Click on the logo below to complete our application form.
Summer vacation scheme 2012
Our summer vacation scheme is designed to provide an insight into the life of a modern, forward thinking commercial law firm - the people, the environment and the different aspects of our practice.
Over a six week period through June and July, we take on 20 students for 2 three-week placements for which a weekly salary of £275.00 is paid. During the placement students will work in one of the following departments, ideally of your choosing: Banking, Commercial, Corporate, Dispute Resolution, Employment, IP, Real Estate.
You will receive a structured induction and training programme over the three weeks allowing you to integrate easily into the firm's life, improve your working skills and help you get the most from us. You will become actively involved in your department and the work it carries out, attend in-house seminars and have the opportunity to meet members of the firm at every level.
When to apply
- Non-law students should apply no earlier than in their final year
- Law students should apply no earlier than in their penultimate year
- Graduates can apply at any time
You can apply for our 2012 summer vacation scheme from 8th November 2010. Please apply on line by accessing www.cvmailuk.com/twobirds. The deadline for applications is 31st January 2012.
Please note that the application forms are reviewed on a continual basis.
The first stage will involve successful applicants being invited in for a short interview with a member of HR and a written test. These interviews will take place in December, January and February.
Should you be successful following that stage you will be invited to attend one of our Insight and Selection days which will take place in February/March 2012.
Successful candidates from the Insight and Selection days will be offered a place on one of the two schemes we are running during June and July 2012.
It is important to note that the Insight and Selection days is a part of the selection process. If you are unable to attend one of the Insight and Selection days, unfortunately you will not be considered for the scheme.
Which law fairs to meet us at
We will be participating at several law fairs from October to November 2011 and would be delighted to see you at your local fair.
| 19 October 2011 |
Nottingham University |
| 26 October 2011 |
Cambridge University |
| 1 November 2011 |
Cardiff University |
| 9 November 2011 |
Bristol University |
| 12 November 2011 |
Oxford University |
| 15 November 2011 |
Warwick University |
| 16 November 2011 |
Birmingham University |
| 22 November 2011 |
Durham University |
| 22 November 2011 |
Manchester University |
Click on the logo below to complete our application form for the 2012 summer placement scheme, from 21st October 2011.
Why secure a summer placement? Have a look below at what the people who've actually been through it have to say.
Abbas Lightwalla
I spent my three-week work placement at Bird & Bird in the Real Estate Group. The most rewarding and useful thing about my experience at Bird & Bird was that I felt I was given the type of work I might expect as a trainee at the firm, which gave me a better understanding of what life would be like working as a commercial lawyer at an international firm. The fact that I had full exposure to the department for three weeks meant that over the duration of the placement I could take on more responsibility and see where my work fit into the bigger picture.
However, despite enjoying a sense of responsibility, I was never left completely out of my depth, having been assigned a trainee buddy and a fee-earning supervisor to look after me and I was encouraged to ask questions about the work I was undertaking. My experience of interacting with other people from the firm led me to appreciate its open culture, founded upon respect and a real interest in investing in the future of young lawyers. The partners I worked for were more than happy to take time to chat with me about my work and the work that they were doing at the time, which completely removed some misconceptions that I had had about the legal world.
The vacation scheme also involved a client pitch project which all the summer placement scheme participants worked on together, divided into two teams. As part of this project we interviewed people from across the firm, including heads of group and even the CEO. This was a particularly useful exercise as it gave us exposure to other practice areas and involved understanding the strategy and ethos of the firm as a whole and the way in which Bird & Bird has maintained a strong practice and sector focus whilst growing rapidly in size. We also saw the firm’s commitment to pro-bono work and it was great to see the number of legal, educational and local community initiatives the firm is involved in both locally and internationally.
Away from work, we had a variety of social events planned for us, varying from drinks evenings with trainees to sports events, such as handball. These provided perfect opportunities to get to know the firm better in an informal setting. Getting to chat with some of the partners in my department also helped me to appreciate how friendly the culture of the firm is, with any sense of hierarchy dismissed as everyone wound down together.
No matter how much you read about a firm, you can’t really understand its culture until you experience it first-hand. For me, Bird & Bird demystified a lot of the misconceptions I had had about the world of commercial law in general, making me appreciate how rewarding and enjoyable working in such an environment can be. I would definitely recommend undertaking a vacation placement here because, for me, it really did confirm Bird & Bird’s reputation for offering a friendly, non-hierarchical, open-door culture which cannot always be found at law firms.