What work did you get involved with on the vacation scheme?

I was sat within business litigation for the duration of my programme, after having indicated a preference to do so. My supervisor took me along to various meetings and training sessions, and assigned me tasks, such as writing a letter of human rights-related advice to an inmate on behalf of the Prisoners Advice Service.

This set-up also enabled me to seek additional work from those around me in the department, which included:

• carrying out research to support applications as part of our Afghan judges project;
• drafting a blog post on a recent judgment on service by blockchain technology; and
• carrying out research on privacy and data protection case law in order to respond to a claim.

I was also assigned two trainee ‘buddies’, who asked for my assistance on a couple of items, such as research on the incorporation of charities for one of our pro bono clients. However, we were certainly not limited to working within the teams we were sat with, so I used this as an opportunity to reach out to others in practice areas of interest to me, such as competition, products and capital markets. I was also able to carry out further tasks involving document review, research and drafting.

Which were the most enjoyable – and most challenging – aspects of the scheme?

I enjoyed being able to manage my own workload and having the freedom to reach out to those within the firm whose practices aligned with my interests. I also enjoyed being pushed outside of my comfort zone with the dedicated vacation scheme assignments, including:

• a mock client interview, undertaken individually and followed by a drafting exercise; and
• a mock client pitch, undertaken within a small group to a panel of partners and senior associates.

These tasks came as part of a busy schedule of meetings and professional development sessions around our work and preparation. As a result, it was challenging to balance all of these commitments. It was important to take on enough work to give myself an opportunity to both obtain a varied insight into the law firm but to also produce the quality work that would help me to demonstrate that I had the potential to succeed at Cooley. Needless to say, this was a great insight into what trainee life would eventually look like!

What’s the most important thing you learnt about the firm while on the scheme?

Everyone in the office, from lawyers to support staff to the baristas in our internal café, are all part of one Cooley London team. This sense of unity was also extended to me as a vacation scheme student, with people seeking my opinion on relevant matters and taking the time to give feedback on assignments. It was also important to observe how everyone is encouraged to be their whole, authentic selves as part of this culture, which made me feel right at home at Cooley from day one.

How did the scheme help you to understand the firm better as a business?

The group exercise to present a pitch required us to think broader than just the law firm’s practice areas and potential seats we could undertake as trainees by getting us to consider the services the firm offers to (potential) clients. Delving into this in detail allowed me to better appreciate Cooley’s business model, which sees the firm go from assisting a founder with a start-up idea, through the various phases of company growth and, hopefully, to global markets.

What do you think made your vacation scheme application successful?

When completing the application form, I ensured I answered everything in a way that demonstrated what skills and attributes I’d bring to the table that’d make me an effective trainee solicitor and beyond. This applied to how I filled in both the specific questions, as well as the section on previous work experience, using every opportunity to evidence the various competencies I’d accrued. Many law firms, like Cooley, outline the characteristics it’s looking for in its marketing materials, which can be a useful guideline for this.

On the scheme itself, I sought to maximise the number of colleagues I worked with, while being realistic with my capacity. Most importantly, I made sure that every piece of work I produced was done punctually and to the best of my ability. This allowed me to engage with (and hopefully impress) a range of individuals and practices and to obtain the best understanding I could of the firm and office within the two-week programme. I also ensured I was always myself so that I could be certain that Cooley and I were the right fit for each other.

Other than attending a vacation scheme, what’s the most relevant experience you’ve had that’s benefited your journey to becoming a lawyer?

While I undertook various work experience placements or insight schemes, it may be surprising to hear that the experiences I believe to be the most beneficial to my journey into law are my previous roles in customer service. High-pressured, customer-facing environments, where you’re interacting with a diverse range of individuals, inherently have many transferable skills to being a lawyer. I’ve been able to pick up legal and commercial knowledge on the job and through dedicated training, but my experiences in customer service have definitely allowed me to work alongside my colleagues and clients with greater confidence.