Summer Vacation Scheme Student Review

Three week vacation scheme that gave students first-hand exposure to live transactions and disputes. Live work was interspersed with two written assessments (one transactional and one contentious) and a group presentation. Students were assigned a supervisor for both seats that allocated work and provided mentorship and guidance to clarify doubts. Vacation scheme socials also allowed for students to get to konw lawyers at the firm and become fully immersed in the culture at Gibson Dunn.

We had a session where we were able to speak to the managing partner of the firm and gain valuable insight into how the firm aims to support attorney-driven intiatives, i.e., starting a new practice group or support network. This built confidence in us that our professional pursits would be supported with the full resources and backing of the firm. Speakng to lawyers in various informal converasations, I am glad to say that most of the lawyers at Gibson Dunn have felt supported in this aspect and this has only grown my confidence and liking of the firm.

I came onto the vacation scheme knowing that I wanted to get more experience in corporate transactions. Being put to work on three seperate transactions during my seat in Real Estate while also being given various ad hoc tasks greatly improved my time management skills. It also forced me to communicate clearly with my supervisor to set expectations on deadlines, work product and execution. I was also in a position to consider the bigger picture for most of my work, owing to the excellent pre-task briefs my supervisor provided.

Lawyers at Gibson Dunn were generally not afriad of levelling with junior attorneys. Topics can be broached in the same way with all lawyers, be they a junior associate and or a senior partner. The hierarchy was flat and lawyers at all levels of the organization were outgoing and ready to support vacation schemers any way they could while they were on the scheme. Genuinely got a sense that lawyers at Gibson dunn were normal people that were chasing the best work together. Great socials, but no social pressure to attend.

I enjoyed the insight greatly as it felt like my supervisors on the scheme were all gunning for me to succeed and were willing (where able) to provide all the support and mentorship required for me to clarify any doubts I had about the work / job. This was not only true for supervisors, but all the lawyers that I spoke to. They all felt genuinely invested in vacation schemers' professional development. The scheme was also well attended by senior partners at the firm.

Yes