Life as a Summer Student: Francesca Baillie Sharp

A Summer Vacation Scheme with a Commercial Law Firm: Myth Busting

It can be daunting applying for a place on a law firm’s vacation scheme when you haven’t done anything similar before. You might have no idea what it’s going to be like, or you might be basing your expectations on what you’ve seen on TV. The truth is, different firms will have different cultures and ways of working, and so I thought it would be helpful to share how I found my time at Burness Paull and bust some myths around some common preconceptions of a legal work placement.

MYTH: “Commercial law firms have an unfriendly culture”

From my personal experience, this honestly couldn’t be further from the truth! From the early stages of the application process, it was very clear to me that Burness Paull had an extremely friendly and approachable culture which was a testament to the firm’s ‘human and high performing’ ethos. HR were happy to help, and very responsive to any emails I had sent asking about the application process and beyond. Similarly, during my placement, I had countless positive interactions with people from across the firm who were extremely willing to sacrifice their time to have a friendly catch-up over coffee or answer any (of my many) questions about the firm.

In each seat, you will be allocated a buddy (usually a Trainee) and a reviewer (usually a Senior Solicitor or Associate) who helps to monitor your progress and provide feedback on your chosen seat. In both my seats, Energy and Employment, my reviewers were extremely friendly and provided very constructive feedback throughout the duration of my placement. Also, my reviewers checked up on me throughout the day to ensure I was comfortable with the workload, and kindly took me on numerous rendezvous for coffee and lunch! Top Tip: A Pret a Manger subscription…5 free coffees throughout the day…you’ll thank me later!

Finally, the Trainees really take you under their wing from the get-go and help you to settle in as part of the team. All of us on the work placement were invited to numerous after-work socials which really made us feel welcomed and integrated with the firm.

MYTH: “People wear suits and formal dresswear to work every day”

In 2019, Burness Paull adopted a ”dress for your day” policy, meaning that on days where they are not meeting client(s) or do not have any formal work appointments, employees are invited to adopt a ‘business casual’ dress code.

As someone who grew up watching ‘Suits’ and ‘Legally Blonde,’ I had a real misconception about what day-to-day office attire looked like - so you can imagine how surprised I was to see Vejas replacing Louboutins! Substituting the ‘power suit’ for trainers and jeans undoubtedly helped me settle in with Burness Paull, as it helped created a relaxed working environment. Finally, during my placement I had the pleasure of volunteering with Street Soccer Scotland, one of Burness Paull’s longest standing charitable partners. Going into the office wearing leggings and trainers felt wholly unnatural, but this helped reaffirmed the “dress for your day” policy and I had a thoroughly enjoyable day with the amazing staff and players at Street Soccer in Aberdeen.

MYTH: “Commercial law firms only want the candidates with the best grades”

This is another huge misconception amongst law students. Being an ideal candidate for a firm like Burness Paull is SO much more than having A’s and B’s throughout uni. Grades are of course important, but what is arguably more so is your life experience and co-curricular’s which help will set you apart from other candidates. Whether you spend your weekends climbing Munros or watching Formula 1, these little quirks make you stand apart from the crowd.

Similarly, my summer placement taught me that the law in practice is very different from textbook law at university. Although knowing the outcome of Donoghue v Stevenson is undeniably very important for your studies, in practice, knowledge isn’t everything. Your interpersonal skills will be your best feature; and if you can demonstrate intellectual curiosity in addition to effective communication and problem-solving skills, you will be a successful summer student! Long story short, don’t not apply for a vacation scheme with Burness Paull just because you got a D3 in first year legal studies! You are so much more than your grades and the firm is looking for a well-rounded candidate who is willing to work hard and mirror the firm’s ethos and values.

Finally, you will not be expected to have any prior knowledge in any of your two seats for the duration of your vacation scheme. I was very anxious to be embarking in a seat with the Employment team having had no prior exposure to this area of law at university. However, from the offset, I was reassured that this would not hinder my chances at a traineeship and before I knew it, I was helping one of the Solicitors with tribunal work!

MYTH: “You must be an expert in commercial awareness to work in a commercial firm”

Commercial awareness. Two words that every student fears. However, I personally don’t believe that anyone is ever an ‘expert’ in commercial awareness given how ever evolving and dynamic the economy is. Keep reading for my top tips in broadening your commercial awareness (especially for an interview):

1. Scottish Legal News - A free online news service with the latest news from the legal sector. This was hands down the best way to stay on top of industry news in advance of my interview!
2. Spotify Morning Briefing Podcasts - I must admit this is new to me, but as with most students, I don’t have time to sit and watch the TV in the morning before a 9am seminar! Instead, I’ve really enjoyed plugging into ‘The Times News Briefing’ on my walk to uni. The podcast is released daily and is only 3-5 mins long, consisting of the latest headlines and news briefings. I find this to be the most simple and effective way to get my daily dose of the news.
3. LinkedIn - For law students (including myself) LinkedIn can seem like a very daunting platform. However, upon preparation for my interview with Burness Paull, I quickly learnt that LinkedIn is one of the most effective social media platforms to help broaden your commercial awareness. The most influential law firms use LinkedIn to post about what their firm is up to, in addition to publishing various articles about present opportunities and threats to the legal sphere and beyond. Therefore, try swapping Tik Tok for LinkedIn for 10 minutes a day in advance of an interview to help broaden your commercial awareness and knowledge of the firm.