Paul Weiss to provide every vac schemer free accommodation, travel and even a new suit

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By Legal Cheek on

20

£250 to spend on your work experience wardrobe


The London office of US law firm Paul Weiss is offering what may be the most attractive support package available for vacation scheme students, including free meals, accommodation, travel, and even business clothing.

The range of support is provided to every student who secures a place on the firm’s newly launched UK work experience programme, regardless of their financial background. This contrasts with many City firms, which only provide additional financial support if specifically requested.

Arguably the standout feature is the £250 “professional attire grant”, which allows students to look their best during their time at the firm’s London office. With Paul Weiss located in Twitter’s old London HQ in trendy Soho, rather than the City of London financial district favoured by most corporate law firms, vac scheme students may be as likely to use the cash to purchase designer-wear as a traditional suit. Legal Cheek is unaware of any other firm currently offering a clothing grant as a standard benefit to vac schemers.

As part of PW’s ‘Vacation Scheme Promise’, the firm also will arrange and cover the cost of accommodation, pay for travel to and from the scheme, and provide free breakfast and lunch from Monday to Thursday — all as standard

The two-week schemes will begin in spring and summer next year and will include a market leading salary of £1,500, with half paid upfront. There are ten spots available for each, with no minimum A-Level requirements.

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The firm says that the goal of making this attractive package standard for everyone, regardless of background or financial status, is to ensure that students facing difficulties don’t feel embarrassed about seeking additional support.

The firm’s legal recruitment senior manager, Paul Gascoyne, told Legal Cheek:

“We have put social mobility at the heart of our inaugural vacation schemes at Paul, Weiss” We are delighted to have removed many of the barriers, both financial and educational, that impact who can take part in a vacation scheme and gain access to the legal profession.”

News of the vac scheme package comes after Legal Cheek revealed earlier this year that the US outfit was in the process of launching its first UK training contract programme. The inaugural cohort will commence their TCs in 2026 and earn a market-topping £180,000 upon qualification.

Find out more about the perks offered by over 100 other top law firms in Legal Cheek’s Firms Most List 2025

20 Comments

Steven

I was fairly out of pocket doing vac schemes and open days despite the reimbursement provided by the firms, primarily due to travelling from Scotland. The 2 weeks accommodation and travel costs on one vac scheme meant I lost money despite the generous reimbursement. The real kicker was that several firms had a policy of max reimbursement of £80 for attending an open day (this was in 2017). Fine if you’re in the South East, but even with a railcard it didn’t cover the return fare and associated costs. Initiatives like this are a great way of widening participation. I was very fortunate to be able to cover the costs but imagine many would be put off from attending due to this.

Anon

Agreed. The PW package is very generous especially as I understand it covers accommodation, meals and clothing allowance on top of paying £1500 which is very juicy. I think I must have received a couple hundred to cover everything and was also left massively out of pocket on travel and acom which is ridiculous considering the top firms are billion pound enterprises.

Fair play

No notes.

Anonymous

Really trying to give Kirkland a run for its money?

Anon

Yes. They are. Paul, Weiss is genuinely the only firm in the UK right now actually trying to take on Kirkland.

Imagine if they create a culture better than Kirkland and pay exactly the same as them.

Anon

The culture is working every evening and weekend and holiday. The reward is market leading remuneration on every front. Don’t get it confused.

Kirkland NQ

£250? That won’t get you a replacement set of laces in the sort of shops I go to.

The new death row - come join the money team!

Money Weise!

Surprisingly well thought out...

An underappreciated aspect of improving social mobility is making the access to opportunities as process as pain-free as possible from a costs perspective for students without the means (e.g. not living in London or without an allowance to cover all the additional expenses). Other firms should think of similar support if they want to move the needle on attracting candidates from all backgrounds.

Alan

Who cares where your lawyer comes from as long as they give you good legal advice.

Anon

Okay Alan.

Anon

Their HQ is also in a great location, close to all the west end parks and amenities. What a shame other firms insist on being based around the incredibly dull and grey Liverpool Street area.

Paul Sceptic

Lots of imagining. We’ll have to quadruple their London headcount before that becomes a relevant assessment…

Optimistic Student

Honestly more bigger firms should do this. Unless you already live in London, the money you have to put into attending a vach scheme is insane. Good on you, Paul Weiss.

No diddy come to death row (PW)

Paul is doing what it should

lol

I’m sure their working hrs are very reasonable 🙂

Good stuff

Fantastic decision.

Better to offer it across the board than require someone who may need assistance have to ask. A lot of vac schemers are naturally nervous and apprehensive and so it’s a nice gesture from the firm to ensure these people are covered without having to ask for help.

James

All firms should offer this. This was the main barrier for me doing a vac scheme at a London firm. I simply could not afford it. I don’t know anybody in London I could shack up with, and the ~£400 a week payment wouldn’t cover the amount I would spend on a hotel.

confused

why only provide food Monday to Thursday – do vac schemers WFH on Fridays??

Anonymous

The SMART Commitment being delivered by Eversheds and AG has been doing this and more since May 2024 via Aspiring Solicitors…

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