Vacation schemes are notoriously difficult to get a place on. According to Dan Grundy, an associate at Latham & Watkins’ London office, they are even trickier to secure than training contracts themselves. “Do not rank firms for these schemes – it is really competitive, so put in plenty of applications and take whatever you get,” says Grundy.
James Dawson, a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) student at City University, believes that it is easier for people who have studied law to secure a placement. “I applied for several vacation schemes during my year out between university and law school but was rejected each time. It was only after starting the GDL – which gave me some legal knowledge to be able to answer the law-related questions on the application form – that I managed to get one.”
