I notice most of those saying 'it isn't that bad' are ALSO saying they would - and can! - do similar for their DC.
If it's so ok that it provides an INSIGNIFICANT amount of advantage, why so keen to provide your DC the same advantage.
As a few pps have said, it's not quite so much the odd occasion of these DC gaining advantage, but as in the cartoon linked (which I love and have used myself to illustrate similar points) it's the CUMULATIVE effect - and then the PRIVILEGED child doesn't even ACKNOWLEDGE their privilege, let alone feel grateful for it.
It starts from genetic advantage (not everyone has good health, or the intellect to do well academically , personally I feel uk as a country puts too much weight on academic achievement and not enough on other skills and abilities - and I say that as someone who has done well academically), to what family you're born into, where you're born, when, up to and including how able your parents are to support you/provide you with advantages other DC don't have.
There aren't enough jobs to go around just now, of any kind, so to be able to get work experience - and PAID work experience at that IS a huge advantage at the moment. I also agree posters comparing this to work experience shelf stacking or cleaning ARE being disingenuous in thinking this wouldn't be seen as 'better' by most employers.
Locally, there's a real problem with council jobs very rarely going to people without a personal, usually family, connection within the council. Just going into the local customer facing offices there's a lot of employees with same surname who look a lot alike. I'm not local but know locals and it's often complained about. Particularly when it comes to the coveted school hours only jobs.
Every advantage makes a difference. I understand parents giving their kids the advantage - doesn't make it right.
Op - it absolutely is nepotism and honestly I think you knew this when you posted, you're clearly an educated, intelligent person. No way you didn't know this. Which frankly begs the question - why post?
The woman who challenged you, I agree did neither herself nor her child any favours pissing you off, but I also understand why she was pissed off. In all likelihood under the current climate and depending on where you are, ANY office based experience can be a huge advantage. It doesn't have to be law, for some DC ANY office based position is a step up from what experience/jobs they're likely to get WITHOUT that advantage.
No there was no need to do a huge campaign for the jobs, but there's also no reason why your firm couldn't have discreetly contacted the local 6th form/college for suitable candidates.
It IS giving your child and the other children an unfair advantage I find it very hard to believe you didn't know this. That you don't recognise or acknowledge this speaks to how oblivious you are to
A how lucky your family is
B how tough other families are having it.
I come from a wc family who mainly had manual jobs, shelf stacking, cleaning type jobs. That my generation within the family have mainly had office based jobs is seen as a huge step up. Myself and my cousin having degrees is looked on with a weird mix of awe and discomfort because the generation above didn't even get to do the equivalent of A-levels! They almost all left school at 14/15 to go straight into traditional wc jobs that didn't require qualifications (at the time). My dad joining the army was seen as aspirational ffs!
"I am working damn hard" this often comes up on threads discussing advantage and privilege - with the posters forgetting they are LUCKY to have the ability to work hard. Not everyone does.
I have intelligence and academic ability - hasn't helped me recently as my disability and mental illness (ironically mental illness seems MORE prevalent among the intelligent) have made it pretty impossible to work! There's also parents with sick/disabled kids which caring for them makes it at best very difficult to work.
Myotherusernameisapun - exactly! They'll talk it up on their cv.
"Not to mention the fact that these kids will now be able to ask employees of that law firm for professional references - another useful bonus." VERY useful
Orchidinthesun - really? What area of work are you in? Also what if they don't put the specific dates so you don't know it was only 2 weeks? Or if they'd only worked 2 weeks in the supermarket so there's a more direct comparison?
"people like to say that any experience is good experience, but it isn’t true." I agree.
"Any good interviewer" not all are good. Just see the many threads where people describe interviewers asking ridiculous, even illegal (relating to equality laws) questions, behaving unprofessionally themselves.