Sam Munday is a LLB (Hons) Law student at Leeds Beckett and is about to enter his final year. He recently took part in a vacation scheme with the law firm Fieldfisher. In this blog, he explains what the scheme involved and offers advice to anyone else who may be interested.

Course : LLB (Hons) Law

What course are you studying and when did you join Leeds Beckett?

I joined Leeds Beckett in 2023 after transferring from Leeds Trinity University - I am currently studying for a Law Degree within the Law School and am heading into my final year.

Tell us about how you found out about your vacation scheme?

I first looked at the Legal Cheek website, to gauge which law firms were recruiting and for how long. After checking the key deadlines calendar on their website, I did some research into law firms that sounded interesting to me using various legal databases such as Legal500, Chambers Students and the firm's websites, whilst making sure to attend insight days/events throughout the application season.

The application process itself consisted of an application form with motivational questions such as "Why commercial law?" and "What interests you about Fieldfisher?", and an online test. Following this I was invited to an assessment centre which involved an interview and a practical task.

What did you do during the vacation scheme, what were the highlights and challenges?

I was with the firm's regulatory team for two weeks, working alongside all types of lawyers from paralegals, trainees, associates and senior partners. 

Highlights involved working on and reviewing real work, for example contracts and professional conduct and ethical breaches, as well as working on an internal blog post outlining the impact of a new Act of Parliament on the financial sector. There were trips out of the firm too - including a visit to the Inner Temple, where we heard from barristers about how best to support them as future solicitors!

Some challenges I encountered involved the obvious: going from being a student to undertaking professional tasks in a short space of time! And less obvious challenges, such as imposter syndrome and adjusting to a more class-conscious environment.

Would you recommend it to others, and what would your advice be to make the most of it when there?

I'd advise anyone at Leeds Beckett aiming to get on to vacation schemes to really do their research on firms before applying. This is partly so that writing a good application comes more naturally (as it is generally easier to write a good application if you have a genuine appreciation for the sector / firm). But also, because you don't want to work for a firm that doesn't work for you - students can be desperate to get onto these schemes but it is important to remember that it is a two-way application process! 

Once you've secured a vacation scheme, I'd recommend students make the most of it and really get stuck into the work - I had undertaken two vacation schemes previously and the experiences I had from these previous schemes were immensely valuable to my overall performance. 

Other than that, make sure to take the opportunity to arrange "coffee chats" (just a chat over coffee in the kitchen!) with as many trainees as possible.

What’s next for you?

Following my vacation scheme at the firm I have been offered, and accepted, a training contract for 2026 with the firm - this means I will undertake my solicitors' qualifying exams and go on to qualify as a solicitor in 2028!