£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.
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