New Threads

Hi everyone,

I'm due to start the PGDL in a few days. However, I'm contemplating whether it is still worth doing with this new SQE route. I know many law firms will still put their non-law applicants through the PGDL so I would be at an advantage if I start it already. But I'm wondering whether I should just pay for a SQE prep course and attempt to do the SQE without having a law conversion course.

Any insight on this would be great!

i read through a report of a company that provides these sjts to GR and they claim their tests help make sure the candidate is aligned with the company's goals and values and all that ... ngl it really sounds like some really b.s. psychosocial analysis i smash every other type of aptitude test but *this* really stumps me and i never get better at it! :') in the past i did around 10 practice tests but consistently scored a solid 'C' or 40%-60%. i wonder if it's just me that finds it impossible despite prepping for it. i've had to limit my applications to firms that don't have sjts, it's working out very well, but i can't help thinking that i should be able to handle sjts cuz they seem like the easiest type of aptitude test to pass, yknow?

Hi all, I am a bit confused about Farrer's application. They require a 350 words cover letter in addition to 5 questions covering skills, why the firm, achievement, interests etc. I am not sure what else to put in the cover letter, does it matter if I repeat some of my experiences? Thank you!

I know I've asked about this before, but circumstances have somewhat changed and I need a bit more advice. I've added in a bit more context than previously as this is not on the main thread. @Jessica Booker any thoughts?

I currently have a TC offer with NRF. I was also offered a Direct TC interview with Slaughter and May. I decided to withdraw my application for Slaughter and May because:

• I have a limited time to accept the TC offer with NRF and I don't want to burn bridges by reneging, but the earliest interview slot at Slaughters was in May (i.e. I would have to renege if I subsequently accepted an offer from Slaughters).
• I got a really good feel for the culture at NRF during my vac scheme and I loved it and really fit in, whereas I'm going off other people's experiences for the culture at Slaughters. I realise that I could have remedied this by trying to visit Slaughters earlier, but I really didn't think I would get to this point in the process, or that I would be in this fortunate position of being able to choose if I should interview. I am also concerned that you cannot accurately judge the culture of a firm based off an interview.
• I have a special interest in energy and NRF ranks higher than Slaughters for this. Saying that, I'm not 100% sure that I will love energy more than another area after completing a TC but I can't make an informed decision about that until after I have had significant experience in those areas.
• I don't want to take up an interview slot and deny someone a chance to interview for their dream firm when I'm not completely convinced and already have an offer at NRF (which is pretty dreamy in itself).

I emailed Slaughters to let them know about my situation and that I was withdrawing. They emailed me back with an offer to make an interview slot available for me 5 months(!) earlier than their booking system allows to next week! They've literally gone out of their way to make this slot available for me. This act has really changed some of my preconceived ideas about the firm and now I think it may be worth going to the interview to see if any of my other ideas about the firm were wrong and if it may be a better place for me than NRF.

I'm really conflicted over this as I realise how lucky I am to be in this situation. I was fully expecting Slaughters to accept the withdrawal and leave it at that. Seeing as they have been flexible for me, I'm now thinking I should extend the same courtesy and try not to let other people's opinions of the firm cloud my personal opinions. Maybe I should accept the interview? Would it be taking someone else's spot if they have specifically rearranged an interview spot earlier?

Either way, I really need someone to kick some sense into me and ground me because I'm struggling to make rational, well thought-out decisions at the moment. I feel like I'm living inside a dream world.

Hi,

I am applying for vacation scheme with Shearman&Sterling . I was asked to provide my GCSE and A levels. I am a bit confused, not sure from which age I have to write my GCSE results and A levels. I did my secondary education and A-levels in Romania.

Thanks

I'm currently trying to complete my Travers Smith Summer vacation scheme application. While they are asking for a cover letter I am uncertain how many words to use for it. If anyone has any pointers I'd really appreciate the help!

Hi everyone. My name is Joy Neburagho from Nigeria. I'm a legal practitioner in Nigeria. I have just joined the commercial law academy to be more commercially aware. I look forward to amazing opportunities and I am glad to meet everyone.

Hi, has anyone heard back from links for the summer vs? My portal says my application is on hold. I was wondering if its the same for others?

Hi everyone,

I have a vac scheme interview coming up and am trying to prepare for the possibility of commercial awareness questions; however, I'm not sure how much knowledge I'm supposed to have at this stage. I have some possible options below; could anyone who has experience with vac scheme interviews please let me know which is most accurate, and any more info if possible?

1. We just need a good knowledge of current affairs, eg the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis, and how these affairs might affect clients

2. We need knowledge of specifically commercial current affairs, eg the crypto crisis, and how businesses and markets work / how these affairs might affect clients

3. We need knowledge of all of the above as well as specific commercial law knowledge, eg reasons why an IPO may not work, or the stages of a private equity transaction

I understand this may differ by firm: the firm I have the interview with is Davis Polk, whose London office is strongly focused on corporate and finance work.

Thanks in advance for any replies!

Hi everyone!

I received an interview offer from Davis Polk today, which I am obviously very happy about! However, I am quite nervous about the interview and trying to do everything I can to prepare. Would it be appropriate for me to message a current Davis Polk trainee on LinkedIn to ask how they prepared for the interview and what they think they did that made them successful? I would choose someone who went to the same uni as me so we have something in common! I thought this would be fine but a friend said that if the interviewers found out about it they wouldn't like it - is this the case?

Thanks in advance for any replies!

P.S.: if anyone has any experience of the Davis Polk interview from previous cycles, I would be really grateful for some advice!

Hi all

Received an AC invite for the 2Bird Spring Vac Scheme. The email says

"The virtual assessment centre comprises of a timed written exercise, live interview, as well as non-assessed Q&A time with our current trainee solicitors. Prior to the assessment centre, you'll be sent a preparation guide to help prepare you for this stage of the recruitment process."

My questions are
1) Should I expect a repeat of the WG? Know that they used to do it (unique to them, I believe). The above wording does not indicate I will have to repeat it, but they may just want to hide it. My WG track record is inconsistent so I will practice if I must but don't want to waste time practicing if I need not. Got any sources who can verify one way or another?
2) Was also thinking to ask for more details (and straight up asking if we must retake the WG), but not sure if this is a smart idea at this stage given they state they will be sending a guide. Could it bite me? Don't see any harm in asking when's the guide coming, but if I email, I may as well get right to the point?
3) Any other advice would be much appreciated - especially from 2022 AC participants.
4) Does anyone know if they made any offers already? Don't believe they have a Winter scheme but noticed a recent review on another site and this put me in questioning mode.

Many thanks,

When I was making applications, I would spend hours ensuring that every single detail was accurate. I was so scared of getting something wrong that my fear drove many, many rounds of proofing. All this effort allowed me to create a mental checklist of the things I wanted to ensure were right before sending an app, which I am now sharing with you here as you gear up for the second half of this application cycle. I hope this helps you speed up your proofing and send applications in a (relatively) less stress-free manner than I did!

• Check your personal details - particularly stuff like your email address and whether you've indicated your right to work accurately.
• Education - split your screen with your transcripts on one side and the application form on the other, or get someone to read your grades while sitting next to you, so that you can ensure that you are listing your grades accurately. Ensuring that your grades are listed correctly is absolutely essential as certain grades form a minimum requirement at many firms and misstating them can impact your prospects negatively. Focus on getting the following right as a bare minimum -
  • Institution name,
  • Subjects,
  • Grades,
  • Year of examination and
  • Type of exams.
• Work experience - apart from ensuring that you write about what you did honestly, it's also super important to write down the following accurately -
  • Month and year of work experience (for both start and end date)
  • Position held
  • Company name (ensure there are no misspellings!)
• Answers to contextual questions - running a grammar check on Grammarly or Word is the bare minimum that you can do. Ensure that you're getting at least one other pair of eyes to look over your answers to check for -
  • Grammatical errors
  • Tone and delivery
  • Whether your answer relates directly back to the question
  • Whether the firm is spelt correctly wherever you have mentioned them
  • Whether any dates and names of activities have been listed correctly
• Additional information/mitigating circumstances - ensure you write this section with clarity and as much detail as is necessary to convey the nature of your mitigating circumstances/additional information. It's crucial that you get the details of your mitigating circumstances right and that any additional information you mention can be backed up with evidence. Again, it could be useful to have someone look over this section as well.
• Attachments - ensure that you both correctly name and attach the appropriate document. If your CV and cover letter are required to be submitted, run the same check as you did for education and work experience a few times as a bare minimum.

What are HSF's key competitors? Also which sectors does HSF have a strength in?

Hi! Has anyone heard back from Clyde & Co. following the VI for the spring vac scheme?

Hi I'm really struggling thinking of an answer to the question where HSF should open a new office? It already has a strong presence in the Asian market and doesn't appear to have plans to expand further in the US. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Hello

After years of applying I finally got my first Video interview. Please could anyone who has completed it let me know what kind of questions they ask.
I applied for direct TC.

Thanks

Hi all,

for background, I’m just about to finish my LPC-LLM at BPP and work as an in-house paralegal in financial services. For the life of me, I cannot pass online assessments for law firms (I’ve never gotten past this stage in the 5 years I’ve been applying). No matter how many I practice, be they situational, Watson glaser, etc I just can’t seem to pass onto the next round. Should I re-evaluate a city law career?

Hi everyone!

My name is Kikelomo, a common law qualified lawyer, I just completed my masters in international commercial law. I am hoping to getting a job and qualify as a solicitor here in the UK. Happy to be here.

Hi all,

I was inspired by @j.s.cox recent success and decided to start a similar thread to track and reflect on my progress, hold myself accountable, and hopefully connect with some likeminded people.

I am an international non-law student in my third year and I realised I wanted to pursue a career in law in August 2022. This is my progress so far:

• Applied to and been rejected from Travers, Ashurst, Simmons & Simmons WVS, and CC direct TC
• Applied to and successfully attended Open Days at Baker McKenzie, Taylor Wessing, and DLA Piper
• Attended Freshfields' Non-Law Workshop after a successful application
• Attended Slaughter and May's Winter Workshop and as a result have a direct TC interview scheduled in March with the firm
• Awaiting the outcome of these applications: Freshfields' direct TC, Baker McKenzie's SVS, and Taylor Wessing SVS (post arctic shores)

I have been trying to improve my commercial awareness by listening to daily FT news briefings, reading commercial newsletters such as ziplaw and littlelaw, and reading the book 'All you need to know about the city' by Christopher Stoakes. Until now I have just been sporadically looking at and reading articles on a surface level, struggling to connect the dots on how it relates to a law firm. However, I have realised if i'm going to feel prepared at my interview in two months, I have to start actively setting goals for myself.

I want to focus on:

• Reflecting more on the role of law firms and the effect on law firm clients when reading news
• Finding a couple interesting stories to focus on and follow rather than trying to gain an insight into everything at once
• Setting weekly and daily specific goals (for example, complete chapter 4 in the book i'm reading or spend 2 hours in the library preparing for motivational interview questions)
• Seek out help and as much experience I can get - talk to my career service and see if they can do a mock interview with me or use TCLA's service

Thanks for reading and good luck to everyone

'Taking into account what you have learnt about Michelmores and our position in the marketplace, what items do you think should feature on the agenda for our Strategic Board over the next few years?'

Is this question asking what can the firm do to improve/stay competitive? I am confused what they mean when they say 'items' - probably overthinking it

Hi All,

Further to the Building Your Commercial Awareness Issue I sent out just now, you can post an attempted answer to the mock case study in this thread.

Just a bit of fun to help you practise your case study answers. I encourage you to give it a go even if you find it hard.

Those who submit their answers by midnight on Thursday 12 January 2023 will receive an email on Friday with the answers to all of the case study questions.

Good luck!

Jaysen

Hi all,

Was wondering if anyone had examples of changes (happening or yet to happen) in the legal sector which would have an impact on law firms and their clients?

Where would I be able to find information on things like this? Anything beyond the typical ESG, legal tech, etc?

Thanks!