put questions to partners from each of the practice areas.

There were a great deal of them and they were good fun and very relaxed. The other vacation schemers were lovely and we were very well looked after at all the events.

There were a great deal of extra-curricular activities that the employees got involved in, from sporting, to pro bono, to helping children read at a local school.

Certainly. It was a wonderful chance to learn more about Simmons & Simmons, but more importantly, it was a fantastic and very much enjoyable three weeks.