LC.N TCPH 2020

Insider report Mills & Reeve LLP

Hannah Reid attended a vacation scheme at Mills & Reeve in Summer 2018. She studied law at the University of Birmingham.

No of scheme places 38 Location of schemes Birmingham, Cambridge, Manchester (with seats in Leeds), Norwich Length of schemes 2 weeks Remuneration (per week) £310 Dates of schemes

What did you do while on the vacation scheme? I spent two weeks at the firm in four different departments – real estate, commercial disputes, family and commercial. The scheme reflected the varied nature of the training contract itself, as Mills & Reeve trainees do six seats over the two years. I experienced a mixture of client work, for example, sitting in on meetings and conference calls and taking attendance notes, as well as drafting contracts and letters, particularly in the non-contentious seats. I was also given set tasks to complete and attended talks by different members of the firm. Social events took place in the evenings – I was taken out for dinner by the trainees one day after work and on another evening we went to laser tag together, so there were plenty of chances to get to know everyone. What did you feel that you gained from the placement? I met people from across the firm and got to see the different practice areas in action. Everyone was happy to sit down with me and talk through the work, so I was able to get a really good insight into what the firm is all about. As much as attending a vacation scheme is about trying to secure a training contract, you also need to judge whether the firm is going to be right for you. I knew by the end of the scheme that Mills & Reeve would be a great fit. Which were the most enjoyable - and most challenging - aspects of the scheme? It was great that I got to meet so many people from the firm and everyone I came into contact with was friendly and welcoming. Those connections were great to have when I joined the firm a few months later. As Mills & Reeve is a full-service firm, there is a huge variety of practice areas that trainees can experience. During the scheme, it was initially daunting working in departments I had no experience of, but it was a really good way of finding out what I enjoy. Did the scheme end with a training contract interview or some other kind of further recruitment process? At the end of the scheme there is an informal chat with members of the graduate recruitment team about your experiences on the scheme and the work you have done. It is not assessed, which means that there is less pressure during the scheme itself, so you are able to focus on the seats and your work without worrying about a make-or-break assessment at the end of the week. There was no further interview and I found out a couple of weeks later that I had been successful. Is there one key thing that you took away from the experience that you would pass on as advice to others? It can be easy to let nerves hold you back, but the two weeks pass quickly so it is important to embrace every opportunity, don’t be afraid to talk to as many people as possible and be proactive in your approach to work.

June 2020 July 2020 Closing date for applications 5 January 2020

Application procedure Firm’s online application form For full contact information and details of Training Contract, see the firm’s full entry in the main directory on p390

Remember to cite The LawCareers.Net Handbook on your application form if you apply to this law firm.

92

THE LAWCAREERS.NET HANDBOOK

Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online