Vacation schemes

Our winter and spring vacation schemes offer students the opportunity to gain an insight into life at Reed Smith and a solid understanding of the type of work encountered as a trainee. Vacation scheme attendees will be paid a weekly wage in line with the London Living Wage. 

Your seats: You will have the opportunity to experience a practice or industry group of your preference. You’ll have an experienced supervisor and be integrated into a team and assigned to live projects. You’ll also have a trainee buddy who will act as an informal guide – you can catch up with them at any point and ask any questions. 

How will I be assessed? Alongside your seats, you will have the opportunity to attend various sessions to improve your legal and business skills. These include a group exercise and a variety of workshops, covering topics such as networking, professional etiquette in a law firm, presentation skills, and business development. These sessions, alongside feedback from your seats, will allow the early careers team and other people from across the business to assess your suitability for becoming a Reed Smith trainee. You’ll also take part in a final interview at the end of the scheme. 

Getting to know us: Throughout the vacation scheme, you will get to experience the real culture of our firm through informal, relaxed socials alongside our trainees. This will give you a chance to really gain a deeper insight into each person’s path to Reed Smith, allowing you to get to know fellow team members and begin to network and build your own profile. 

• First impressions matter:
  • Be on time – it sounds obvious, but being on time (or even a little early!) is key to creating a strong first impression. 
  • Be polite and respectful with everyone at the firm, no matter their role.
  • Be self-aware and read the room where possible. 
  • Do your research and prepare questions about things you may want to learn from the scheme. 
  • Pay attention to details, read over your work to avoid spelling and grammar mistakes, comply with firm standard templates and tailor your work to your supervisor’s preference.
• Keep an open mind: A vacation scheme is the perfect opportunity for you to learn more about new practice areas, even if you think you might not enjoy them at first.
• Ask questions: Always try to give a task a go even if it’s something you’ve never done before; you are also encouraged to ask for guidance from your colleagues and are not expected to know everything before the start of the vacation scheme.
• Go for coffee chats: This is not a mandatory step in a vacation scheme, but is a great way to find out more about the work and the culture of the firm in an informal manner.
• Ask for feedback: We all make mistakes, but the best way to learn is to understand what went wrong so that you can avoid making the same mistake again.
• Be yourself: Avoid acting ‘how the firm would want’ and just be yourself, don’t be afraid to show enthusiasm and initiative.
• Understand it’s a two-way process: Remember that the vacation scheme is a learning opportunity for both you and the firm. Whilst you are being assessed, it’s also an opportunity for you to decide if it’s the right place for you.
• Get to know your cohort: They might become your future colleagues, or you might end up on two ends of the same deal post-qualification. Interacting with your peers also helps to ease your nerves and is a good way to demonstrate your communication skills as well as your personality.
• Top tip - always carry a notebook around: You never know when you might hear something interesting or be given additional instructions on a task. A notebook will always come in handy! 

• Email the early careers team

• Find us on Instagram

• Call on +44 (0)20 3116 3000