Vacation Scheme Review

The vacation scheme involved a mixture of pre-set tasks and BD opportunities. The tasks were all fictitious, though some were based upon previous cases. Examples of tasks include researching topics and writing research notes; drafting letters and memos; and carrying out presentations. There was also a lot of time to meet and socialise with employees of RPC, both in structured settings such as workshops, and during more informal virtual coffees.

My understanding of how the firm operates improved greatly over the two weeks. One of the tasks was a group project that involved reaching out to various employees from across the firm and collating their responses into a fact sheet on the firm's culture. There were also in-depth workshops on the insurance and commercial strands of RPC. These activities shone a light on the way the different teams and individuals interact and function.

I learnt how to navigate the relevant legal platforms when conducting research on a given topic. In particular, I was able to practice researching nuanced points of law, which improved my ability to sift through a large quantity of material and select the most relevant part. I received regular feedback from my supervisors which I was then able to implement on the following tasks. The feedback was targeted and therefore very useful.

The general atmosphere was very good. Everyone I talked to came across as friendly and welcoming; this was the case regardless of seniority. The individuals I spoke to were down-to-earth but also driven and professional.

I enjoyed the vacation scheme on many levels. The work was both interesting and challenging, despite not being 'live' work. There were many opportunities to meet and socialise with RPC employees and there were numerous groups to participate in. I also got a strong feeling that everyone genuinely wanted me to enjoy my time there. This was evidenced through the willingness of everybody to create time to assist me where possible.

Yes