Law Vacation Schemes Open Now

Vacation schemes: the main route into law firm training contracts

A vacation scheme (often called a vac scheme) is a paid placement at a law firm, typically lasting two to four weeks and running over summer or Easter. They are offered by most UK law firms and are the primary mechanism through which City and larger national firms hire their trainee solicitors. Completing a vacation scheme gives you genuine experience of life at a firm — you typically sit in one or two practice area teams, work on real matters, and attend social events. At the end, most firms hold a partner interview for vacation scheme students who wish to apply for a training contract. Successfully converting a vacation scheme into a training contract offer is the standard route into most large law firms. Applications for summer vacation schemes typically open in autumn and close in December to January — sometimes earlier. Easter vacation schemes have slightly later application windows. Most firms explicitly state whether they hire trainees primarily or exclusively via the vacation scheme route, so check before applying. Demonstrating genuine knowledge of the firm's practice areas, culture, and recent deals is the most important differentiator between successful and unsuccessful vac scheme applications.

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