A legal vacation scheme is usually offered to students by a law firm for them to experience life as a solicitor at their firm. However, it is much more than simple work experience, the scheme focuses on giving students real-life experience of working in a firm while additionally giving them real work and experiencing the culture of the firm.
Firms hold vacation schemes either in person or remotely, and the lengths of schemes can vary from one to three weeks. Vacation schemes are highly competitive, and many firms are seeing an increase in applications every year.
From a student’s perspective, they largely see a vacation scheme as a perfect chance to showcase their talent and abilities to a firm for a chance to be granted a training contract with them after. A training contract is a 2-year placement within a firm after you finish your degree with a set salary and an expectation you will work at that firm at the end of it.
What Do You Do At A Legal Vacation Scheme?
Firms provide this scheme in order to see who has the skill, determination, and commitment to a career in law. Thus, by doing one it shows to firms that you would be dedicated to practicing law at their firm and if they are to invest in you, you would not waste their time or money.
At most vacation schemes students can expect to:
- meet partners, associates, solicitors, and trainees
- work on real cases and transactions
- shadow lawyers of the firm
- attend workshops
- network with legal professionals
- attend social events organised by the firm
When To Apply For A Vacation Scheme?
Applications for vacation schemes depend on what scheme and what firm students choose to apply to.
- applications for spring schemes usually open in October and close some time at the end of January
- applications for winter schemes tend to open in October too but end in November
- applications for summer schemes tend to be longer, opening in October and some closing end of February
However, closing and opening dates vary based on the specific firm so it is always good to check. Some firms recruit on a rolling basis, so it is always better to be an early applicant than a later one. As an example, a student in their third year who wants to apply for a Pinsent Masons scheme in Scotland should do so as close as they can to the opening of the application in early December for a summer scheme.
Who Can Apply For A Vacation Scheme?
The schemes are directed towards penultimate and final-year students. However, graduates and master’s students are welcome to apply.
To apply you do not need to be a law student, but the majority of applicants are law students due to the nature of the work. Law firms tend to recruit 50% law students and 50% non-law students.
Salary And Benefits
Due to the work in vacation schemes being of a particular nature, one that affects real-life clients and the firm, it is a paid internship. The ranges in the UK span between paying £300 to £500 a week over the course of usually two or three weeks. As an example, the firm Shoosmiths pay their vacation scheme students £310 for 35 hours per week.
How Important Are Vacation Schemes?
It is clear vacation schemes have a lot of benefits, especially for those looking to enter the commercial law world, but they are not vital in getting a training contract. They are only vital in getting a training contract in the firms that recruit strictly from that scheme, which are limited in numbers.
Therefore, firms still largely look to other experiences like volunteering, firm shadowing, or any extracurriculars in their solicitor recruitment. Thus, a vacation scheme is not the only thing firms look for and if you are a candidate with other great experiences of real-world work and social skills, then you have just as high a chance of getting a training contract with the firm you want.
By Kate Murray
