What Is a Law Vacation Scheme?
A vacation scheme is a brief but intense internship/work experience during the holidays for one or a maximum of four weeks. Participants generally receive monetary remuneration, even if their tasks are mostly introductory, such as shadowing solicitors, attending meetings, or performing simple legal work.
To secure a spot in a vacation scheme, applicants must navigate a stringent application process, which includes a vacation scheme application form, cover letter submission, and a training contract interview.
Benefits of Vacation Schemes:
- Vacation schemes offer mutual benefits for both participants and law firms, facilitating a direct way for both parties to assess compatibility.
- Some law firms, especially smaller firms, have begun to select potential candidates for training contracts directly from those who have excelled in summer vacation schemes or winter vacation schemes, bypassing the conventional application process.
Successful completion of a vacation scheme significantly boosts one's chances of securing a training contract, marking a pivotal step towards a fulfilling law career.
When Do Vacation Schemes Happen, and When to Apply?
Top law firms, including the prestigious Magic Circle firms, offer lucrative vacation scheme opportunities alongside their training contracts. These schemes are perfect for utilizing holiday periods to gain insight into life at a law firm and to decide which firm aligns best with individual career aspirations.
Law firms typically schedule their summer vacation schemes, winter vacation schemes, and spring schemes as part of their training contract recruitment cycle. It's imperative to apply early due to the following:
- Rolling Basis: Many firms review applications on a rolling basis, making early applications more likely to stand out.
- Competition: The application window for spring and summer schemes often opens in October. Early applications face less competition.
- Rolling Review: Firms highlight the importance of applying well before deadlines to avoid being overlooked.
The table below outlines application deadlines and vacation scheme dates tailored to each Magic Circle Law Firm.
| ✻ Summer Vacation Scheme |
|
| ✻ Winter Vacation Scheme |
|
| ✻ Spring Vacation Scheme |
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| ✻ Training Contract |
Note: we recommend you verify this information on the firm's official website prior to submitting your application.
Preparing For Your Law Vacation Scheme Application
The application process for vacation schemes at prestigious law firms is designed to identify highly talented individuals for the competitive world of corporate law. Despite variations, the process generally includes the following steps:
- Online Application: The journey begins with an online application, where applicants must demonstrate their commercial awareness, interest in law, and any relevant work experience or work shadowing. Tailoring each application to the specific firm's ethos and practice areas is crucial.
- Cognitive and Skills Assessments: Successful applications lead to a series of tests designed to evaluate critical thinking (often through the Watson Glaser Test), decision-making skills (Situational Judgement Tests), and other competencies relevant to a career in law. These might include case study exercises, verbal reasoning tests, and group exercises.
|
Tests |
Exercises |
|
Situational Judgment Test |
Group exercises |
|
Critical/Logical Thinking Test (Watson Glaser) |
Case Study Exercises |
|
Verbal Reasoning Test |
Drafting exercises |
|
Numerical Reasoning Test |
Intray Exercises |
|
Personality Test |
Presentation Exercises |
- Assessment Day: Advancing to this stage involves a more in-depth evaluation through case studies, group interviews, written exercises, and presentations, designed to showcase a candidate's ability to handle the real work of a trainee solicitor.
Engaging with resources like free practice tests, and advice from experienced lawyers can provide invaluable preparation. Competing candidates will likely be well-prepared, so confirm specific tests and exercises for your assessment to face the competition well-prepared.
Try the following FREE Watson Glaser Practice Test to get a taste of the practice pack and the level of explanations (answers and scores are at the end of the test).
Vacation Schemes Assessments Sample Questions (With Solutions)
Situational Judgment Test: These are popular psychological tools that evaluate your behavioural and cognitive abilities when presented with hypothetical work-related situations.
The tests measure your fit for a company and role based on cognitive abilities, personality traits, and social skills, which makes them ideal tools to sort out ideal legal candidates.
Top law firms that are known to use SJTs during their recruitment processes are Allen & Overy and Linklaters, among others.
Want to put it into practice? Try the following Situational Judgement Test sample question:
SJT Sample Question
You and Travis from the sales department have been working on a presentation about a large and important client due by the end of the week.
Your superior will present your work to the board of directors. Travis is responsible for gathering data related to the customer, while you are responsible for transforming his data into presentation slides. Accidentally, Travis has collected the data from a wrong document - which caused you to produce 30 inaccurate slides. Your manager is counting on the presentation to be ready on time for the weekend meeting.
What is the most effective response?
- Explain to the supervisor that Travis has made an error gathering the data, which can cause a delay in the presentation. Ask Travis politely if he could amend the mistake, as it was mostly his doing.
- Tell the supervisor that you and Travis made an error while building the presentation from the data. Modify the inaccurate slides accordingly with the help of Travis.
- Don't tell the supervisor about the mistake. Hand him notes with some corrections to include while presenting the presentation.
- No need to bother the supervisor with this. You should talk to Travis about modifying the inaccurate slides as soon as possible.
Primary Competency: Teamwork, responsibility Secondary
Competencies: Problem-solving; working under supervision; integrity; thoroughness/attention to detail.
Correct response: 2
Response (2) employs the practice of admitting mistakes and sharing responsibility. Although Travis played a larger role in committing the mistake while gathering the data, by sharing the responsibility for the mistake, you are showing that you are a team player (teamwork). By telling the supervisor that both of you have made an error you are showing that you are responsible and have the integrity of admitting your mistakes – thus allowing your supervisor to take the possibility of being late for the deadline into account. By working together to amend the mistake – your team has the potential to solve the task effectively by the deadline.
You can also explore free sample Situational Judgment Test (SJT) questions from one of our Free SJT Practice Questions Page for additional practice, feedback, and tips.
Critical/Logical Thinking Test: Many law firms, including Clifford Chance and Hogan Lovells, among others, use the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Test.
This test is widely considered to be among the most challenging employment tests, as it contains rather specific rules and often requires counterintuitive solving methods.
Want to put it into practice? Try the following Watson Glaser sample question:
Watson Glaser Sample Question
The marked advantage of virtual employee hiring is the ability to benefit from the output of unsociable employees without involving them in face-to-face interactions.
- True
- Probably True
- Insufficient Data
- Probably False
- False
The correct answer is 'False'.
The words “marked advantage” insinuate that the ability to benefit from unsociable employees is the most significant advantage. However, that advantage is not even mentioned in the text. That means that the answer is either False or Probably False.
The text specifically mentions the benefits of face-to-face meetings on social interaction: “A workplace with virtual employees might entail miscommunication and less camaraderie and can be more time-consuming than face-to-face interaction”.
The conclusion, however, refers to the problems it creates, which is negated by the general message of the passage.
You can access additional Watson Glaser Test sample questions and full-length practice tests.
Verbal Reasoning Test: Some law firms, such as Simmons & Simmons, and Herbert Smith Freehills, among others, also utilize verbal reasoning tests as a common type of aptitude tests or psychometric tests for recruitment.
They are mainly used to measure your ability to understand, analyse, and interpret written information. The information is given in the form of short passages, followed by statements with three possible answers - true, false, or cannot say, also known as TFC.
Want to put it into practice? Try the following TFC sample question:
Verbal Reasoning Sample Question
A dependable state of peace between two populaces sharing the same region does not imply that the average life expectancy of humans will remain constant.
On the other hand, epidemics, natural disasters, and unstable weather, particularly in response to the 'greenhouse effect' and the subsequent cooling and warming of affected regions, generate oscillations in mean life expectancy and lead populations to increase or decrease their average age.
Natural disasters are the indisputable cause of life expectancy oscillations.
The statement following the passage is:
- True
- False
- Cannot say
The correct answer is 'False'.
According to the text, epidemics, natural disasters, and unstable weather are all responsible for oscillations in mean life expectancy. Therefore, this is not a unique attribute of natural disasters.
There is a difference between stating "an indisputable cause" and "the indisputable cause". The first option implies that it is one factor among a few that affects mean life expectancy, while the second option implies a unique attribute. Also, the word "indisputable" serves as another distracter, making us focus on the adjective, while it is not the main issue here.
You can also prepare for verbal reasoning tests with our Verbal Reasoning Test Practice Page.
Numerical Reasoning Test: While numerical reasoning tests are more typical in accountancy, some law firms, such as Withers, include them in their assessment centres.
Basically, Numerical Reasoning Tests are ubiquitous and challenging tasks taken by job candidates for organisations across diverse fields: the civil service, engineering, banking, finance, and more.
Want to put it into practice? Try the following Numerical Reasoning sample question:
Numerical Reasoning Sample Question
if
, what is the value of y?
2
2.5
5
5.5
This numerical reasoning question has two important lessons: taking out the common factor and using the multiple-choice answers to your advantage.
To solve this problem, take out the common factor in the numerator and in the denominator in order to simplify the expression.
The result is:
You know that
thus
Multiply both sides by 2y and get 5=2y, which is reducible to y=2.5.
While this is a straightforward solution, taking a glance at the possible answers before solving can expedite the process even further. After taking out the common factor, a sharp eye could have noticed that the ratio between the numerator and the denominator is 2.5:y. This is easier to notice if you already know that 2.5 is one of the answers. Looking at the answers can be a helpful tool during numerical reasoning tests.
You can practice numerical reasoning tests and get feedback on our Numerical Reasoning Test Page.
Personality Test: Certain firms, including Herbert Smith Freehills and Latham & Watkins, use personality tests for candidate screening to examines their candidates’ traits, motivations, interests, and preferences.
In recent years, pre-employment personality assessments have gained popularity with employers, as they help recruiters take a deeper look into the candidates' work attitude, professional persona, and suitability for the role and the organisation's culture.
Want to put it into practice? Try the following Personality Test sample question:
Personality Test Sample Question
Please choose one statement that best describes you, and one that least describes you.
- I like to analyse and evaluate information.
- I am an effective negotiator.
- I strive to be in a position of power.
- I always plan my expenses in advance.
Each of the statements above represents one or two work-related competencies.
Let's evaluate what those competencies are:
- I like to analyse and evaluate information – Analytical Skills
- I am an effective negotiator – Deliberation, Dominance
- I strive to be in a position of power – Achievement Striving, Self-Confidence
- I always plan my expenses in advance – Forward Thinking, Planning
Remember that the correct choice on questions like these isn't fixed, but rather depends on the specific job you're after. The best course of action is to mark as "Most" the statement that represents the most critical competencies for that role and as "Least" the statement that expresses those less desirable for the role.
Therefore, if you've applied for a managerial position, you should emphasize your leadership, dominance, and problem-solving competencies by choosing the statement “I am an effective negotiator” as your “Most.” While self-confidence and achievement striving are essential competencies for a manager, a statement like “I strive to be in a position of power” can come across as aggressive and subversive and thus should be your “Least.”
You can have a look at additional resources on our Free Personality Test Page.
What To Expect From a Law Vacation Scheme
A vacation scheme will provide you with a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the daily life of a law firm of your choosing. Typically happening during the holidays, these opportunities are brief but intense experiences that last between one and four weeks. During this time, among other things, you can:
- Obtain firsthand experience via work shadowing from a prospective day-to-day legal practice
- Delve into the firm's key legal practice areas and understand its client base
- Familiarise yourself with the tasks expected of a trainee solicitor
- Absorb the culture and work ethic of the law firm
- Determine your suitability for a future career in law
In short, you can consider vacation schemes as an incredible 3-for-1 deal. You can enhance your CV, you sharpen your legal skills and get a firsthand look into your preferred law firm's environment for a short holiday commitment.
And while the legal community often prioritises securing a training contract for full-time employment, vacation schemes are gaining prominence as the key pathway to such opportunities. In essence, they are just as vital!
The path to securing a vacation scheme amid the many firms offering these opportunities can seem daunting, thorough preparation and early application can make a significant difference. Remember, the effort and time invested in this process are an investment in your future law career.
For further practice and to sharpen your skills, consider exploring the wealth of resources available at JobTestPrep, including:
- Free Practice Tests for Cognitive Assessments
- Advice on crafting the perfect cover letter
- Strategies and tips to nail the interviews at the firm
By approaching the application process with diligence, preparedness, and a keen understanding of what law firms are looking for, you position yourself as a strong candidate for these highly sought-after opportunities.
Practice Makes Perfect
The path to securing a vacation scheme amid the many firms offering these opportunities can seem daunting, thorough preparation and early application can make a significant difference. Remember, the effort and time invested in this process are an investment in your future law career.
For further practice and to sharpen your skills, consider exploring the wealth of resources available at JobTestPrep, including:
- Free Practice Tests for Cognitive Assessments
- Advice on crafting the perfect cover letter
- Strategies and tips to nail the interviews at the firm
Moreover, engaging in networking events, seeking mentorship from experienced lawyers, and attending law career fairs can provide additional insights and advice on navigating the application process, enhancing your commercial awareness, and securing a vacation scheme or training contract.
Additional Practice
Securing a position amid such a large number of firms offering vacation schemes may pose challenges, but thorough research and preparation can substantially diminish uncertainty and enhance your skills.
While procrastination may be tempting, resist the urge to delay until the last minute! If you are looking to deepen your knowledge in the aptitude tests world, or you crave additional practice, you need not look further.
Have a look at the following free practice tests:
Free Personality Test | Free Aptitude Test | Free Psychometric Test | Free Watson Glaser Test | Free SHL Test
