Get a taste of life and work at Wragge & Co

2008 Vacation Scheme Student Rob Bridgeman talks about life at Wragge & Co:      

"I applied for a vacation placement at Wragge & Co LLP because of its reputation within the market. I was brought up in the Midlands and wanted to work for a firm with an office in Birmingham which had the ambition to challenge the bigger London firms.

I spent a week in the Human Resources group under the guidance of one of the employment partners. Having heard stories from friends about spending their vacation schemes standing in front of the photocopier, I was half expecting to be given some menial task. But on my first full day in the department I was taken to meet a client in Rugby and asked to take notes while the partner conducted an interview. On my return, I was asked to order the notes into a witness statement, which was eventually used in the trial bundle. This work was due to be completed by a trainee, who graciously allowed me to go to Rugby in her place and answered all of my questions as they arose. What better way to experience life as a trainee solicitor?

Aside from work, there were talks from the group leaders who explained what their particular area of law involved in practice. There were also interesting sessions about the Wragge & Co brand and the bespoke LPC plus course at the College of Law which is tailored to the firm. Of course, there were also a variety of social activities to keep us occupied: a treasure hunt around the city, dinner in the Mailbox and a game of rounders. These socials gave us the opportunity to chat to trainees, newly qualified solicitors and partners in an informal setting and get to know a little more about what makes Wragge & Co unique.

Having been on a vacation scheme at a rival firm, I was able to compare my experiences. I found that students on the vacation scheme at Wragge & Co were given far more responsibility and that the firm really did have a friendly culture. I also felt that we gelled more as a group on the Wragge & Co vacation scheme, this could be because it was made clear at the start that we were not fighting each other for a training contract.

I found the scheme to be thoroughly rewarding. It allowed me to experience a little about life as a trainee solicitor and showed me the delights that Birmingham has to offer as a city. Most importantly, it convinced me that Wragge & Co is competing with City firms and has the ambition to continue to bring in top quality clients and offer excellent service."