Chris Wood currently works as a paralegal at Macfarlanes before he starts his training contract. He completed the firm’s spring vacation scheme in 2018.
Insider report Macfarlanes LLP No of scheme places 55 Location of schemes London Length of schemes 2 weeks Remuneration (per week) £400 Dates of schemes Easter: April 2020 Summer: June 2020 July 2020 Closing date for applications 31 January 2020 Application procedure Online application via our website www.macfarlanes.com/ join-us followed by an assessment day For full contact information and details of Training Contract, see the firm’s full entry in the main directory on p380
What did you do while on the scheme? In the first week I was in the tax department. I sat with my supervisor, who involved me with what she was doing and my tasks revolved around proofreading and reviewing the structures of companies. In the second week I sat in the financial services department (where I am currently a paralegal) and was delegated work by the partner and trainees, such as marking up documents. I was given a trainee buddy in both departments, as well as a mentor who took me for coffee and could offer a different point of view for any questions I had. There was a more informal group negotiation task over the two weeks, in which we negotiated a sponsorship contract against another team. We negotiated firstly over email and then, on the final day, sat down with each other to flesh out the final details. Throughout the scheme there were presentations by various departments, including litigation and corporate. These were interactive and gave a good insight into the firm’s work and whether it would be the right kind of place for you. There were lunches with trainees and partners and a couple of social events each week as well. It was good to chat to trainees, solicitors and partners in a more relaxed environment and ask questions you might not necessarily ask during the day. On the penultimate evening there was a leaving meal. What did you feel that you gained from the placement? An understanding of both the firm’s culture and the work it does. You can get an idea of the work from reading online, but you can’t fully know what it means and how it’s done until you get here and speak to people. The culture is something you can’t tell until you are in the firm’s environment. I noticed that the firm is collaborative and everyone is friendly and willing to help out. I have appreciated the firm’s positive atmosphere even more since being a paralegal here. Which were the most enjoyable – and most challenging – aspects of the scheme? My favourite thing on the scheme was being taken to a client meeting. I enjoyed being given real client work because it made me feel valued, but it was also challenging as I didn’t want to make any mistakes! Did the scheme end with a training contract interview or some other kind of further recruitment process? There were two assessment days in the second week which involved completing a written task and two partner interviews – one requiring us to answer questions on documents we had reviewed and the other a CV interview. These days were challenging but also enjoyable! The partners were very friendly and tried to make you as relaxed as possible. Is there one key thing that you took away from the experience that you would pass on as advice to others? Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It might be daunting when you first come in because you think everyone is busy and won’t want to chat to you, but they have all gone through the same process and are willing to help. I went for coffee with a couple of people who shared their advice and answered my questions in more detail than I had expected. It’s the best way to get an insight into the firm.
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WORK EXPERIENCE
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