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My experience on the summer vacation scheme has been nothing but spectacular. From day one I felt the warm, positive, and friendly culture within the firm. On our first day, we had a lot of training and inductions to tackle, however, the day was brilliantly co-ordinated and we got to play a fantastic business game which really gave us some great insight into how a law firm runs - it was like Monopoly on steroids! It was an added bonus that we got to meet Iain Blatherwick (managing partner), and he gave us an overview of where the firm is now and where it is heading. It was wonderful to witness how passionate Iain is about the firm and to have the opportunity to ask questions and learn about the plans for the firm moving forward.

The next day we were working in our office departments. I was in the Nottingham office working in the Government, Regulatory & Advocacy team who welcomed me with open arms! I had been so nervous walking into work that day, but when I was greeted by everyone's warm smile, I felt like I would fit right in and all my worries melted away! I quickly learned that this was not your average 9-5 office environment. The open plan space really complimented the open and approachable culture within °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I would not be doing the typical printing tasks, proofreading and tea making which I had anticipated. Within five minutes of meeting my supervisor, he asked me if I felt up for a trip to London the next day to meet a client for a Conference with Counsel - of course, I said yes!

The two weeks went by so quickly and I couldn't believe it when it was finally over. We had a range of activities and socials alongside the office work which included trips to the Birmingham and Manchester offices, escape rooms, and drinks to name a few. It was also great to get to know everyone working in the firm from all of the different departments. This highlighted to me just how sociable the firm is as everybody knew each other even though they worked on different floors on completely opposite sides of the building!

Working on a group project meant that we were also encouraged to interact with the other vacation schemers. This was another great bonus as everyone got along so incredibly well and we regularly stayed in touch with those in other offices too.

Of course, I also spent a lot of time gaining exposure to the legal sector by undertaking work in the office. The work I undertook was varied and surprisingly interesting. It was surreal putting the work you study in university into practice and witnessing how it all unfolds in the real world. During my second week, I worked on PowerPoint slides for a solicitor and a senior associate. I even got to see them in action as they were presented to 30+ clients at the 'Planning Club' event being held at the firm. Attending this event also meant that I was able to interact with a variety of potential and current clients and see how the team had built a rapport with the attendees.

I can honestly say that going into work didn't feel like a chore. In fact, I looked forward to each day and what it would entail, mostly because of the working environment created by the people there. Over the past two weeks, I have felt my confidence grow, my legal knowledge expand, and my passion for law burst at the seams. I will take this invaluable experience with me wherever I go knowing that being a solicitor can be way more than a simple 9-5.

Written by Chantice Kyle.