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Hi I was wondering if anyone has experienced the Freshfields vac scheme and if so wouldn't mind speaking with me about it briefly?

Hi Everyone,

I was hoping to get some advice on what steps I should take to best advance my career. I'm a final year LLB student at a RG Uni (graduating July 2022). This application cycle I was unable to convert 2 ACs for a Vacation Scheme at two National / Mid-Market firms. The resulting uncertainty has caused quite a few dilemmas.

Currently, I'm looking at 2 potential next steps:
1. Self-Fund the SQE starting September + Apply for Vac Schemes at the same time
2. Look for law-related work ASAP (e.g. paralegal, legal assistant, document review) + Apply for Vac Schemes at the same time

I have a few questions, which will help me out a lot:
1. Would self-funding the SQE increase my chances of securing a VS/TC for the concurrent application cycle?
2. I don't have any prior legal work experience. Would it be impossible to secure a paralegal or legal assistant job after graduating?
3. Is it worth self-funding the SQE, given I would be doing it before a potential TC anyways?
4. How can I continue to improve my profile after university (given I lose access to opportunities offered at university)?

I am open to suggestions which I may not have considered already. Also, I would be eligible to do the LPC; would there be any advantage to doing it as opposed to the SQE?

Thanks in advance!

Hi,

I am looking for some advice. I am due to start the LPC/Masters in September and the firm I work for have confirmed they will provide me with a training contract.

I have a debt relief order on my record which is not due to expire until 2024. I was a victim of domestic violence and was financial abused as debts were ran up in my name which is the reason for the order.

When will I have to take the character suitability test? My masters/LPC is 1 year full time so that would take me to September 2023. The training contract is 2 years so that take me to September 2025 by which time the order will be removed from my record.

I am hoping that I wont need to take the suitability test until 2025 but can anyone advice if this is the case and if its not the case whether the debt relief order will result in refusal.

Many thanks for your help.

Hi,

To skip to the point, I did terribly in my A-Levels. I achieved CDD.

At the time I was going through quite a rough patch and was in somewhat of an emotionally abusive situation. However, I recognise that I am responsible for my own learning and achievements and understand that there is no one else to blame. Unfortunately, due to the circumstances, I didn't submit any kind of concession or try and argue that my grades were affected due to 'mitigating circumstances'.

I achieved a 2:1 at Uni (64%) and am currently enrolled on an LPC LLM course.

I'm finding it difficult as I don't have the exception of mitigating circumstances. All firms will see are bad grades with no explanation.

Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to detract attention away from my grades? I have work experience and currently work for a Top 100 law firm but all TC applications are viewed blindly so this won't make any difference to my application.

Thank you in advance!

Hi guys,

Has anybody looked at the Direct TC questions for B&B?

They seem uniquely short with their word length, so I'm a bit unsure how to tackle them; is this an indication that they focus more on the work experience section?

If anyone else has any ideas on how to answer them or any additional information about what B&B tend to look for in their prospective trainees, I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts.

Thanks, guys!

Closed

Hi everyone.
I’ve got a TC with a firm that is sending its future trainees to BPP Holborn. They prefer London as it lets trainees get to know each other, but they are accommodating with studying outside of London

I’m interested in BPP Leeds, and wondered if anyone could help me see the drawbacks (and benefits!) of choosing a different provider (specially thoughts on BPP Leeds if anyone has attended).

Also how would the classes work, because in London you are in classes with your other trainees?
what’s the quality of teaching difference?
Also do BPP mark you against overall class performance?

thank you so much!

Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.

First Round Interview: February 2022
Second Round Interview: March 2022

Please specify what the interview was for.

Training Contract

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

First Round: General interview with trainee & associate
Second Round: 2 general interviews with 2 partners and 2 senior associates

Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.

1) First Round - General Interview
This was a really nice interview experience and they generally seemed interest in getting to know me – they didn’t ask why Curtis and why law, just asked whether I was interested in international arbitration. I got into a discussion about crypto assets (mentioned it in my CV as I did it in work experience) and ended up having a really big discussion on this which was very stimulating. Other questions focused on specific details in work experience/volunteering so know your CV inside out!

2) Second Round - First Interview (40-45 mins)
This interview was ok! The partner was a bit abrupt and very questioning on topics such as why did I focus my dissertation not on political law (I did a politics degree) and why I have volunteered at the criminal courts but I think I backed this quite well with my personal journey! I also got asked here why law, why Curtis, what I could bring to the firm, what I enjoy about my GDL etc. I also got asked more specific questions such as logistical factors on when I start my LPC etc. This was a less conversational style interview but enjoyable overall.

3) Second Round - Second Interview
This interview very closely reflected the mood of my interview with the trainee and associate – I got on well with partner and senior associate and it felt conversational. I was again asked why law, why curtis, why international law. I got asked why London and not a regional firm. It was also the first time I got asked why I didn’t convert my TC at my previous vac scheme but I gave an honest answer on my reflections and how I have sought to improve this – this was very well received! A lot of my volunteering history is on D&I so I got asked a lot on what this means to be and how I think Curtis can improve on this which was a very engaging and truthful discussion!

Overall, the process was very focused on me as a person and seeing if I would fit right in the company as it is a very small office in London.

Were you successful?

Waiting to hear back

Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.

February 2022

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

Day 1: 1 hr group exercise
Day 2: 1 hr partner and senior associate interview

Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.

1) Group Exercise
You are in a group of 7 and all get sent information about a potential acquisition. Following this you are given around 20 minutes to prepare a pitch to a partner on the recommendations you have. You then present this to a partner who asks questions about your proposal and challenges you on what you say.

2) General Interview
This was one of the weirder interviews I have attended – it felt like at some points the partners spent more time talking to each other than asking me questions. Online reviews say that Covington ask obscure questions – they are absolutely right. I got asked my favourite book, who I admire, who would I invite to dinner and why and what would I cook them. I also got asked an interesting conversation I have had recently. Other normal ones included why Covington etc. I didn’t get asked why law but instead they spent a lot of time talking about my politics degree so they asked why didn’t I go into politics but it was framed as quite a close ended question (reflecting I don’t think I got my motivation for law across well enough as I was slightly confused by the framing of the question). The interviewers themselves were very nice and personable I think the format of the interview threw me off slightly!

What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.

1) Group Exercise
The information given is very similar to the mock ones given on TCLA. I found this part of the process OK – it was quite hard online as people's wifi kept dropping off and it was easy to accidentally talk over people. I think having someone who allocates time and watches the time is very important and make sure you are respecting what everyone is saying and being a team player! For example, if someone doesn’t speak a lot try to include them by saying ‘what are your thoughts on this’? Other group exercise advice found on Bright Network / TCLA applies here and nothing unusual can be found in this group exercise.

2) Interview
Knowing why Covington, why law and practicing odd questions is my main advice.

Were you successful?

No

Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.

March 2022

Please specify what the interview was for.

Vacation Scheme 2022

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

Written exercise (completed 24 hrs before)
Intro by grad recruitment – 10 mins, 5 people on my AC
Presentation & Interview – 1 hr

Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.

1) Written Exercise
I was given a body of text and had to summarise the key points for a client in an email, breaking it up into the categories that the client was interested in. it was about 3 pages long and I had 30 mins.

2) Presentation
I got sent the presentation 5 days before on an M&A. I had to identify the pros/cons of the merger and how it would affect the client.

3) Presentation Interview and General Interview
These are merged into a 1 hour interview. One of the partners that interviewed me was a bit late so I spent 5-10 minutes chatting with one partner before which helped me to ease in and feel more confident as the partner was so nice! I was then asked whether to do the presentation or interview first (I chose presentation). I spent 10 minutes presenting and answered about 3 questions on it – they were not particularly hard questions. I would recommend the TCLA mock case studies and M&A course.

The competency section of the interview was very relaxed – I was only asked around 7 questions. Why law, why L&W, why not criminal law/ barrister, L&W's place in the legal market, what qualities does a trainee need and where have I shown them and then got into a debate around a topic I had put on my CV (had previous experience in). I also got asked what motivates me in a career and what is something that I’m aiming for (I said I want to learn and don’t want to ever feel like there is a cap on what I know and the partners loved this). What helped the interview feel like a conversation was that I asked the partners to convey their thoughts on the topic and we discussed the pros/cons of the topic in depth. I had time at the end to ask questions and that felt like an extended part of the previous conversation!

What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.

1) Written Exercise

• This was very time restrained and there was a word limit, so plan your time very carefully.
• Try group the information into themes and tailor this to how it would affect the client.
• I found it helpful to bring in techniques I have learnt on my PGDL (IRAC) in being a. What is the information? b. What does this mean in laymans terms? c. How would it affect the client and what advice would I give?. No legal knowledge was needed but use SPAG and make sure that the email format is correct.

2) Presentation

• The brief is very thorough and just make sure that the presentation is neat, coherent and has a nice structure to it. I
• used a powerpoint to convey my thoughts and also rehearsed A LOT with my friends and family to make sure I knew about it in depth.

3) Interview

• Be able to talk in depth about everything on your application.
• Know L&W well and why you want to work for them.
• Practice your presentation – I got very good feedback on how I split the topics to discuss and made it client focused in what L&W could bring for the client.

Were you successful?

Yes

Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.

March 2022

Please specify what the interview was for.

Direct Training Contract

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

1) Written exercise (tbc 2 days before the AC)
2) Intro by grad recruitment (3 people on my AC)
3) General interview (1hr)
4) Meet with a trainee and the other AC candidates
5) Sent article for 30 mins
6) Article interview (1hr)

Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.

1) Written Exercise
This is a very simple task and is accurately reflected in a lot of the information found online i.e., on the website, glass door. You get a briefing email explaining the task then an email thread which you need to review and pick out SPAG responses and re-draft a small section of the email. You get around 45 minutes to do this and I think if you tackle it methodically then it is more than enough time! Attention to detail is the most important thing to do for this task and keep a calm head! No legal knowledge is needed for the task but the content of it is legal based which meant (having done the PGDL) I could understand the words used.

2) Article Interview
This is the interview I was most nervous for – you get 30 minutes to read and review an article (FT, Economist) and then you discuss this with a partner and a senior associate. I think they're focused on specific businesses/case studies rather than broader commercial trends.

In the actual interview I was asked to first present what I thought the crux of the article was and then potential issues were raised for business X. I was asked a broad range of questions from why ESG would affect company X, what international expansion would mean for the business, more technical questions about what investment markets companies use etc. I was also asked more reputational questions for the business and how I would tackle this. I also feel I got lucky on my article as it was around a topic I happen to LOVE and know a lot about and had studied the wider implications of what the business was doing in my politics degree – this helped me bring in A LOT of wider commercial knowledge and compare business X with others in the market. I think just brushing up on commercial knowledge e.g., FT / the Economist could help.

The partners who interviewed me were both SO nice and very encouraging throughout the whole interview. They were interested in my thoughts and guided me when I was a bit stuck on other questions – I don’t think they’re looking for ‘right’ answers as so much seeing your thought process. Also to note, a lot of the reviews online stated that it was a very discussion based interview however mine was very Q&A which made me very worried during the interview (therefore, I would say do not based on what someones else's interview is compared to yours). During it, they literally went and asked me questions paragraph by paragraph and said phrases such as ‘paragraph 14 finished lets move on’.

3) General Interview
This was a typical competency interview with nothing you can't find online! Prepare for why Freshfields, why law, why commercial law, why an international firm! I also got asked what challenges an international team could bring and how I would tackle them. The other questions focused around the experiences I have had such as my proudest achievement, when I've worked in a team. I also worked throughout COVID and got asked A LOT about what challenges that brought me. They also asked me a time when I failed, and then after said they liked my example (because I used a situation where I resolved the matter at the time) but wanted to know a time where I completely failed and couldn’t recover from it. I used a module grade and then they asked me what I learnt and how that would help me. They also focused a lot on time management and how I deal with stressful situations – three questions were based on this. At the end I was asked two situational judgement questions. Overall this felt a lot like a conversation as I was asking questions during the interview to them instead of at the end and I think they liked how I had a lot of non-law experience in a shop and volunteering etc as I could give a variety of examples of leadership, team work etc. I am a non-law student so I think the crux of this is knowing why law and actually how a firm works and what you can bring to the firm and what they can bring to you!

What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.

1) Written Exercise

• Get someone to write a badly written piece of text (or find one online) and practice going through them to brush up on your proof reading.
• Brush up on SPAG understanding i.e., reading courses and semi colons, when to use apostrophes.

2) Article Interview

• The case study mocks and M&A case studies on TCLA were fundamental to my success. These helped me gain a broad understanding of how businesses work and what things they may consider when planning their business model etc. Also the guide to commercial awareness by Jake Schogger was very helpful so recommend getting that as well!
• Brush up on PESTLE & SWOT – I used this to make notes during the prep time and helped me think about points I could expand on in my interview.
• Go through articles in detail on business news platforms (FT and The Economist). Go through these with a friend parent etc., I actually went through quite a few with my careers advisor so if you have this option I would really recommend!
• Be calm and take a breath and a sip of water if stuck – the interviewers will guide you!

3) General Interview

• Be calm – they are interested in you as a person!
• Brush up on the typical questions – TCLA question bank practically had all of them covered. Additionally, have an honest and truthful reason why you want to go into law!
• Know Freshfields place in the market and how it compares to other firms.

Were you successful?

Yes

Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.

January 2022

Please specify what the interview was for.

Summer Vacation Scheme 2022

Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

09:50-10:30 - Case Study Preparation
10:30-11:30 - Case Study Interview
11:30-11:45 - Break
11:45-12:45 - Scenario Interview
12:45-13:00 - Break
13:00-13:45 - Trainee Q&A

Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.

1) Case Study Preparation
40 minutes to read through various documents relating to an M&A deal to deliver a 15 minute presentation. The bundle to read included: news articles surrounding the sector as a whole and the target company, information surrounding the target company founders/their roles in the company, early stage due diligence report on the target company, a signed confidentiality agreement between our client and the target, and a balance sheet. Note: have a calculator to work out the value of the company. Also, It's really important you practice looking at a balance sheet before the interview.

2) Case Study Interview
60 minutes with a partner - 15 minutes to present your findings from the case study and then 45 minutes interview on your understanding, logical reasoning and judgement surrounding the deal. My interview almost entirely involved the partner asking me questions about particular areas of the balance sheet or the due diligence report and what I thought the issues/solutions could be.

3) Scenario Interview
60 minutes with a senior associate. These questions are almost entirely behavioural and future-focused, therefore you have to answer with what your response would be in that scenario. The scenarios are quite detailed, so the interviewer repeats them twice. However, sometimes after asking a scenario question, the interviewer would follow up with, "have you had any experience dealing with this kind of scenario?" making it slightly competency-based too. Towards the end there were a few motivational questions, with the key one being "why Allen & Overy?".

Please list any interview questions you were asked.

Why Allen & Overy?
Why Commercial Law?
When have you worked with a disruptive team member?
When have you been innovative?

What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.

I passed the case study section of the assessment day and failed on the scenario interview, so I will tell you what I did for the case study and what I think I got wrong for the scenario interview.

1) Case Study
I recommend reading about commercial awareness generally to understand how businesses function. For example, using Jake Schogger's or Chris Stoakes' books, doing virtual internships on Forage which acquaint you with NDAs/confidentiality agreements and researching balance sheets/how to interpret them (also included in Jake Schogger's book). Remember that case studies are about thinking flexibly, finding solutions and understanding the basics of what a company wants to achieve (i.e. money, expansion into new markets, not be restricted by NDAs or have the expense of litigation or arrears when buying a company etc.) than having specific commercial knowledge/awareness. Though, there might be times when commercial awareness is useful, don't bring it up if it's irrelevant and stick to the situation at hand. The preparation time is also extremely time pressured, as there are a lot of documents. Therefore, it is best to skim read everything if you can and stick to bullet pointing key issues/points under the questions you are given (I literally only had time to write single words like 'lease' sometimes), as you can expand on these in your presentation - remember the notes are only for you so they do not need to be extensive/in full prose. Note: you will need a calculator to work out the value estimation of the company and you do need to practice looking at balance sheets.

2) Scenario Interview
My feedback mainly revolved around my Scenario Interview and my recommendation would be to not just skim through SJTs (Situational Judgement Tests) when applying for firms, but to really try to take in what the option you chose presents as a step-by-step course of action. The answers I did well on were the ones where I was able to outline in steps how I would approach a scenario (e.g. first X, then if Y, Z etc.). Also, do not get too caught up in thinking about how tiny details could change your responses and say 'it depends', treat the scenario generally and just state in what way you would tend to react. There are 4 particular competencies they are assessing you on: - Solutions Agility (focusing on results, overcoming obstacles, meet deadlines, detailed/good quality) - People Agility (understand others, adapt style, supportive, team player, build working relationships) - Change Agility (thrives on change, instigates innovative improvement, passionate about learning, keen to develop skills & knowledge) - Mental Agility (sharp, insightful mind, accurate analysis, numerical analysis). In the feedback they tell you which areas you did well/not well on, but I think the interview focuses heavily on People Agility more than the others. Try to think of how you would react/approach/talk to different people in various scenarios and try to actively take in your SJT answers.

Were you successful?

No

Hey guys,

I am a conveyancing paralegal that is looking to start my LPC and secure a training contract.

I am also looking to beefing up my CV by securing further paralegal roles to make myself a suitable candidate.