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This article is the culmination of three previous blogs on applying for vacation schemes, acing psychometric tests and performing well in interviews. 

This summer I completed two vacation schemes. The first of these placements was at a full-service firm, which provided a holistic insight into legal practice. Meanwhile, my second placement was a fascinating deep dive into the intricacies of corporate law at a corporate ‘boutique’ – a boutique firm being one that works exclusively in a specialised practice area. This offered a more focused experience, making for a compelling contrast to my first placement. Together, these experiences have provided me with a better understanding of the profession, including the various options available for training and beyond. In this blog, I’ll share some highlights of both experiences and the lessons learned, which I hope will help you when embarking on your own placements.

Full service versus boutique

While I can only talk anecdotally, I expect these similarities will be generalisable for many firms and most vacation schemes. 

• Both firms supplied vacation schemers with mentors and buddies to support us throughout the placement.
• At each firm, students were assigned a project for the duration of the placement – in part to assess research ability and perhaps to keep us occupied (there’s only so much work a busy lawyer can give you)! 
• At the end of each placement, there were assessments and an exit interview. 

There are of course differences between these types of firm. As you might expect, at the full-service firm I gained a broad insight across many of its practice areas, whether through working directly under a department or via various training sessions. This provided insights into the type of work these departments do and allowed me to gain some understanding of the culture in each practice area. I finished the scheme with a comprehensive overview of the firm’s diverse practice areas and a more nuanced understanding of how they complement each other. 

Wading into corporate waters now to consider my time at the boutique. Unlike larger full-service firms, a corporate boutique concentrates on providing expert advice and services in areas such as M&A, IP, financing and other niche legal areas of interest to their corporate clientele. While they may have a narrower breadth of practice compared to full-service law firms, they often have a significantly greater depth in their niche. These firms can offer more personalised and specialised advice, catering to the specific needs of businesses, often delivering higher expertise in their chosen fields. On my placement at the boutique firm, I rotated through several practice areas, including seats in general corporate, banking, and employment. Each seat provided a unique perspective on the multifaceted nature of corporate law, which can in fact span a dizzying array of practice areas and sectors.

The value of vacation schemes

I feel one of the greatest benefits of the vacation schemes was – as obvious as it may seem – the opportunity to observe expert lawyers at work. From how they manage their workload to how they interact with clients, seeing a legal professional at work helped to ground my studies with some real-world context. I was even intrigued by the so-called ‘dull’ parts of their work (eg, how they write an email signature). One corporate lawyer acknowledged their unorthodox workday isn’t necessarily the recipient’s workday – and encouraged said recipient not to feel obligated to respond at odd hours! Alongside seeing all these quirks of the profession, it was also great to able to talk to associates about their careers – it can be very insightful to find out about their journey into law, their practice area and the firm.

Vacation schemes can also give you a great opportunity to consider specialisms early on. My journey through the two vacation schemes was a whirlwind of experiences. At the full-service firm, I bore witness to a range of practice areas and benefited from structured training across the firm’s sectors, making for a fantastic introduction to the legal world. The corporate boutique also provided very valuable insights but obviously via a more laser-focused, specialised experience. The work and culture here at times seemed more intense, but I realise this is often par for the course with corporate law. It was all about becoming an expert in one specific field and carving a niche in that area. Ultimately, your choice between these types of firm, and indeed between different specialisms, depends on your career interests. Or, in the less-distant future, what you want from your training. Are you keen to gain a broader legal experience across a diverse set of practice areas or are you already passionate about a specific sector and eager to immerse yourself in it from day one? Each has its allure, and I’m glad to have had an experience of both through the vacation schemes. 

Vac scheme advice

It personally took me a little while to settle in at each firm. My advice to you would be to be proactive early on in seeking help, asking questions and offering to pick up any extra work. The most valuable aspects of vacation schemes are the opportunity to learn from experienced lawyers, to get to know the specific firm’s culture, and to gain an understanding of the type of work you might want to do during a training contract and beyond. 

Vacation schemes are valuable and engaging experiences. They present a unique opportunity to see the law in action, understand where you might fit in and to pick the brains of experienced lawyers. I’d absolutely recommend you try to take advantage of these opportunities. With that in mind, many firms have reopened their applications for this new cycle. To those of you applying, whether this year or in future cycles, good luck!

Head to LawCareers.Net’s Vacation scheme deadlines page to see which firms have upcoming deadlines.