Brendan’s first day on the Vacation Scheme in Manchester

I was absolutely overjoyed when I found out I had managed to secure a place on the Vacation Scheme at Pinsent Masons in Manchester and after completing my first day of the scheme, I could safely say that my excitement was not misplaced.

The day began with a tour of the office and, being on the top floor of 3 Hardman Street, I was constantly distracted by the stunning views of Manchester that greeted you at every turn. Afterwards, I was taken to my department, CAD (Construction and Advisory Disputes), which I had indicated as my preference prior to starting the scheme due to its reputation for being the best in the industry. I was greeted by my trainee buddy and my supervisor – they were both very eager to meet me. I was then introduced to the rest of the team, all of whom were very friendly.

After getting to know one another, I was shown to my desk situated directly opposite a partner and senior associate. This made me feel like a valued member of the team and gave me an opportunity to learn about the high-level work in which senior members of the firm are involved. After settling in, my buddy briefed me on several tasks she prepared for me and I was encouraged to ask questions if I ran into any problems.

Before starting, I made sure to complete the online IT Training which was essential to understanding how to complete and file my work. Afterwards, I launched myself into the tasks which ranged from research to admin-based.

Before long, it was lunchtime and all the vacation scheme students were treated to a Welcome Lunch at a great Italian restaurant just a short walk away from the office. This was lots of fun, as we were able to get to know the trainees in a more informal environment. The conversation ranged from experiences on their different seats to what happened on Love Island – even lawyers enjoy a bit of trashy TV!

After leaving the restaurant, full of tiramisu, I returned to my desk to finish the first of my research tasks on practical completion in building contracts. I spent the rest of the day using various resources provided by Pinsent Masons to complete the rest of my assignments. Having checked (and rechecked!) my work, I then sent this off to my Trainee Buddy who scheduled a feedback meeting for the next day to discuss it. I finished my day by recording everything I did so that I could refer back to this when preparing for the Training Contract assessment at the end of my placement.

I honestly could not have asked for a better start to my Vacation Scheme. After my first day, I was looking forward to see what the rest of my placement brings.