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I have an AC with HL for their vac scheme coming up at the end of feb - does anyone have any information about what this might entail/any tips!

Hey Guys!
Was just wondering whether anyone could help. I was just wondering what electives city law firms encourage students to take within the LPC? I know it's all about picking the ones you enjoy but I was just wondering what was recommended.
Any help is appreciated

Hi,

Can anyone suggest how to go about answering these questions? I've mostly worked on applications that have strengths based questions rather than legal/commercial awareness.

1. If Brown Jacobson was looking to acquire or merge with another firm, what factors would we need to take into consideration and why?

2. As a national law firm, what factors could have a significant influence on our firm over the next 5 years and why?

Anything helps and I truly appreciate it, thanks!

Hi
I have an AC with Clifford Chance in a few days and was wondering whether anyone could provide some guidance as to whether it is a M&A case study or has the structure changed?

I appreciate that extensive details may not be able to be shared but would appreciate any high level guidance/ insight!

Hi all,

I’ve recently been invited to a White & Case AC and was wondering if anyone could provide me with any guidance on what they ask, what the written exercise entails etc.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks!!

I've just been reading about the voluntary code of recruitment for recruitment of trainee solicitors, and I saw something about the SRA withdrawing from it in about 2015.

Anyone knows if it still applies? Out of curiosity, is it still true that a training contract offer cannot expire until September of your final year?

Thanks.

Massive shot in the dark here; are there any scientists on this forum who are also considering being a Patent Attorney and are torn between pursuing litigation or patents? I personally do not know which one I prefer, and would love to hear from someone in a similar position.

Hogan Lovells Summer Vacation Scheme Assessment Centre - January 2020 - anonymous

The first part of the day is a Watson Glaser retake. I found this part generally alright. Just be confident! You passed it once to get here you’ll get through it again.

Next is 15 minutes to read over the case study (mine was on a joint venture) and to make notes answering two questions. I found this extremely challenging. The pressure definitely got the best of me, especially as you cannot take your notes into the partner interview where the case study will be discussed. I'd say to read up on joint ventures and the risks for parties involved.

I had the situational judgement interview next. I actually found this very enjoyable. You are given a card with a scenario written on, which the interviewers read out. Don’t be nervous about their follow up questions. They will ask them to everyone and are just trying to find out how you cope under pressure. It's hard to prepare for, my advice would be just be honest.

I had the partner interview next. Some of my questions included: what has led you down this path today, what are you looking for in firms you have applied to, are there any other firms you have applied to? However, on the whole, I felt like the questions were very personalised to my application so make sure you revise what you have written and your motivations are spot on.

Good luck, stay calm and you'll be fine!!

Herbert Smith Freehills Assessment Centre 2020 - Anonymous

There were 7 of us at the assessment centre in total. We were taken to a holding room where the graduate recruiter explained what to expect on the day at around 9:30am.

A partner also came to speak to us. She provided an overview of the firm and answered any questions. Whilst I wasn’t interviewed by her, she mentioned she would be interviewing some of the candidates so I would recommend remembering which department the partner works in and that you don’t repeat questions that were already asked in the morning. The overview provided by the partner is helpful in just consolidating the research you’ve already done on the firm and puts you at ease.

We were spilt into two groups. I later realised this was in groups of law and non-law students.

My group had the case study first. The first two candidates from my group went in and two of us waited whilst they were being interviewed because we were to be interviewed by the same people.

Competency interview:

This was conducted by a senior associate. He introduced himself and which department he works. He also explained that this was just to find out more about me and didn’t have a strict approach which put me at ease.

The interview lasted around 30-40 minutes and it felt as though he didn’t ask me many competency questions because he asked a lot of follow-up questions. He would interject as I was answering a question to probe an answer further so prepare to be questioned/challenged on anything you say.

Questions:

· Why law?

· Why HSF?

· When have you managed a conflict in a team?

· When have you worked in a team to achieve a goal?

· What is something you will struggle with if you are a trainee at HSF in the future?

· Lots of questions on my chosen topic question – I had discussed the GDPR he asked me what I would do if a client came to me with a data breach? What are the exact steps I would take? And how would I defend my client before the ICO?

Case study

You are taken to another room with your group where you all stay in the same room and separately prepare for the presentation. You are given a booklet with different documents within it and a notepad. There was no calculator or any other tools. There is also a big clock in the room so keep an eye on the time. The graduate recruiter will also come into the room to let you know when there are five minutes left.

My case study focused on advising a client who owned land which was previously used as an airport. He had purchased the property in 2016 and was looking to build flats, a sports facility and retail stores on the property. However, [redacted]. Your client had been to see a local solicitor who had advised nothing could be done and now he had come to you to see further advice.

Questions to answer:

1) Do the management team have any grounds to apply for [redacted]? If not, why?

2) Did the management team have any way of acquiring the property according to the statute?

These were the two questions to be covered in the presentation to the partner (who would be acting as the client). There are additional 4 questions to consider which you will be questioned on. I would say there is sufficient time to get through all the documents and prepare for all the questions. Because you know are going to be questioned on the additional questions so you are best to go in prepared.

Make sure you structure your notes in an easy way for you to follow and that you address the client’s concerns. I did not get too bogged down in providing the client the exact subsection etc of the statute but rather focused on providing practical advice.

I also mentioned commercially relevant points such as the success/challenges of low cost airlines ([redacted]); the UK housing crisis and how the client wanted to build flats which would also be in the national interest; reputational damage arising from the case because it was being reported in the media. The partner appeared to like this.

The partner will seek to question you on any points you have missed and also say have you considered XYZ after you have finished presenting.

Situational judgement interview:

This is difficult to prepare for because it is up to the partner to just pick any case they have worked on. I would recommend to carefully listen to the partner when they tell you which department they work in and what work they do because they may contain the solution to resolve the problem.

The partner initially started off by just testing my general commercial knowledge such as who is a company run by? Whose benefit is a company run for? What is an executive and non-executive director? Can you give me examples? What do shareholders want? What kind of shareholders are these? (institutional and retail investors).

I would recommend taking notes (just ask to use a notepad if the partner does not offer you paper). The partner explained the case which involved a FTSE 250 company which was seeking to oust its CEO because there had been reports of bullying and senior staff were looking to leave. I mentioned that this case seemed familiar and the partner looked at me knowingly; he later confirmed that he was indeed talking about Ted Baker and its CEO.

He asked me questions about whether the CEO should be removed and how should he be removed. Remembering the partner mentioned doing investigations, I said an investigation could be undertaken to explore the claims made. I suggested that HSF would be great for this! And he also questioned me on who else could conduct such an investigation? Answers were the human resources team and internal general counsel.

He also asked me to draft two contractual terms on the spot that could be included to retain and incentivise senior staff into staying at the company – increase of bonus subject to increase in performance; to stay at the company for X amount of years.

He then passed me an excerpt from the Companies Act containing directors’ duties and asked me to identify the top two duties which would be important for the board to consider when tackling this problem. It took me a few tries to get the final answer but I always provided reasoning for every answer I gave to show the partner how all duties were important.

He questioned me on whether I agree with positive discrimination. He then posed a scenario where the board had to choose between a female and male candidate for the CEO role who were both of equal merit. I think regardless of how I would answered, it was more about my justification of my opinion.

This interview felt more like a conversation as it felt like the partner was guiding me to the right answer and was encouraging when I answered correctly and would say he would have taken the same action.

Tips and advice:

· Revise contract law thoroughly and contract law – director roles especially.

· Understanding of how the markets work, concerns facing investors (what do they want? – increase in share price and dividend), how we are all impacted by public companies (our pensions invest in them).

· Have a good structure for the case study so you don’t feel thrown off by the questions.

· Remember everything in the case study is there for a reason so even if it is not obvious, see if you can relate a particular fact to the scenario or solution you are offering.

· Be prepared to be questioned on anything you say in your competency questions. If you feel you did not get to finish an answer, ask if you can add to a question before moving on. For example, I did not get to add my third point for why HSF because the partner spent a long time probing my second point. I asked if I could add my third point before moving on and he was accommodating to this.

· Take notes wherever you can!

· Repeat a question back to the interviewer if you do not understand something.

· Do not be put off from the interviewer typing on their laptop as you are speaking and focus on what you are saying.

Hi All!

I am currently amending my work experience section and the word count/limit is 250. Most of my experiences are about 150words or under. I have tried to stay concise etc....would you advise that I add more words to reach the 250 word count?

Or does it not really matter for the work experience section?

Thanks!

Hi Guys,

I was wondering if someone could offer some guidance on how to answer this question.

Focusing on our values (Trust, Respect, Innovation and Collaboration) tell us what you can bring to Hill Dickinson that will set you apart from the rest. (250 words)

I was thinking of focusing on a couple of values, maybe 2 or 3. Don't know if I can fit all of them in the word count. I'll then write a situation or achievement where I have displayed them , what I learnt and the outcome and how this will help me at Hill Dickinson? Am I on the right track?

Hi all,

I thought to make a thread for people like me who have just gone through the 19/20 recruitment cycle and were unfortunately rejected post-app or post-AC.

I was hoping that we could all share some tips or strategies as to what we're doing now until the Summer cycle and even 2020/21 cycle too?

Anyone know what the partners are looking for in a group case study assessment and how to succeed in a group interview for a case study?

Also wondering about Allen and Overy's HR scenario based interview and what questions are asked if the interviewer is from an overseas office?

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone has done the VI could provide insight into it regarding the type of questions they ask

Thanks in advance!

Hi All

I'm really stuck on how to answer 'why this firm' Q....was hoping for some inspiration! Theres quite a big word count of 350 words, so don't want to end up just waffling.

Thanks

Has anyone gone through a Baker McKenzie AC? I have one coming up and I really want to do well as I've had a sea full of rejections in my cycles. Any advice is welcome

Has anyone gone through a Mayer Brown AC? I have one coming up and its my first ever AC (and successful application since 2018) so I really want to do well. Any advice is welcome

Our star writer Ginevra Bizzarri is back! This time she breaks down one of the hardest, most complex commercial awareness topics out there: the global financial crisis, all in an easy-to-understand manner.

You'll learn:
- The role played by banks, governments and regulators leading up to the crisis
- How complex financial products developed and their role in amplifying the consequences of the housing collapse
- How the financial crisis unravelled in 2007 and the rationale for saving particular banks
- The role of law firms

And so much more!

Read here: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....-on-revisiting-the-financial-inferno-of-2008/

Just got invited to a telephone interview with Skadden today. I've tried to choose the latest possible slot to give myself maximum prep time.

The focus is going to be on the application form, commercial awareness, skills and my desire to join Skadden. Does anyone have any tips? In particular on how to prepare for commercial awareness and skills questions?

Hi,

Often when applying to vac schemes, I find that there will be a question about my reason for applying to that firm, and a question regarding positions of responsibility, and then it will additionally require a cover letter.

I don't understand what I'm supposed to write in my cover letter. According to the materials provided by my university, a cover letter is for saying what skills I have and why I want to work at the firm, so what is the cover letter for? I don't want to repeat myself.

I really appreciate any replies. Thanks.

CMS Training Contract Assessment Centre 2019 - Anonymous

Assessment Centre: Activity 1 – Written Exercise

1 hour to read a bundle of information and write a summary with your suggestions. My scenario was advising a fictional oil/gas company on whether or not to invest into a fictional African country. Lots of issues either way but I recommend coming to a decision that you have justified.

The exercise was hand written (!!) and you only got 1 side of paper so be concise. I, along with everyone else at the assessment centre, used detailed bullet points rather than flowing prose!

The exercise wasn’t particularly time pressured despite being hand written.

It is also worth considering the role play during this time; it is based on the same scenario.

Assessment Centre: Activity 2 – Role Play and Interview

This was conducted by a partner and an associate.

Given 10 minutes to talk through my findings from the written exercise – which they had read. I was also asked questions on the scenario for a further 10 minutes or so. They didn’t really challenge my conclusion but did ask for greater detail on some points, or what additional information might be needed when considering the scenario.

The remaining 40 minutes was a mainly competency based interview. They did ask some questions on CMS’s place in the legal industry as a whole (competitors, challenges they may face, etc.) but nothing super detailed about transactions or clients.

It was quite formulaic but both were nice to speak to. There was time to ask questions at the end, so worth having 1 or 2 lined up.

Assessment Centre: Activity 3 – Group Exercise

Classic group exercise example where we had to plan a presentation (30 mins) then deliver it (10 mins) and finally answer questions on it (10 mins). It was assessed by two associates. In my example we had to come up with an innovative or technological way in which the firm could improve ‘project delivery’.

In my opinion, some people wrongly tried to show off how much they knew about the firm, instead of showing they can work as a team. I would recommend focusing on bringing everyone into the conversation, sticking to the time schedule, ensuring every point you are asked for is covered, and making sure presenting roles were divided up fairly.

We did present for 10 mins, but the associates didn’t look like they even marked this section, so no need to be worried about it.

Questions were mainly about seeing how we responded to being challenged but there was also a question about whether we thought we worked well together. I was honest in my approach to this, so gave some points I thought we could improve on, others just said it went well. I think being able to assess where you can improve is probably the best approach.

Assessment Centre: Activity 4 – ‘Speed Networking’

This is apparently a legacy Olswang part of the assessment and is very relaxed.

You have 8 minutes to talk to 5 trainees one at a time. Some just chatted, some asked questions from prompt cards. The questions ranged from ‘What international office would you like to go to for a secondment?’ to ‘If you could have a superpower what would it be?’.

Not sure there is much preparation you can do for this. I took the approach of trying to be conversational – more so then if I was asked these in a partner interview.

I heard the result of the assessment centre within 2-3 days.

Dentons Training Contract Interview 2019 - Anonymous

HR Interview: 45min-1hour

This was done on a separate day and was the round before the assessment centre. Essentially it took the place of a video/telephone interview but in much more depth.

Questions mainly revolved around standard competencies. Dentons’s main competencies are listed in a Chambers Student interview with HR here. These were 1) organisation and planning 2) attention to detail 3) resilience 4) analytical ability. All of these came up pretty directly.

There were some non-competency questions on things like ‘Why Dentons?’, ‘Why law?’ and ‘Who are Dentons’s main competitors?’.

All-in-all nothing too scary and the interviewer was very friendly.

I heard back within 30 mins or so with confirmation of an assessment centre place. I don’t know if this is standard practice or not.

Assessment Centre: Activity 1 – Written Exercise

1 hour to read a bundle of information and draft an email to the Chairman of a fictional company about your findings. My example was advising a taxi company on which [redacted] city to invest into and what type of taxi ‘service’ to provide. This meant there were two decisions to make which made it slightly trickier.

I tried to focus on interpreting the information rather than just regurgitating it when drafting my email and made sure I settled on a final answer (they emphasised there wasn’t a correct outcome).

One thing to note was that spell-check was turned off on the laptops, so take care and leave time for a quick proof/sense check.

Assessment Centre: Activity 2 – Role Play

This followed directly from the written exercise. It involved presenting your findings to two associates who then asked questions on your findings.

They did push quite hard on any details you failed to mention and would argue the opposite of what you suggested. Make sure you have read the bundle properly and can talk about all the info. even if you deem it to be a weaker argument. My advice would be to stick to your decision but take their opinion on board.

It lasted about 15-20 minutes.

Assessment Centre: Activity 3 – Case Study and Partner Interview.

5 minutes to read a very short extract about a small company which is looking to grow then straight into a room with two partners who asked how you would approach various legal/commercial scenarios the company is facing. (eg. finance, corporate governance, employee issues, dealing with competition).

In terms of preparation, think about what areas Dentons is known for (eg. finance) and maybe read a little about how companies can raise finance (debt/equity/non-traditional methods) and what the pros and cons of these methods are. Only a basic knowledge of the topics above is needed – the partners were happy to give prompts if you needed them.

My advice would be to take your time when asked a question, don’t be afraid to make a note, have a think but then give your answer with confidence. They won’t be expecting great legal knowledge, it is about how you think.

The case study lasted about 35-40 minutes.

It was then followed by a 25-30 minute interview which was very similar to the HR interview (see above). The only bit which differed was they asked more about Dentons eg its structure (Swiss Verein – worth knowing the pros and cons).

Much like HR, both were nice and easy to talk to.

I heard the result of the assessment centre 1 week later (although they said it is usually done more quickly).

With there being no end to the list of websites blogs youtube videos on vac scheme and TC application and interview tips, where does one actually draw the line and feel that one has covered enough ground? I am really lost rn

I would be very grateful to anyone who could give me some tips for the WFW Video Interview, and would be happy to share my own for the White & Case Assessment Day and Simmons & Simmons VI!

DLA Piper Summer Vacation Scheme 2020 - anonymous

1. Group Exercise
The day started off with the group exercise. I was in a group of 6 (including myself). We had 15 minutes to read a pack of information which included 6 different issues. You want to try and form opinions on all 6 issues because you will have to discuss all of them, so keep a close eye on time during preparation. You then have 45 minutes to come to conclusions with your group.

2. Case Study
You are given an information pack on a company (the same one that was from the group) and you need to give recommendations on how the company can be more profitable based on the information given. You then have to go into an interview with a partner and present your ideas. My advice is be structured in your presentation so it is clear what you are suggesting. The partner will then ask you any questions they have.

3. Interview
The partner who interviewed me was extremely nice. Whilst there were set questions, he wasn't only focused on those and I could tell that he genuinely wanted to get to know me as a person, so just be yourself! The questions were testing your motivation for DLA Piper and competencies. I guess the structure of the interview will depend on the interviewer and mine did just brush over some of the competencies because it was quite textbook like.