Vacation Schemes
What is a Vacation Scheme?
A clear explanation of what vacation schemes are, how they work, and why law firms use them to recruit future trainees.
EO Careers Team
Jan 28, 2026
For guidance on securing a vacation scheme, see our vacation schemes hub.
What is a vacation scheme?
A vacation scheme is a short, structured placement at a law firm, usually lasting one to two weeks. It is designed to give students and graduates insight into life at the firm while allowing the firm to assess candidates for future training contracts.
Vacation schemes are most commonly offered by medium to large commercial law firms and are a primary recruitment route for trainee solicitors. At many firms, a significant proportion of training contract offers are made directly to vacation scheme participants.
Although the name suggests something informal, vacation schemes are a core part of the firm’s hiring process. Candidates are assessed throughout the scheme on their performance, professionalism, and potential.
Who are vacation schemes for?
Vacation schemes are typically aimed at:
Law students in their penultimate or final year
Non-law students planning to convert via the PGDL
Graduates applying before or during further legal study
Eligibility requirements vary by firm. Some specify year groups, while others assess applications on a rolling basis. International students are often eligible, but visa sponsorship policies differ and should be checked early.
What do you do on a vacation scheme?
While the structure varies between firms, most vacation schemes include a mix of:
Work shadowing: observing trainees and associates on live matters
Practical tasks: research exercises, drafting tasks, or simulated case studies
Workshops and presentations: covering practice areas, firm strategy, and client work
Networking events: informal opportunities to speak with trainees, associates, and partners
Assessment exercises: interviews, written tasks, or group exercises
Some firms treat the scheme as largely observational. Others run it as an extended assessment centre. Either way, participants are expected to engage actively, ask thoughtful questions, and demonstrate professional conduct throughout.
How are candidates assessed?
Vacation schemes are not assessed on legal knowledge. Firms are far more interested in how candidates think and behave in a professional environment.
Common assessment criteria include:
Communication and clarity
Commercial awareness
Teamwork and interpersonal skills
Attention to detail and organisation
Motivation for the firm and the role
Assessment may be formal, such as interviews or written exercises, or informal, based on feedback from supervisors and trainees. In practice, every interaction matters
Do vacation schemes lead to training contracts?
Yes. For many firms, the vacation scheme is the main route to a training contract offer.
Some firms recruit almost exclusively from their schemes. Others use them as a strong indicator but still require a separate interview. Either way, performing well on a vacation scheme significantly improves your chances of securing a training contract.
This is why competition for vacation schemes is intense and why applications are treated with the same seriousness as training contract applications.
How competitive are vacation schemes?
Vacation schemes are highly competitive. Large firms often receive thousands of applications for a limited number of places.
Rejection is common and does not mean a candidate lacks potential. Many successful trainees applied multiple times, attended several assessment centres, or refined their approach over more than one application cycle.
Strong candidates focus on improving the quality of their applications rather than simply submitting more of them.
Is a vacation scheme essential?
A vacation scheme is not the only route into law, but for commercial firms it is the most direct and reliable one.
Candidates who do not secure a scheme can still build strong applications through other forms of experience, such as:
Legal clinics and pro bono work
Part-time work demonstrating transferable skills
Open days, insight events, and firm workshops
Structured self-directed learning and research
What matters is showing that you understand the role, the firm, and the skills required to succeed.
How many vacation schemes should I apply for?
There is no fixed number of vacation schemes you should apply for. In practice, many successful candidates submit multiple applications across different firms, because competition is high and outcomes are unpredictable. What matters more than volume is the quality of each application. A smaller number of well-researched, tailored applications will usually outperform a large number of generic ones. Candidates should apply broadly enough to give themselves realistic chances, but only where they can properly evidence motivation, skills, and understanding of the firm.
Final thoughts
A vacation scheme is best understood as both an opportunity and an assessment. It allows candidates to test whether a firm is the right fit, while giving the firm insight into how candidates perform in practice.
Approached strategically, a vacation scheme can be a decisive step toward a training contract. Approached casually, it can close doors just as quickly.
Understanding what schemes are designed to assess is the first step to approaching them effectively.
Related Articles
Vacation Schemes
What is a Vacation Scheme?
A clear explanation of what vacation schemes are, how they work, and why law firms use them to recruit future trainees.
EO Careers Team
Jan 28, 2026
For guidance on securing a vacation scheme, see our vacation schemes hub.
What is a vacation scheme?
A vacation scheme is a short, structured placement at a law firm, usually lasting one to two weeks. It is designed to give students and graduates insight into life at the firm while allowing the firm to assess candidates for future training contracts.
Vacation schemes are most commonly offered by medium to large commercial law firms and are a primary recruitment route for trainee solicitors. At many firms, a significant proportion of training contract offers are made directly to vacation scheme participants.
Although the name suggests something informal, vacation schemes are a core part of the firm’s hiring process. Candidates are assessed throughout the scheme on their performance, professionalism, and potential.
Who are vacation schemes for?
Vacation schemes are typically aimed at:
Law students in their penultimate or final year
Non-law students planning to convert via the PGDL
Graduates applying before or during further legal study
Eligibility requirements vary by firm. Some specify year groups, while others assess applications on a rolling basis. International students are often eligible, but visa sponsorship policies differ and should be checked early.
What do you do on a vacation scheme?
While the structure varies between firms, most vacation schemes include a mix of:
Work shadowing: observing trainees and associates on live matters
Practical tasks: research exercises, drafting tasks, or simulated case studies
Workshops and presentations: covering practice areas, firm strategy, and client work
Networking events: informal opportunities to speak with trainees, associates, and partners
Assessment exercises: interviews, written tasks, or group exercises
Some firms treat the scheme as largely observational. Others run it as an extended assessment centre. Either way, participants are expected to engage actively, ask thoughtful questions, and demonstrate professional conduct throughout.
How are candidates assessed?
Vacation schemes are not assessed on legal knowledge. Firms are far more interested in how candidates think and behave in a professional environment.
Common assessment criteria include:
Communication and clarity
Commercial awareness
Teamwork and interpersonal skills
Attention to detail and organisation
Motivation for the firm and the role
Assessment may be formal, such as interviews or written exercises, or informal, based on feedback from supervisors and trainees. In practice, every interaction matters
Related Articles
Vacation Schemes
What is a Vacation Scheme?
A clear explanation of what vacation schemes are, how they work, and why law firms use them to recruit future trainees.
EO Careers Team
Jan 28, 2026
For guidance on securing a vacation scheme, see our vacation schemes hub.
What is a vacation scheme?
A vacation scheme is a short, structured placement at a law firm, usually lasting one to two weeks. It is designed to give students and graduates insight into life at the firm while allowing the firm to assess candidates for future training contracts.
Vacation schemes are most commonly offered by medium to large commercial law firms and are a primary recruitment route for trainee solicitors. At many firms, a significant proportion of training contract offers are made directly to vacation scheme participants.
Although the name suggests something informal, vacation schemes are a core part of the firm’s hiring process. Candidates are assessed throughout the scheme on their performance, professionalism, and potential.
Who are vacation schemes for?
Vacation schemes are typically aimed at:
Law students in their penultimate or final year
Non-law students planning to convert via the PGDL
Graduates applying before or during further legal study
Eligibility requirements vary by firm. Some specify year groups, while others assess applications on a rolling basis. International students are often eligible, but visa sponsorship policies differ and should be checked early.
What do you do on a vacation scheme?
While the structure varies between firms, most vacation schemes include a mix of:
Work shadowing: observing trainees and associates on live matters
Practical tasks: research exercises, drafting tasks, or simulated case studies
Workshops and presentations: covering practice areas, firm strategy, and client work
Networking events: informal opportunities to speak with trainees, associates, and partners
Assessment exercises: interviews, written tasks, or group exercises
Some firms treat the scheme as largely observational. Others run it as an extended assessment centre. Either way, participants are expected to engage actively, ask thoughtful questions, and demonstrate professional conduct throughout.
How are candidates assessed?
Vacation schemes are not assessed on legal knowledge. Firms are far more interested in how candidates think and behave in a professional environment.
Common assessment criteria include:
Communication and clarity
Commercial awareness
Teamwork and interpersonal skills
Attention to detail and organisation
Motivation for the firm and the role
Assessment may be formal, such as interviews or written exercises, or informal, based on feedback from supervisors and trainees. In practice, every interaction matters
Related Articles
Vacation Schemes
What is a Vacation Scheme?
A clear explanation of what vacation schemes are, how they work, and why law firms use them to recruit future trainees.
EO Careers Team
Jan 28, 2026
For guidance on securing a vacation scheme, see our vacation schemes hub.
What is a vacation scheme?
A vacation scheme is a short, structured placement at a law firm, usually lasting one to two weeks. It is designed to give students and graduates insight into life at the firm while allowing the firm to assess candidates for future training contracts.
Vacation schemes are most commonly offered by medium to large commercial law firms and are a primary recruitment route for trainee solicitors. At many firms, a significant proportion of training contract offers are made directly to vacation scheme participants.
Although the name suggests something informal, vacation schemes are a core part of the firm’s hiring process. Candidates are assessed throughout the scheme on their performance, professionalism, and potential.
Who are vacation schemes for?
Vacation schemes are typically aimed at:
Law students in their penultimate or final year
Non-law students planning to convert via the PGDL
Graduates applying before or during further legal study
Eligibility requirements vary by firm. Some specify year groups, while others assess applications on a rolling basis. International students are often eligible, but visa sponsorship policies differ and should be checked early.
What do you do on a vacation scheme?
While the structure varies between firms, most vacation schemes include a mix of:
Work shadowing: observing trainees and associates on live matters
Practical tasks: research exercises, drafting tasks, or simulated case studies
Workshops and presentations: covering practice areas, firm strategy, and client work
Networking events: informal opportunities to speak with trainees, associates, and partners
Assessment exercises: interviews, written tasks, or group exercises
Some firms treat the scheme as largely observational. Others run it as an extended assessment centre. Either way, participants are expected to engage actively, ask thoughtful questions, and demonstrate professional conduct throughout.
How are candidates assessed?
Vacation schemes are not assessed on legal knowledge. Firms are far more interested in how candidates think and behave in a professional environment.
Common assessment criteria include:
Communication and clarity
Commercial awareness
Teamwork and interpersonal skills
Attention to detail and organisation
Motivation for the firm and the role
Assessment may be formal, such as interviews or written exercises, or informal, based on feedback from supervisors and trainees. In practice, every interaction matters