In-house vs. private practice: which type of vacation scheme is right for me?

Feb 01, 2022

Written By Thomas Cserep

The best way to find out what it’s like working in the legal industry is work experience, whether that’s by doing a vacation scheme or a legal internship. Here we will break down the differences between in-house experience and private practice vacation schemes, to help you decide which is the best fit.

In house vs. private practice

In-house solicitors usually work in the legal department of a larger company. Since their only client is their employer, they support them with all legal issues – regardless of what area of law is concerned. A certain level of business acumen and commercial awareness is vital, as your advice directly affects the direction your employer will steer the company in.

On the other hand, private practices usually specialise in a particular area of law. You can become an expert in your field of law, assisting multiple clients simultaneously during your time at the legal practice.

Due to their differing roles and responsibilities, in-house lawyers are often referred to as generalists of the legal industry, while private practitioners are seen as specialists in a particular aspect of law.

There are also personal preferences to take into account that might help you decide which type of experience to pursue. Those who enjoy seeing projects through from start to finish might prefer the in-house option, for example, meanwhile it’s worth remembering that the often smaller teams might mean there are no other lawyers to bounce ideas off.

In-house solicitors might also have more of a chance to work on interconnected projects, assignments that overlap with one another, all from a central point. In private practice, however, you are more likely to help clients temporarily, on projects that require your specialist knowledge.

In-house can also offer the opportunity to work across multiple jurisdictions, for example the sole legal counsel for UK and Ireland for their organisation could be engaging with international at a lawyers group-wide level.

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Vacation schemes & legal internships

Primarily targeting first year university students, vacation schemes are work experience programmes run by law firms. They usually take place in the Christmas, Easter and summer holidays and last between one and two weeks. It is not unusual for students to do multiple vacation schemes at different firms throughout their time at university.

Instead of running vacation schemes, in-house legal departments offer legal internships that could last several months. Whether you are studying or not, you need to find enough time to complete your placement.

Even though legal internships and vacation schemes have many similarities, your role and experience will differ slightly depending on the pathway you choose.

Specialising early on

If you are already certain that you want to qualify as a solicitor and work in a particular area of law, it is advisable to do a vacation scheme with a private practice. This means you’ll get first-hand experience of your chosen route, and put yourself in a good position for training contract applications with firms that specialise in that area of the legal industry.

Since your company is your only client, as an in-house solicitor you will support your employer in all legal matters, getting experience of all different aspects of law throughout your placement.

This will help you figure out what area to specialise in at a later date if you wish to work for a particular private practice in the future.

Alternatively, you could also do multiple vacation schemes. Since they only last up to two weeks, it’s possible to undertake multiple placements with a variety of legal firms specialising in different areas of law.

Keeping options open

Whilst you are interested in becoming a lawyer, you may be apprehensive about dedicating your career to solely being a solicitor. If that is the case, it’s worth considering a legal internship with an in-house legal department.

As your work helps support the company you work for, you’ll also use and build upon your commercial awareness and good knowledge of business. This can make an in-house legal department an exciting work environment, as your role requires you to be much more than a lawyer.

Gap years

Legal internship programmes can be as long as a year. If you are taking a break from your studies and want to dip your toes in the legal industry, you might want to consider doing a placement with an in-house legal department.

Unlike vacation schemes, you need to find a significant length of time to complete the programme. A gap year is the perfect opportunity to do an internship and gain valuable work experience in the world of law.

Vacation schemes and legal internships are both great forms of work experience to bolster your CV. However, it is up to you to decide which one meets your needs the best.

In-House