New Threads

It states: "Please provide details of all modules which are counted towards your final degree grade".

Does that mean I should not include my first year grades?

I am on my second application cycle now and am really disappointed to say that I have just been rejected from the firm I applied for this cycle (Eversheds). Feeling really upset and in need of some advice.

My question is regarding Travers Smith.

Is it easier to get a training contract, or in for a vacation scheme, from a winter or summer vacation scheme?

Wishing everyone all the best,

Alice

I'm new to TCLA, so have no idea really how to use this. I'm on my second application cycle now and really disappointed to say that I didn't get into the firm I applied to and really liked (Eversheds).

My question regards the next application.

Is it easier to get a training contract, or into the vacation scheme, from the winter or summer Travers Smith vacation scheme?



All the best to everyone,

Alice

Does the 50% discount for Gold members apply to the purchase of additional fast-tracked application reviews too, or just for a standard application reviews?

@Jaysen

Hello,


Student here who is struggling to understand an aspect of company law relating to company assets. Obviously since a limited company is its own separate legal entity, it is the legal owner of all its assets, not the shareholder. My question however is, other than through a dividend, salary, or directors loan, can a majority shareholder (75% share) by special resolution vote to transfer company assets to themselves personally? (e.g. vote to transfer expensive machinery to them as a person, or alternatively a rather cheap computer?)


In this theoretical situation, the company is using the model articles with no additional shareholder agreement. If more clarification is required, please do let me know.

Thanks!

For my vacation scheme applications and cover letters, when I was writing the parts about 'why this firm', I have always mentioned things like training structure, the international nature of the firm, the pro bono work etc. However, none of those things are really applicable to a vacation scheme, are they? I wont be doing any pro bono work in a VS, or working on international deals, or even 'training'.

It is true that those things are why I am interested in 'that firm', but do you have to craft your answers in such a way that they are applicable specifically to a VS, because I feel like the above are more applicable to a training contract.

How does ESG impact magic circle firms as a business?

Are they likely to be more wary of who they take on as clients given reputational issues e.g boohoo?

Also would they aim to integrate ESG expertise across team?

Hi

Does anybody have a VI for ES or has anybody done one.
Happy to help in return but really want some advice tips so my nerves don’t get the better of me!
Thanks so much
Hannah

Hi There

The government announced new regulations to stop pubs trading as off licences and I am trying to get some kind of understanding on how they have achieved this by law

You see bough pubs and off licences require a premiss licence to sell alcohol on or off the premiss. The licence for them bough is the same! The only difference is when you apply for the licence is you tick a box on the form stating if you want to sell alcohol to be consumed on the presumes and another box to sell it to be consumed off of the presumes

So in a sense a pub operates as a public house and an offline as well! But if they are banning them from operating as off licences then how do they word this in law since off licences are still allowed to trade as normal?

https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk...ight&utm_medium=OnSite&utm_campaign=copyright



https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/8/pdfs/uksi_20210008_en.pdf



https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home#businesses-and-venues

Hi everyone - just wondering if anyone has applied to Brown Rudnick in this or previous cycles? There's so little about their UK office and they only want a CV and cover letter which I'm struggling to write as there's not much info on their website! Would be grateful for any advice or tips!

When working on restructuring/insolvency, why is it important for a law firm to have strong links to fund/financial advisers?

Is it simply to help with the financial considerations of how to restructure? I'm thinking in terms of Kirkland and Ellis

Hi I have an upcoming Links Interview and so if anyone has any advice on how to prepare and what key things are essential that would be great thank you !

Sorry that this is a basic question, but what commercial factors motivate a law firm to do pro bono work? I have heard that this question came up in a recent interview.

These are just a few ideas I have but I would be keen to see what anyone else thinks!

1. Strengthen existing client relationships
2. Motivate clients to pursue a matter with a given firm if they perceive it to be ethical and benefit local/global communities
3. Develop its lawyers' skills for example through increased responsibilities

Is it a requirement for particular clients?

Hi everyone,

Thank you TCLA team for my one-month bronze Scholarship. I'm extremely glad that I can utilise the courses available to me. I am in my first round of applications and in my final year of university. I have been rejected by most of the firms I applied to for a VS. I did not apply to many as I focused on quality, not quantity. I know an area that I need to build upon is understanding commercial concepts. I am currently trying to make myself the best candidate, so that I can answer "why commercial law?." I hope to use whatever is available to me to become a better candidate for the next round of applications.

Hey everyone! Thought i'd create a post interview thread for Davis Polk for the coming days seeing as how a few of us have been waiting to hear back after our interviews (which have concluded). Would probably also be helpful for future people to see the format of the interview, which has changed in its virtual format, i'll share a bit of my interview experience first!

Firstly, I was told that DP conducted interviews on 3 days only (Friday, Monday and Tuesday.) I had my interview on Monday with training principal Will Pearce, as well as a finance partner by the name of Nicholas and finally Vivek, an associate. The interview was disarmingly conversational, with no technical questions at all. They're really interested as to why their firm, so be prepared to compare and contrast at a specific level (individual firms). For instance, I was asked about the firms I had applied to, and why. Having come up with common themes in my response which Will seemed to be satisfied with, I was then quizzed about the perceived differences between the firms within this list and Davis Polk, where I think it got a bit tricky.

I also noted that traditionally the firm operates a case study, but has decided not to do that now due to the virtual format.

Hope this helps and best of luck to the rest of you! Hope to hear about your interview experiences as well.

Hi guys! I know a lot of others are in the same boat as me, constantly checking emails/application portals to see if anything has come through. I think it's really affecting my productivity and ability to concentrate, so....

I thought starting next week I am going to restrict myself to checking my emails once per day, at 6pm each day. Which will hopefully reduce the anxiety--at least after I get in a routine!

Anyone want to join me in this, and make a 6pm club?

Welcome to the next article in our series of interviews with future trainee solicitors. Today we are delighted to hear from DS, who successfully secured three training contract offers as an international student.

1. Who is your training contract with?

Baker McKenzie

2. Are you a law or non law candidate?

Law

3. Which university did you attend?

King's College London

4. Please could you tell us more about your background and current stage?

I’m an international student from Malaysia. I am of a minority ethnic background, attended a state school and am from a low-income family. I graduated in the summer of 2020 and after an intense summer of vac schemes, am currently taking a much needed gap year at home before commencing my LPC in 2022.

5. When and why did you decide to apply to commercial law?

I didn’t really know anything about commercial law and the world of VS and TC apps until the end of my first year, and even then I wasn’t entirely sure what being a commercial lawyer even meant. If I’m being honest the first thing that drew me into this process was the insane amount of pressure from my peers that made me feel like securing a TC was something I had to do. My more substantial desire to be a commercial lawyer developed in the summer of my first year following a two month stint at a local law firm in my home country. By some luck (for me), the corporate team at that time was heavily understaffed and was working on a huge IPO on the local stock exchange and doing an important sukuk (Islamic bond) issuing. My supervisor was a recent NQ who trusted me to do a lot of things beyond just menial research. Most notably she let me have a go at drafting part of the prospectus document (which she then heavily changed and edited of course). I came to realise that commercial law meant more than just being good at the law, it meant understanding a lot of what was going on in different industries and being able to use that understanding skilfully in every part of your work. Later that summer, following on from how much I enjoyed the two month stint, and how intrigued I was by the world of IPOs and bonds, I applied to and secured a place on an insight program at the J.P Morgan offices in Singapore. The three-day workshop really grew my understanding of basic financial concepts and surprisingly enough I enjoyed wrapping my head around how derivatives, securities and bonds really and truly worked. I now knew for certain that I not only enjoyed the legal side of commercial law but I most definitely enjoyed the commercial side too. The combination of these two experiences alongside attending a multitude of law firm open days in second year, cemented my drive to pursue this career.


6. How many applications did you send?

20

7. How many interviews/offers did you receive?

3

8. How did you go about the application process? Did you map an application strategy?

In my first application cycle, I didn’t have any kind of strategy at all. I knew I wanted to apply to firms that had a strong corporate/finance practice given my interest in the area. But I personally felt like all the firms in the city had strong expertise in those areas (evidence of my poor research and poor understanding of firms at that time) so it was really just a randomised mess. In my second application cycle, I was a lot more methodical. My criteria for firms were: 1. Practice areas - Due to my aforementioned experience at J.P Morgan and how much I enjoyed studying a finance module at university, I knew I wanted to work at big City firms that had a strong corporate/finance practice. This remained largely unchanged from my first app cycle. 2. Diversity - I knew that I would only be applying to firms with a strong emphasis on diversity. Following the one vac scheme I did in second year, I knew I could never seriously make it through two years at firms, which have poor BAME associate and partner representation. This became a huge non-negotiable factor for me. 3. Interaction - I focused on applying to firms, which I had interacted heavily with before as I felt that through my interactions I was able to better understand the firms and would be able to produce better quality applications.

9. Did you change your strategy during the application process and, if so, what did you change?

One substantial change in my application strategy came from accepting that I had no choice but to become extremely skilled at the Watson Glaser if I was ever going to make it into the doors of some of my favourite firms. This meant taking 20 mins a day to practice the WG for two months so that I never fell below the benchmark for any WG test in my second app cycle. The other big change that I implemented was that I stopped applying to various open days and networking events. Instead I applied to join the specific mentoring schemes Aspiring Solicitors and SEO London offer. Applying to the Aspire scheme and the SEO London Corporate Law Programme meant that I was automatically invited to various open days at firms without having to send out more applications. I also came to realise that it didn’t necessarily matter where I had met representatives of a firm and that it could honestly be something as accessible as a law fair. Just actively trying to have meaningful conversations with representatives that would give me a better understanding of the firm and provide me with information that I could then use in my applications was more than enough. Less time spent applying to open days also meant more time to produce quality vacation scheme apps which ultimate made a huge difference in the 3x more success I had in my second app cycle.

One final thing that I did is that in my final year of university I actively turned down the president position for one of the societies that I had already been involved in. Extra-curriculars take up an insane amount of time and energy. In my second year at university alone (first app cycle), I was on the committee for three different societies and again, barely had time to spend drafting applications. My success in my second app cycle proved something to me that I feel like too many candidates don’t realise – it doesn’t necessarily matter whether you’re the president of a society or an events officer or a secretary, all that matters is that you have demonstrated you have interests outside of law, and have a multitude of real examples that you can draw on for competency interviews.

10. How did you develop your commercial awareness?

My main sources for commercial news were the FT Daily News Briefing podcast on Spotify and TCLA’s Weekly News Briefing Newsletters. There definitely is a formula to commercial awareness. Pick an industry you’re interested in + identify the issues + develop an opinion + tie it into how can law firms help.

Three pieces of advice:

1. There are some broad issues that you should absolutely know about (US-China Trade Wars, Big Tech, etc.) You are very likely to get asked general questions about this stuff and your opinion on it. This is where something like the FT podcast is particularly helpful because they discuss some of the more interesting points and tend to include great preliminary angles for you to analyse the stories from.

2. When being asked specific commercial awareness questions, partners aren’t typically trying to catch you out. Anything specific they ask you will be based on things that you have mentioned in your work experience or in your application itself. I always looked back at my application to identify if there was any work experience I had done or deals I had mentioned that were related to specific industries. I would then make sure to know what was going on in those industries and to develop a strong opinion on the key issues. All four interviews I did in my second app cycle, I got asked almost identical commercial awareness questions based on what was already in my application – typically this was related to stuff in my work experience section.

3. Pick a few key industries that you are genuinely interested in and keep up with the news in those areas. When I did get asked more broad commercial questions like “tell me about a news story that interests you” I just spoke about the industries I kept up with.

11. What is your best advice for succeeding at the interview stage?

There are two different types of interviews:

1. Competency interviews

Make a master table/document of all the general competencies that law firms look for, identify different examples for each one and make sure each example is as detailed as possible. Competency interviews can be incredibly easy to mess up because if you aren’t extremely methodical about each step you took in a particular situation, then you probably aren’t demonstrating the competency well enough for your interviewers. At the same time, if you are really well prepped beforehand then they are incredibly easy to do well in.

2. Partner interviews

These interviews tend to be more generic. Focused on yourself, your application and your journey right up to that point. It goes without saying that you need to know your application really well and know yourself well – Why law? Why this firm? Why you? What’s unique about your experiences?

This might seem like really clichéd advice but my biggest tip is to just be yourself. The professional version of yourself, yes, but still yourself. In my first app cycle, I thought that all firms were generally looking for an extremely serious candidate. So this was the candidate that I was in interviews. I still got a VS yes, but that firm couldn’t have turned out to be more wrong for me, so it was highly unsurprising when I failed to get the TC. Self-sabotage at its finest.

In my second cycle, I was more myself. I would make a joke or two (mine was always the same joke but it always worked), be honest about how I didn’t initially do a law degree because I wanted to be a lawyer, talk about the more personal/real achievements I was proud of (not just the sometimes superficial university society related stuff) and was just the more energetic individual I am on a day to day basis. My best interviews have always been where the interview felt like a really enjoyable conversation. Part of this will obviously depend on luck. Perhaps the partner you get is more serious or doesn’t find your experiences as interesting but I personally believe that having the charisma and confidence to be able to turn interviews into interesting conversations is a skill in itself, and it’s skill that will always turn even the most formal question answer interviews with the most stoic people into somewhat enjoyable situations. I would recommend doing your best to build those skills because at the end of the day, partners want to hire people they believe would fit in well at the firm and that they would enjoy working with. It is important to remember that at the end of the day, for most firms, it is partners that sit around at a debrief session and discuss feedback from supervisors and your interview performance – they are the ones who will be in that room rooting for you. Being able to make a partner enjoy an interview will go a very long way in securing you the offer.

12. What is your best advice for case study interviews?

Practice, practice, practice. TCLA has fantastic resources and practice case study interviews. Sign up to TCLA premium because it is 100% worth it (not a sponsored post haha). Jaysen’s M&A course is a god send and covers so much of the basic must know stuff that will come 90% of the time in case studies.

Familiarise yourself with the Porter’s Five Forces framework and the PESTLE analysis because they provide really good ways of analysing any case study. I would also highly recommend finding some consulting case studies online. Some firms ask you to write/discuss the case study from the perspective of a lawyer/trainee so you can really go in on the legal issues and solutions. But some firms ask you to write/discuss the case as a consultant or business analyst in which case discussing legal issues will just seem misplaced or even worse – like you didn’t read the instructions. Consulting case studies are all about business issue and solutions and nothing else. They are often very sparse and have barely any detail so you really have to think of realistic but creative solutions. That style of thinking is really good to have when doing case studies even at law firms.

13. What was the biggest setback you encountered during your journey to a training contract? How did you deal with it?

My biggest setback was the aforementioned failure to convert a TC following my first ever vacation scheme. Honestly speaking, I have never ever worked harder for anything in my life. So when the rejection email came, I was beyond crushed. As a second year international student, this meant I had one last year to do vac schemes and secure a TC before the process would become inevitably more complicated and even more impossible. The amount of pressure, anxiety, self-doubt and lack of self-confidence I felt really took a toll on me mentally and emotionally.

I took a month off, which because of the time limit I had with regards to my T4 visa expiring, was all I could afford. During that month the biggest thing I realised was failing to convert my VS had a lot to do with things outside of my control. Maybe the partners didn’t think I’d be a good fit, maybe my supervisor didn’t think I was enthusiastic enough about the work and a whole host of other things. I became convinced that if I had what it took to get VS at an MC firm in my first app cycle then I could definitely do it again. In all honesty, I already knew that the firm wasn’t the right place for me so I tried to view things as positively as possible. This was my last chance to find a place I’d truly be happy at. I also came to realise that the success stories of people you see on Linkedin who get a TC in second year and start it straight out of university are the anomaly. Most people go though two, three or four app cycles before they start seeing any kind of results. So I wasn’t a failure for not having a TC in my second year, I was part of the norm, and what I was going through was more than okay.

I still had plenty of self-doubt that lasted all throughout my third app cycle. Even after I had the three VS offers, my anxiety somehow had me convinced I wouldn’t get a TC from all three. Sometimes after a rejected app I had spent weeks working on for a firm I really liked, I’d just binge watch a huge amount of Netflix to recover before I kept going again. Taking time out and having a strong support system makes all the difference.

The community here on TCLA is also phenomenal. It is the one place that people are honest about how difficult it is to secure a TC, how much they struggle and how much more triumphant it is when they finally make it. All three VS-es and TCs I secured in my final year was the product of the kindest strangers on the forum who were more than happy to provide me with detailed advice and help on video interviews and ACs. It’s funny how competitive some people can be. From personal experience, there are people who even after securing a TC themselves still feel like they’d be losing something by helping someone else. But Jaysen has somehow managed to create a phenomenal platform of people who are genuinely willing to help everyone in any way possible so again, not a sponsored post, but make a TCLA account!

14. If there was anything you would do differently, what would it be?

I would stop comparing myself to other people. My second app cycle I did just that (or at least I did my absolute best to do that). I deleted Linkedin and never really spoke about apps to people that asked (there are after all far more interesting things to talk about anyway). I chose to rely on the few friends that I knew genuinely wanted me to succeed. This made all the difference because I was just more focused on my apps and what I could improve on. This in turn allowed me to produce better quality apps and I was far more confident when walking into interviews.

15. What is the best piece of advice you can give to future applicants? Do you have any advice for individuals who might’ve been in a similar position to you?

Every single person’s journey is unique. No one is late and you are never too old to secure a TC. Never forget that people only ever talk about their successes and never their failures. Under my advice for TC interviews I said that there is some luck involved in the process. Some people are lucky on the first try, and others (like me) have to keep trying before the 1% of luck you need to cinch the 99% of hard work is finally on your side. So if you truly want this career for yourself, then never stop trying, because you never know when the tide will turn in your favour.

In hindsight, I am incredibly glad I didn’t secure the TC in second year. The 3x more success I achieved this year is the greatest testament to how far sheer determination and perseverance have taken me. I am also just going to enjoy my TC far more because I know I am at the right firm for me. I truly believe the right firm for everyone exists. It just takes some finding.

To end on an incredibly cheesy note, I want to share two of the most inspirational quotes that really rang true for me this year:

1. When you truly want something, and you truly work hard and give your all for it (sorry Paulo Coelho I definitely think this caveat applies to your original line) all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.

2. If your journey is longer and harder, it is because your calling is higher.

Hi Guys,

Would anyone be able to give me some info/tips in relation to DAC Beachcroft's online interview or assessment centres?

This is my first time applying, so any help at all would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Hello,

I have a question I'm very much confused about and would love some insight on it.

Would it be okay to say some of the things you've said on your application form to say it again in the interviews?
For example, if the application form asks "What makes this firm unique?" or "Why commercial law?" or "When have you demonstrated the skills necessary for a solicitor?" and asks very similar questions in the interview too, is it advisable to say something totally different to what you wrote on the form? Or do GR tend not to look back at your application form when reviewing your VI?

I'm asking this because most of the time I've really said absolutely all my reasons why I believe the firm in unique etc in the app form, and really can't think of new things to say in the interview!

Any help would be appreciated, thank you

Hello!

I've been selected for the Silver Scholarship this year and TCLA has been invaluable in my understanding of commercial law. Having never studied Economics or Business, this website has been integral in developing my commercial awareness.

I'm a 2020 graduate of a humanities subject from a RG university. My academic record was solid until university where I graduated with a 64, and low 60s throughout university apart from my third year where I studied abroad in a different continent. I was very disappointed by my academic performance at university but I had some mitigating circumstances, suffering from mental health difficulties.

I was also recently diagnosed with ADHD so I'd been struggling with an undiagnosed learning difficulty - if you suspect the same, please get diagnosed especially whilst you have the support of your university! My diagnosis has allowed me to get extra time in ACs and tests.

For some time, I agonised over whether or not to self-fund the law conversion and eventually decided to do it (using the postgraduate loan to complete a law conversion "masters"). This was especially motivated by the fact if you enrol onto a GDL before 31 August, you can still take the usual route to qualifying with a LPC. I was a bit unsure about being one of the first to undertake the SQE.

For anyone else who isn't sure, I would advise you to be very cautious. Have you got good work experience? Are your academics sufficient? Do you understand commercial law? Have you attended open days and special events? Many of these providers are very willing to take your money regardless of whether you are likely to land a TC and it might be more worth it to take a gap year and apply for work experience.

For me, I would say the investment has been generally worth it as it has solidified my decision to pursue law so I have been able to really throw myself into my applications and self-development. I also knew that I could at least paralegal after gaining this qualification, which would make my applications stronger. Furthermore, I'm doing the course at BPP which is very commercially-focussed (I also got two scholarships which reduced my fees greatly).

I recently received a VS offer for an international law firm and am waiting to hear back from quite a few of the other law firms to which I applied! I really hope to secure a TC by the end of the year

Hi guys, I have an interview coming up with Sullivan & Cromwell next week and I am just wondering if anyone has any idea of what it may entail?

Thanks!

Thus far I've done three vac scheme interviews and have received 1 offer (I've heard nothing back yet from the other two). I also have an interview coming up in 3 weeks for another firm (probably my biggest preference).

The issue is, the deadline to accept my current vac scheme offer is a week before my next interview, which means that if I want to get that scheme I have to decline this one. I was just wondering if it's possible to accept a scheme and then decline it if I get another offer. Does that commonly occur? What should I do alternatively?

I am finding that written case studies are repeatedly proving the main block to getting through assessment centres successfully. I am looking to get as much practice in these as possible. I have kept two written case studies from assessment centres I have attended and was wandering if anyone else has done the same. If this is the case, I would be happy to exchange exercises so that we can both get in some more practice using fresh material. If anyone feels like swapping exercises then send me a message and we can discuss!

Welcome to the second post in our series of interviews with future trainee solicitors! Today, we are delighted to hear from Rosie Coles, who is a future trainee at CMS.

1. Who is your training contract with?

CMS

2. Are you a law or non law candidate?

Non-law

3. Which university did you attend?

Exeter

4. Please could you tell us more about your background and current stage?

I have just started the GDL at the University of Law, Bristol, after graduating from Exeter with a degree in History in July 2020.

5. When and why did you decide to apply to commercial law?

When I was sixteen, I did work experience at a commercial firm, which actually wasn’t the moment that I realised I wanted to become a lawyer (ironic now!). I think this was because I really had no understanding of how commercial law and businesses worked in general, but I think what it did do was made me realise that I liked the idea of working in an office environment. I didn’t rule out the law after this experience at all, and always thought of it as a potential possibility for a future career. I took a gap year and worked at a school and thought that teaching could be a potential career, and was also interested in charity and international development. So in my first year of University I gained work experience in these sectors and decided I enjoyed them but I still didn’t feel like they were the right paths for me! I went to a few law events at University and firm Open Days in my second year to try and understand the process of applying and learnt a huge amount through these. I then decided I would try and apply for a few first year schemes in my second year of University to see if I had any success. I managed to get on the CMS ‘First Steps’ programme which was similar to a mini vacation scheme and really loved it. I also had an internship at a legal aid firm in London specialising in family and mental health law to ensure that the law was for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it but missed the commercial elements of the work experience I had had at CMS and therefore decided to take the plunge with commercial law! By the time I finished my degree I had definitely realised I wanted an academic element to my job without it being too overwhelming and commercial law I think gets that balance right for me.


6. How many applications did you send?

12

7. How many interviews/offers did you receive?

3/1


8. How did you go about the application process? Did you map an application strategy?

Over the holidays I drew up a spreadsheet detailing the different firms I was potentially interested in and their application dates which was a useful way of keeping track of the different firms and where I was in their application process. I applied to a wide range of firms and picked those which I had an interest in for varying reasons. For example, I applied to quite a few firms which had private client seats as well as more corporate and commercial seats. I also took geographical location into account and applied to a mixture of London and Bristol offices to get a different perspective. I also tried to prioritise firms which are known for their friendly and supportive culture and generally UK-based firms. The intake size did not matter too much to me, but I prioritised firms which had a good retention rate. I generally tried to only apply to firms that I had come into contact with at some stage. For example, firms I had had Open Days with or met at a law fair, event or dinner. I would recommend doing this as it’s a really good way of answering the question- ‘why this firm?’ You can say that you have direct experience with the firm’s people, and this is what drove you to apply. Alongside studying I tried to spend as much time as I could on applications but it was difficult to fit it into my schedule on a daily basis. When writing each application I tried to do them one at a time as I found it was easier to keep track of each firm and its details. I edited my answers to applications generally over a week period and little and often. This I found helped with picking up on errors and getting more perspective about the things I should include in my answers. It also makes it less daunting compared to spending a whole day on it!


9. Did you change your strategy during the application process and, if so, what did you change?

In my first year I sent off a few applications to firms for insight days, but I really had no idea about the process and how to write them successfully! I think there is an element of this that takes time, and I learnt by going to events and speaking to people in the legal industry about what they looked for. I would say the main thing that changed over the application process in my second year was the types of firms I prioritised applying to. At the beginning I definitely sent off applications to firms that I wasn’t particularly interested in but felt like I should make an application there because I had had some interaction with them. I then began to really think about what I wanted from a firm and who my personality and values aligned with. It is 100% a two-way process and if you aren’t the right fit for a firm, they will be able to tell at interview stage, which is just a wasted application!


10. How did you develop your commercial awareness?

I firstly bought a subscription to the Financial Times and started reading that a little every day. I soon found little parts that I was particularly interested in, which was useful to understand what elements of business I was fascinated by and hence what kind of firms I should apply to. For example, I really enjoyed reading about technology, so firms which prioritised digital innovation became much more important and relevant. I also read ‘All About the City’ by Christopher Stoakes which I would really recommend. It was so useful to understand how financial markets work. I think also just being open to learn about how a business works, profitability and how this overlaps with law firms and their services is really important. A line that was repeated to me often in application workshops and speaking to law firms at fairs was- ‘we want applicants to understand our firm is a business.’ Therefore, having a simple understanding of what that actually means is a foundation for building commercial awareness.


11. What is your best advice for succeeding at the interview stage?

I would say try and enjoy the assessment day and interview as much as you can, because this really shows in performance. Try to get to know the trainees that work at the firm if you are able to and ask them questions about the firm’s culture which is so central to finding the right place for you. I would also say that preparation is key, not only for effective answers but also for confidence. I found that the interviews I was more prepared for I felt really confident in, and in turn did better in return. In terms of preparation make sure you have covered the following: sectors/practice areas of the firm, where the firm has offices, recent deals they have been involved in that are interesting to you, the firm’s values and clients, information about the training contract they offer, their specialisms and key areas of expertise and secondment opportunities. This is a minimum!

A really key question to ask yourself is what does the firm prioritise? Is it their supportive culture, unique work, globality, diversity? Then try to think about what your priorities are and why these align with the firm’s. This will be key when answering the ‘why do you want to work at this firm’ question. At the interview I would say it’s really important to pay attention to your body language and the way you come across. Make sure you smile a lot and try and build a rapport with the person interviewing you. I think just trying to come across as ‘human’ is much more important than someone who can just regurgitate facts. Also- be yourself! As cliché as it sounds, you need to find out if they are a good fit for you, and if you feel as though you’re putting on an act you can’t truly know if you belong there.

12. What is your best advice for case study interviews?

As I mentioned earlier, the Christopher Stoakes book is a really good place to start to learn about financial markets. I would also encourage you to speak to anyone who works in finance or the law or even just friends who study those subjects. I was lucky enough to have a friend who had got a training contract the year before who explained to me how mergers and acquisitions worked.

I would say that learning the basics of financing and mergers and acquisitions is also really important to start to gain an understanding of what the firm may be asking you to do in a case study. Thinking about commercial considerations and legal issues that the firm needs to take into account when advising a client on a potential acquisition or expansion of a company. For example- the price, rationale, due diligence, indemnities, warranties, competition issues, intellectual property rights and whether the current management will be retained after the merger. This is also where understanding the different types of financing and deducing the most appropriate one for the situation would be useful to mention in a case study.

Reading just generally on current mergers and acquisitions in the newspaper I also found very interesting and good to get to grips with the basics of these deals. In a session with Hogan Lovells they also recommended going through a newspaper and picking out stories which are linked to commercial law and then deducing what practice areas of the firm would be involved with it. Ensuring also that when you do a case study the way that you structure and lay out your argument or advice is very important. I would recommend using titles, subheadings and bullet points if appropriate to get your point across clearly and succinctly.

13. What was the biggest setback you encountered during your journey to a training contract? How did you deal with it?

I think my biggest setback I faced was resilience and trying to keep my spirits up. It’s very easy to take rejections as personal, which is certainly something I found difficult. However, switching it round to reinterpret a rejection as-‘it clearly wasn’t the right fit for me’ or ‘if they don’t want me I don’t want them’, really helped with this. This is much harder to do at the time! It is also so important to keep going, and the more you do the more you learn and improve which is not something to be underestimated.


14. If there was anything you would do differently, what would it be?

I would definitely shorten the list of applications I made and ensure they were to ones that I really could see myself in and align myself with their values. At the end of the day- if you receive a training contract offer from a firm that you are not passionate about it’s a very big commitment and will shape a significant part of your life, it would be a shame to do that somewhere where you don’t feel comfortable!


15. What is the best piece of advice you can give to future applicants? Do you have any advice for individuals who might’ve been in a similar position to you?

I would advise future applicants to be patient and to spend time learning and developing your knowledge. It was definitely more of a marathon than a sprint and over around a year I had learnt so much about the legal sector and exactly what I was looking for in a firm. I would also say to be picky! It’s so important that you end up in the right place for you so don’t be afraid to say ‘actually that one’s not really for me’- even if it is one of the ‘top’ firms. Your opinion matters- it’s your life!

Welcome to the first in our series of interviews with future trainee solicitors. Today we delighted to hear from Patricia K, TCLA's project manager, who successfully secured four training contract offers.

1. Who is your training contract with?

Allen & Overy

2. Are you a law or non law candidate?

Law

3. Which university did you attend?

University of Cambridge

4. Please could you tell us more about your background and current stage?

I’m an Indonesian national born and raised in the Philippines. Currently, I’m about to start my final year at university and I’m due to begin studying my LPC in July 2021.

5. When and why did you decide to apply to commercial law?

My interest in commercial law began in my final year of A-Levels after I attended the Goldman Sachs A-Level Girls Programme. I spoke with representatives from the legal department and learnt about how dynamic a career in commercial law was due to the range of different industries involved, high-profile clients, and large-scale transactions. I was especially impressed by how large a role the law played in everyday transactions and the amount of people and effort that went into the daily headlines I saw in the news. This inspired me to explore a career as a commercial solicitor during my first year at university and led me to attend multiple on-campus events, Open Days, and First-Year Insight Schemes. These experiences affirmed my desire to become a commercial solicitor since I enjoyed the ability to apply what I was learning in my Law degree. In addition, as someone who enjoys learning about different cultures and having gone to an international school for the majority of my life, I found that the multi-jurisdictional nature of the work greatly appealed to me.

6. How many applications did you send?

5

7. How many interviews/offers did you receive?

5 interviews and 4 offers

8. How did you go about the application process? Did you map an application strategy?

I decided to only apply to five firms that I really liked since, personally, I spent quite a lot of time on each application and knew that I had other society/academic commitments that I had to balance alongside my applications during the academic year (which was why I wouldn’t have been able to apply for 10+ firms). I narrowed down the firms I was applying to by listing the main things I was looking for in a firm (taking into account factors like trainee intake sizes, the practice areas they were strong in, US vs UK firms) and then, by process of elimination, decided which firms I felt I was best suited for. For me, I preferred to apply to firms that were strong in Corporate/Banking, had a larger intake (25+), and preferred UK firms (although I did end up applying to some hybrid US/UK firms [eg. Hogan Lovells]).

In addition, I only applied to firms that I had interacted with in the past (whether it be through an on-campus event or Open Day). I found this really helpful since I could incorporate things I learnt into my answers (eg. “I learnt more about the firm’s commitment to pro bono during the Open Day after speaking to X”). In terms of finding time to send off my applications, I devoted 2 hours every morning before my lectures to work on my applications and also sent out my last few applications during the Christmas break (since my university has very short terms). Since I applied to such a small number of firms, this gave me a lot of time to edit my answers and tailor them to the firm as best as possible. In the end, I found this strategy fairly helpful since it enabled me to spend a lot more time researching each firm and this helped in both my application forms as well as interviews.

9. Did you change your strategy during the application process and, if so, what did you change?

I changed my strategy slightly after my first year of university. In my first year, I applied to a large number of open days and insight schemes at various firms. However, I felt that my applications were fairly rushed and I was not spending enough time researching each firm I was applying to. In addition, I found it difficult to balance having to write so many application forms with my university work and my society positions. Therefore, I changed this strategy in my second year by applying to a much smaller number of firms. I found that this change in strategy really worked for me and I was a lot more successful when applying the second time around since I was able to spend more time researching each firm and attended fewer networking events (I only attended events with the firms I was interested in applying to). By reducing the pressure of having to fill out my applications as fast as possible, it also enabled me to step back from my application for a few days and return to it with fresh eyes. This additional time was really key in enabling me to mull over application questions and decide on the best example to talk about or how to structure my answers. In addition, this freed up my time to get more involved with my extra-curricular activities. I think that my involvement in extracurriculars really helped me stand out since, over my first two years at university, I held committee positions in six societies which meant that I had a lot of different examples I could talk about and expand on in my applications as well as during the interviews.

10. How did you develop your commercial awareness?

The main way I developed my commercial awareness was by signing up to various newsletters that got sent straight to my inbox (eg. Finimize, TCLA’s Weekly Newsletter) and reading through them in the morning. In addition, I identified topics/industries that interested me and spent around an hour every week reading about recent updates in the FT or BBC news (this was usually 15 minutes at night every other day in a week). Finally, I also read up on the Thought Leadership sections of various law firms since I found those really useful - especially if you can focus on an area you’re interested in. I found that this was helpful since I could bring up these key industries during my interviews. I think that my genuine interest and ability to talk about different issues within the industry at length during an interview ended up being one reason as to why I was able to display my commercial awareness despite the fact that I did not always know about everything about what was happening in the news. Furthermore, some law firm applications may ask for one deal you’re interested in and this also will allow you to bring in your additional knowledge from the industry.

11. What is your best advice for succeeding at the interview stage?

My best advice (as cliche as it may be) is to practice, practice, practice! Before each interview, I would come up with a list of potential questions (eg. all potential competency questions, Why Law? Why this firm?) and would go over what I wanted to say for each question at least two times. I found this to be really helpful since, even when I was asked an unexpected question, I was so used to speaking about my experiences/positions of responsibility that I could immediately think of a relevant example to what was asked. In addition, I always found that being prepared helped me relax more during the interview. Another tip for your interviews is to be as personable as possible. Don’t be afraid to have small-talk with your interviewer before/after the more ‘formal’ part of your interview since, at the end of the day, your interviewer is human too and would want to ideally hire a person they would like working with. In the end of the day, my most successful interviews ended up being the ones which felt more like a conversation rather than there being a strict question and answer format. Obviously, this is dependent on your interviewer(s) and it’s important to read the room and try to follow the same tone as your interviewer(s) but I found that having the interview seem more like a conversation also greatly helped with my nerves since I knew that was something that affected my interview performance. On that note, I worked on identifying my strengths/weaknesses when it came to interviews so that I knew what I needed to improve on and knowing my strengths gave me more confidence in my abilities.

12. What is your best advice for case study interviews?

For case study interviews, I would always recommend trying to structure your thoughts as much as possible. Therefore, if you see three key issues, you want to start off your sentence by flagging that there are three issues you want to talk about. This way, it makes it a lot easier for the interviewer to follow what you’re saying and also shows them that you’re thinking through the case study in a logical way. In addition, keeping track of the time is incredibly important. In the interview I was unsuccessful in, I completely lost track of the preparation time and therefore felt really unprepared going into the interview. Therefore, for all future interviews, I would write the time that the interview started on the top of the note paper we were provided as well as the finishing time so that I wouldn’t repeat the same mistake. Finally, in terms of case study content, you are usually given some sort of structure to follow (eg. the material states questions to prepare beforehand). Therefore, I’d highly recommend using the structure given since that’s usually the most straightforward way to structure your thoughts and answers. Finally, I found that another important part of my case study interviews was being able to think on the spot and remain calm under pressure. It’s unlikely that you’ll know the answer to 100% of the questions they ask you (especially since I found some interviewers intentionally kept asking more and more difficult questions until there was one I didn’t know) but that doesn’t mean that you are not able to try to use your existing knowledge to figure it out. This is a great way for interviewers to know how you act under pressure so do your best to stay calm and try to use your existing knowledge to think of what the answer could be. Some interviewers will also help and give you hints so make sure you listen and take into account what they’re saying since that will also show that you’re able to take in new information. At the end of the day, even if you don’t get the answer right, don’t dwell on it and remain focused on the next question they ask since you can get the other questions right and getting one thing wrong won’t be the end of the world!

13. What was the biggest setback you encountered during your journey to a training contract? How did you deal with it?

The biggest setback I encountered was at the beginning of my application journey where I received consistent rejections from all of the first few firms I applied to. This was very demotivating since I wasn’t sure what I was doing wrong and didn’t know where to find the relevant information to improve. In order to deal with this, I spoke to a number of current trainees during on-campus networking events to learn about common pitfalls and how to avoid them. I also found that resources like TCLA, relevant articles, and attended more informative talks helped me build up my general understanding of what was expected in an application and what I needed to do to improve. In the end of the day, the thing that gave me the confidence to keep going was trusting that I would continue to improve and learn from my mistakes and that I had it in me to get a training contract - and I’m sure you do too.

14. If there was anything you would do differently, what would it be?

If I could do anything differently, I would’ve spent less time trying to apply to every single firm at the beginning of my application process since I ended up applying to firms that I didn’t necessarily want to go to (eg. firms with intakes smaller than I’d like or firms focused on practice areas I wasn’t interested in). Instead, I wish that I spent more time first thinking about what I was looking for in a firm and then applying to firms that I knew met my criteria since I believe that different people suit different firms and you ideally only want to apply to a firm that you’d want to end up in. Personally, I realised in my second year that I found Banking more interesting and enjoyed learning and speaking about it. From this, I learnt that I probably did not want to apply to firms focused on Litigation since I didn’t know as much about it (and didn’t enjoy reading up on it as much) and therefore wouldn’t have wanted to join a firm where the majority of the work was litigation-based. This increased confidence in the firms I was applying for and knowing that they fit my criteria also made me more confident when applying to them and going through their respective application processes.

15. What is the best piece of advice you can give to future applicants? Do you have any advice for individuals who might’ve been in a similar position to you?

My best piece of advice would be to try to avoid comparing yourself to other people and their application journeys. Instead, continue to focus on your own accomplishments and what you can continue to improve. I completely understand that the application process can be fairly intimidating and that it can be demotivating to hear about other people’s positive journeys and experiences. I remember how worried I felt when I first started since I saw people immediately getting acceptances after their first try. However, it’s really important that you don’t let that affect you since everyone’s journey is different and, so long as you continue to trust yourself and your abilities, you will reach the same destination too. Good luck!