When do applications open for the 2023 Summer Vacation Scheme?
- Applications for our 2023 Summer Vacation Scheme open on 1 September 2022.
- The deadline for the Summer Vacation Scheme is 1 December 2022.
What is your eligibility criteria to apply for the summer vacation scheme?
- To be able to apply for our vacation scheme, you will be in your second year of your degree and beyond.
- Regarding academic ability, we do look for ABB at A-Level and a 2:1 in any degree disciple. If you do not meet the ABB requirement, but are able to demonstrate strong academic performance elsewhere and have the motivation, skill set and attitude to succeed, please reach out to one of the team to discuss your application.
- We want to recruit top talent for our relatively small intake, and we know that academics aren’t the only measure of success and appreciate diversity of experience. We do not automatically reject applications based on academics and screen the whole application form before making a decision. Therefore, we will review your performance across all areas of the form before making a decision, for example; interests and achievements, work experience, overall communication and answers to commercial and career focus questions.
When are your Open Days?
We will be running a series of Open Days, please see below for the dates and details:
- 20 October, 27 October, 3 November and 17 November.
- Applications open – 15 August 2022.
- Applications close – 1 October 2022.
- First Year Insight Day: 17 and 18 April 2023.
- Applications open – 1 December 2022.
- Applications close – 1 February 2023.
- June vacation scheme – 5 to 16 June 2023.
- July vacation scheme – 2 – 14 July 2023.
To attend an Open Day, you can be a first year degree student and beyond. For the STEM Open Day, your non-law degree must be a STEM subject.
I am a first-year student, how can I meet the firm?
Our two-day First Year Insight Scheme takes place in April 2023.
To apply to our first-year schemes you will be in your first year of any degree.
I don't have any legal work experience am I at a disadvantage?
Relevant experience is helpful but we recognise that everyone has to start somewhere so don't worry if you haven't worked in a legal firm previously. Ensure you include other experiences that can support your motivation to law ie attending open days to show your commitment to a career in law.
I didn't achieve both a 2.1 and ABB, is it worth me applying?
We do accept mitigating circumstances so if this is the case please clearly explain why you didn't achieve the marks you were expecting so we are able to take this evidence into consideration. We can also understand your grades via Rare's Contextualised Recruitment system, which enables us to view your performance and grades in context.
We read each application form fully before making a decision so we advise candidates, who may not have performed as well as they had hoped to academically to, to highlight their motivation, skill set and attitude to succeed in their application.
Do you recruit on a rolling basis?
We screen applications on a rolling basis but all of our assessment centres are organised after the deadline to ensure all applicants have the opportunity to apply. We do encourage applicants to submit their application ahead of the deadline.
When are your vacation schemes held'?
Our Summer Vacation Schemes are held across two weeks in either June or July.
The dates of the scheme for 2023 are:
When do you hold your assessment centres?
We will be holding various assessment centres between January and March.
Are you able to make adjustments in the recruitment process?
We are a disability confident organisation. As part of our wider diversity and inclusion strategy we ensure all candidates are supported and able to perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. If you require support during the recruitment process, please feel free to get in touch with the Early Talent team to discuss.
I am a career changer, can I apply?
We welcome applications from candidates from a variety of experiences and backgrounds, from undergraduate level to those who have embarked on a career before their entry into law. Different career backgrounds bring different interests and skill sets, enhancing and diversifying the service we are able to provide to our clients.
I am an international student, am I eligible to apply?
As an international law firm we are able to sponsor work visas.
We welcome applications from international students and appreciate that academics equivalents are not always easy to calculate.
Therefore, we advise candidates to complete the academic achievement section on the application form with as much detail as possible as this enables us to benchmark this appropriately. We pay particular attention in ensuring fairness in all our recruitment processes so we will be in touch directly with any questions we have.
If offered a training contract, which qualification route will I follow?
All sponsored future joiners will complete the PGDL if applicable, and the SQE through the University of Law. This will involve the SQE 1 & 2 preparation courses, along with a bespoke Taylor Wessing SQE Plus programme, including a firm specific project. We will pay for any tuition fees during this period, as well as a maintenance grant.
I joined Taylor Wessing as a trainee in 2005. I was attracted to the firm because of its IP-rich and technology client base. I could see that it was a dynamic firm with innovative clients in interesting sectors. I also wanted to be part of a firm which was growing internationally and hadn't fully established itself across the globe. It has been an exciting time to be part of and watch the firm grow from strength to strength, both internationally and achieving market leadership in key sectors. Working for such an innovative firm has enabled me to build my product liability practice, while working for some of the world's biggest brands with new technologies, including in the autonomous vehicles space.
Ever since I was 15 years old I knew I wanted to go into law, so when it came to starting my training it was crucial that I found a firm with a strong reputation. I researched a great deal of quality firms before making my decision, but Taylor Wessing stood out from the rest due to its focus on upcoming technology and its commitment to the future.
I spoke with some of the firm’s former trainees and was impressed by their feedback. They raved about the culture, the open working environment and how the relatively small nature of the intake allowed trainees to make an impact and not risk fading into the crowd. After that, the choice was simple. I have been at Taylor Wessing for over 3 years now, having sat in Banking and Finance, Private Equity, Restructuring and Corporate Recovery and Corporate Technology.
I’ve been able to take the skills I gained from each of these seats with me as an associate. During my time as a trainee I was thrilled by the level of responsibility I had handed to me. I was able to get involved in a mixture of deals and entrusted with a range of responsibilities, from drafting documents to assisting on deal completions. I also benefitted greatly from meeting a number of clients, which helped build my confidence and made future client liaisons far easier.
The trainees are offered a chance to get to know one another before beginning their training through a number of social events, which means trainees feel part of a team early on. Alongside the day to day work, there are a number of other opportunities available. While I was a trainee I helped organise a summer event for future trainees and attended client events. Additionally, I was able to challenge myself by fundraising for Taylor Wessing’s selected charity, for which I took part in a 50km walk with a group of trainees.
I joined Taylor Wessing as a trainee in 2007. Back then the firm looked fairly different to how it does now and what attracted me initially was its Anglo-German roots (I studied law with German at university). What kept me at the firm, however, was the people and the culture.
At law school I had heard horror stories around training contracts but I had a great 2 years sitting in pensions, corporate technology, real estate and restructuring & insolvency. I had direct contact with clients from the outset (both on work matters and at business development events), was given interesting and challenging work and was supervised by partners and associates who took an interest in my professional development. I also made great friends – many of whom were at my wedding 10 years later!
I qualified into restructuring and insolvency in 2009 (don't let anyone tell you that you can't qualify into your 4th seat). It was the post-Lehman world so the team was very busy and I really enjoyed the mix of black letter law and commercial decision making that is required in a distressed situation. Since qualifying I have had the opportunity to work with numerous colleagues across the London office as well as internationally for clients spanning almost all sectors and have been involved in a range of internal projects and initiatives which are other aspects of the role that I enjoy.
Last year I was promoted to partner and look forward to continuing to contribute positively to people's experiences of the firm.
Graduate recruitment team
Our graduate recruitment team is dedicated to ensuring a smooth and efficient recruitment process for all our graduates. If you have any questions about the summer vacation scheme or becoming a graduate at Taylor Wessing, please contact a member of the team or email us.
