New Threads

Hi all,

@Jaysen has asked me to update the list of firms that accept applications on a rolling and non-rolling basis for the 2019-20 cycle.

If anyone has anything to update or add to the list, please feel free to leave a comment. Otherwise, I hope you all find this useful and good luck with your applications!

Law firms which recruit on a rolling basis:

Addleshaw Goddard (Facebook 2015)
Allen & Overy (website)
Ashurst (Facebook 2015)
Baker McKenzie (website)
BCLP (Rolling for all VS and TCs except Manchester and Hong Kong TCs) (website)
Bird & Bird (website)
Burges Salmon (website)
Cleary Gottlieb (VS rolling, TC non-rolling) (2019/20 recruitment brochure)
Clyde & Co (website "the sooner you apply the better")
CMS (website under FAQ "What is the deadline for applications?")
Dechert (TCLA member, 2018)
Dentons (website)
DLA Piper (lawcareers.net)
Eversheds (Wikijob)
Gibson Dunn (website under "Summer Vacation Scheme" tab)
Hogan Lovells (website)
Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF discussion board)
Jones Day (Apply4Law)
Macfarlanes (website)
Mayer Brown (Open Days, VS and TC all rolling basis) (website "When is the deadline for applications")
Morrison Foerster (website, under "London" tab)
Mishcon de Reya (website)
Norton Rose Fulbright (website)
Pennington Manches (confirmed by graduate recruitment, 2019/20)
Reed Smith (website)
Ropes & Gray (website)
Slaughter and May (TCs on rolling basis, VS unconfirmed) (website)
Sidley Austin (VS rolling, TC non-rolling) (website)
Skadden (Graduate recruitment brochure, download here)
Shoosmiths (confirmed by graduate recruitment, 2019/20)
Stephenson Harwood (confirmed by graduate recruitment, 2019/20)
Travers Smith (website)
White & Case (VS rolling, TC non-rolling) (Graduate recruitment brochure, download here)


Law firms which do not recruit on a rolling basis

Bristows (website suggests non-rolling "we begin considering applications in January")
Charles Russell Speechlys (The Lawyer Portal)
Cleary Gottlieb (VS rolling, TC non-rolling) (2019-20 recruitment brochure)
Clifford Chance (website)
Cooley (lawcareers.net)
Covington & Burling (website)
Davis Polk (job listing 2017)
Fried Frank (confirmed by HR rep)
Trowers and Hamlins (Twitter 2016)
Linklaters (confirmed by graduate recruitment)
Osborne Clarke (website)
Pinsent Masons (website "After the deadline, we'll review all applications...")
Taylor Wessing (confirmed by graduate recruitment)
Kirkland & Ellis (confirmed by graduate recruitment)
Latham & Watkins (confirmed by graduate recruitment, 2019/20)
Freshfields (website)
Shearman & Sterling (website) (UPDATE: Shearman may review and interview before the deadline, but will not offer spaces until after the deadline; see thread here)
Watson Farley & Williams (confirmed by graduate recruitment)
Withers (website suggests non-rolling "we start to review applications approximately one month prior to the deadline”)


Unconfirmed

K&L Gates (no information on website)
Simmons & Simmons (no information on website this year)
Weil Gotshal & Manges (no information on website this year)

In July of this year, I was invited down to the Clifford Chance office in London to meet with a partner in the M&A department for a 1-on-1 chat and a tour of the London office. It wasn't part of any formal open day or vac scheme process, I had obtained this connection through a CFO I interviewed for my undergraduate dissertation who wanted to set me up with his legal contact at Clifford Chance.

The meeting lasted roughly an hour, I got a tour of the office, he asked me some quite detailed questions about my work experience and my desire to be a commercial lawyer and, in turn, I asked him about the inner workings of M&A, the firm, and about how to succeed in the application process.

At the end of the meeting, he said that I can e-mail him anytime if I have any application questions and that he would copy me into an e-mail with the graduate recruitment team so that I could aim any questions I had to them also. Obviously, having a major partner contact with the firm is a huge upper hand in the application process which I don't want to waste.

My questions are:
How should I make the most of this contact within the firm?
What kind of questions can I ask which will give me an upper hand in the application process?

I look forward to hearing any wisdom which anyone can offer.

Hi,
Have got an interview for Slaughter and May and also for Allen and Overy but am feeling rather unprepared.
Wondered what general advice people had for the days and whether anyone who had attended might be able to shed some light.
I was also hoping people might have recommendations on good introductory material for information on M& and other corporate law terms, as a non-law student I feel rather clueless about these issues.
Thanks in advance

Hello,

I am currently drafting a structure for the two questions below. At first glance, they seem relatively straightforward. However, after reading over the questions several times, I think I am starting to overcomplicate things.

To avoid doubt, I would be really grateful if someone could share their approach/interpretation in answering these questions!

1. How is Osborne Clarke different from the other firms you have applied to? (250 words)

Plan: Outline OC's key USPs and link them to my decision to apply (etc sector focus, innovation and training)

2. Please outline your reasons for pursuing a career in commercial law at Osborne Clarke. You should include details on how you developed your skills through your hobbies and interests. (500 words)

Plan: Most of the word count (maybe 300) would be dedicated to why commercial law. But with the wording of 'at Osborne Clarke' I suppose I would need to make it clear as to why a career in commercial law with OC would be different? Though, the confusion here is whether this would be overlapping with the first question?

For the second half of the question, I would outline skills developed from hobbies/interests and briefly explain how these skills would assist me as a commercial lawyer at OC.


Many thanks in advance!

I have mine for winter VS tomorrow ! Anyone else have or had one for VS or TC? Thanks x x

Hi guys,

I have a telephone interview coming up for NRF's winter vacation scheme.

Has anyone gone through the process before and can offer some insight?

Many thanks!!

Hi All,
The question on the Reed Smith application asks for "Details and explanation of how you feel you have benefited from this experience under the work experience section". (250 words)
Do I need to link it back to the firm and if so, how much of my work experience should be linked back to the firm ?

Could someone who's recently done Simmons & Simmons' video interview tell me a little bit about what it entails? The email that I received says that it consists of 'competency, motivational and scenario questions', however threads I've found from a few years ago say that it also includes commercial awareness questions. Any advice?

P.S. Is anyone's server being v temperamental?

Thanks.

Hi,

Was wondering for this question for Dechert:
If applicable please state any additional information which you think is relevant to your application or which you think has not been covered adequately in this form. (250)

Would it be okay to put 'why commercial law'? or what else are they asking for?

Thanks

I have recently come across an application form that asks for extra curricular activities and positions of responsibility (and why they are important) in two different sections.

In particular, one question asks to 'detail positions of responsibility and why they are important to you', while another asks you to highlight 'extra-curricular activities, interests and level of involvement'.

I am finding it difficult to differentiate between the two as in other application forms both questions tend to fall under one heading.

Would anybody be able to recommend which approach I would take for each?

Thanks in advance!

Hi All,

Our legal technology crash course will be released this week.

In this course, you will learn:

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This course is taught by Richard Tromans, the founder of Tromans Consulting, which advises law firms on strategy and innovation, including the adoption of AI and other legal technology.

Richard is also the founder of Artificial Lawyer, a global news website dedicated to “New Wave” legal technology. Artificial Lawyer has been recognised as one of the top 50 information sites in the world on Artificial Intelligence.

I'm currently preparing answers to common law firm interview questions and was wondering what would be the best approach/structure to answering "Why should we hire you"? if anyone has any tips?

Thanks

Hi All,

Just a heads up that I’ll be upgrading our servers tonight (so we can handle the traffic a bit better).

Hopefully that time will cause the least disruption, but please note, you may have difficulties accessing TCLA over the next 24 hours (48 at most). You may also note that any posts made or messages sent in this time may disappear.

Apologies in advance for any inconvenience!

Hello! The Clyde & Co applciation starts with the following question: "Why do you want to pursue a career as a solicitor at Clyde & Co and what are the main challenges for the firm? (300 words max)"

Correct me if I am wrong, but I see three parts in the question: 1) why commercial law 2) why the firm and 3) main challenges for the firm.

Do you think an equal amount of words should be spent for the three parts? Is the "why commercial law" part really there?

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone! I am completing Dechert's app, and one of the questions is:

Dechert is frequently retained to work on the most challenging matters, and prides itself on its ability to deliver premium legal services and sound business judgment to its clients. In your opinion, other than the above, what are the three key reasons why our clients instruct us?

I am assuming it's asking why their clients choose them? As in, which three qualities of the firm appeal to clients? Anyone interpreted in another way?

Thanks!!

Hello all,

Does anyone know who you have to address the cover letter to for NRF?

Many thanks!

Hi all,

I recently interviewed with Slaughter and May for a TC, and I was wondering if anyone has any experience with how long they usually take to give out an offer/rejection?

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

This is just a little something I wrote this week as I have heard firms have started making their decisions on Winter Vac Shemes and Open Day places. I really hope this helps some of you and please stay positive!!

************************************************************************************************************************

The application stage is, in my personal opinion, the toughest hurdle to clear. It can be so difficult trying to put your personality across in an application whilst also trying to write in a way that shows your research, commercial awareness and excitement towards a firm. I am writing tips on how to cope with application rejections specifically here in the view to writing more tips about the other application stages, since they each require different skills and capabilities. I hope these tips help and resonate with some of you and, though I sound like a stuck record, it is important to remember it is ‘when’ not ‘if’ and that with a bit of perseverance we can all get there!


1. Allow yourself to be upset. Do not try and force yourself to ‘bounce back’ or keep up appearances for the benefit of other people. If you have been knocked back by a rejection it is totally ok, and I have cancelled plans at the last minute because I haven’t felt up to them in light of rejections. I see a lot of comments online, for which I am guilty too, where we say how ‘dramatic’ it is for us to have felt like crawling back into bed or having a good cry into a cup of tea when faced with a rejection. I think it is good we share these realities but also that we don’t make apologies for them either. There is no shame in getting upset and having down days – it makes us all human. You are entitled to your feelings and it is important for our own mental wellbeing that we allow them to flow freely, even if it is unpleasant. It is all part of the process.

2. Take stock and reflect. It is a shame that firms cannot give feedback on applications, but I am sure I speak for us all when I say that it is entirely understandable that they cannot. This does mean it is left down to us as individuals, but you might be surprised just how handy a bit of time away from an application can be to help you appraise it and to be more critical. When doing your reflection, have you noticed a typo? This can certainly be a problem and might be a reason for the rejection. Have you found yourself thinking ‘why?’ or ‘so what?’ when reading your work? Firms really need you to dig deep and be specific about your motivations and why things are important to you. Have you simply found your writing does not flow or that it is overly complex? Legal writing needs to be clear, well-structured and concise and you cannot underestimate the important of this in your applications.

3. Perhaps upon reflection you have realised that you need to develop your skill set more or that you need some more work experience or extra-curriculars to perhaps cultivate a more diverse range of skills. With firms increasingly leaning towards competency responses, it is important to afford yourself enriching experiences. Do try and take yourself out of your comfort zone sometimes and challenge yourself in new ways. Self-development can be a great way to enhance your applications. However, do not do this at the detriment of your health or wellbeing. Know your limits and if it is all too much, focus on what is most important – you can always gain more experience after university if you have a lot on your plate or when work is not so hectic!

4. Make sure you are making fewer high-quality applications rather than taking a scatter-gun approach. This can be controversial because the amount of applications you make really should depend on your individual circumstances. I know people who can write good applications in a couple of days and they still manage to be successful with the high-volume approach. Knowing the way that I work best, however, means that I only opted to make seven applications last year. It does not matter which camp you fall into, but you need to make sure your applications are focused and of a high quality. It is not best practice to make 28 applications which aren’t sufficiently researched and thought out. Know how you work best (neither way is better than the other, we all work at our own pace and level) and strategise accordingly.

5. Do NOT underestimate open day applications. I was motivated to write this post after hearing brilliant candidates were unsuccessful in gaining open day places. These can be just as competitive to get on to as vacation schemes and they should not be viewed as *just* open days. Applications to workshops, events and open days need to be just as well researched and well written as vacation scheme applications. Open days, in my view, are also a huge stepping-stone towards vacation scheme successes. They are insightful days which teach you more about commercial law which you can then use in all your other application forms and they offer crucial ‘inside’ information into a firm and facilitate interactions between you and them. If you have been rejected after an open day application, ask yourself if you gave the application the attention it really required and if you feel you didn’t, don’t worry. Learn from this and make sure your future open day applications are as well-researched and as well-evidenced as possible.

6. Be proud of yourself. You put yourself forwards and that really does deserve some self-congratulation. It is a daunting thing to make an application and offer yourself up for judgement. Similarly, recruiters really do appreciate the time and effort you put in and nobody wants to reject an application either. So do not lose heart, it just wasn’t meant to be this time but well done for giving it a go and absolutely keep persevering!!

Hi Everyone,

Hope you are all well and having a great week!

I just thought I’d start a new thread about which commercial related questions and topics came up last year at interviews and ACs. I think these can be the toughest and most curve-ball questions so it would be good to maybe compile what we all experienced so that we can be as prepared as possible this cycle!!

For me, I had ‘please tell us about a recent news story and why it would impact a law firm like us’. And I was also given an M&A case study and asked to discuss which departments would be involved with the deal. In a VI, I was also asked to talk about a business I admire and why

Interested to hear what you guys had!!

I started working on my Covington App and have a few questions:

1) Should the cover letter be addressed to Hilary Prescott (training partner) according to Chambers and Students or Claire Astbury (the Legal Recruiting and Professional Development Manager) or as it says in the FAQ on the firm's website "Please address the covering letter to ‘The Graduate Recruitment Team."

2) How do I go about the question "If you could experience first-hand one historical event, what would it be and why?" – 250 words.

I am currently struggling with this question "if you were an AG lawyer, recommending the firm to a potential new client-what would you describe as our most unique selling points?

I am planning to focus on AG consulting, AG integrate, client focus..any tips?
How would you structure your answer?

One of the questions that Burges Salmon is asking this year is:

"As an independent UK firm what do you think are the main challenges and opportunities that Burges Salmon could face over the next five years?"

To be honest, I am somewhat struggling with this question - there are some "obvious" traces to follow such as Brexit, cybersecurity and advanced tech, however I have a hard time with relating it back to the firm.
Would really appreciate your thoughts on the above!

For the open day tomorrow, the confirmation email said they are letting people know after the deadline, which was Friday just gone.

Has anyone heard back from them today yet?

Hi all!

I am an aspiring commercial solicitor. As you can imagine, I have not secured a TC yet but I am determined to get an offer for 2022.

First a bit about who I am and my life - I am working as a paralegal in IP litigation at the moment and am also a part-time LPC student in year 1. I am French and did all my school years in Paris, after what I decided to start medical school. Midway through my second year, I had a change of heart and decided to start law school in 2013 at the Catholic University of Lille. After two years, I applied and got an Erasmus grant to come study in England. I completed my third year at CCCU with a few modules I had no idea about. At that stage, I decided I wanted to stick around and see what London had to offer. That's when I started to look more into the route to qualification here and found out I was really, really late to the game. I enrolled to do the GDL and an LL.M both at the same time. It was a great experience but I do not recommend it to anybody who wants to have good grades, because I didn't. I found a job in enforcement and stayed in the company for a year and a half, after which I decided to quit to focus on what I really want: being a commercial solicitor. Few months of search and many tears later, I found my position at Bristows, which I adore. Enrolled in the part-time LPC and here I am.

The wizlaw and I - As mentioned above, I had a change of heart mid-medical school. That was triggered by a single class on overview of research and development of a new drug. In medical school, we mainly focused on the R&D part - make a commercial decision to research a way to treat a condition, the research stages lead by leading scientists, animal and human clinical trial, final clinical trials. And then the exciting stuff: patenting and enforcing patent rights. Bam, I was sold! Left medical school, started law school. That's what I want to do, mostly law, with that general scientific reading. To be fair, it does help to have a scientific background in my current law firm and that is one of the most exciting parts of the job to me.

Naked me - I think I really need to be realistic about my profile and start with everything I know might not be great about me. Sometimes, I found it easy to get carried on by my excitement, determination and optimism, without having a full picture of my weaknesses and how I can mitigate/change them. First stop, laziness. I think I have never been super lazy, but I was guilty of doing the bare minimum, especially before uni. Fast forward a good few years and many of them spent on uni bench, I think I get that without putting the full efforts, I will not get the full reward. That leads to my second point, my grades. Because I did the bare minimum sometimes, my grades are not the best. I do not have mitigating circumstances and am not making excuses for them, I need to take ownership in order to prove that my LPC grades will be better. I used to want to be better but sit on my couch and watch tv, making excuses, saying tomorrow I will do it. Tomorrow is now and I am proactive today, I am making active changes to increases my chances and be the best candidate I will ever be.

Now what? - I am struggling through the LPC and work, both taking so much of my time. I want to follow my study plans: read, prepare, attend, consolidate, read, revise and do mocks. But all this takes immense time and I find myself going home tired and exhausted after 7 hours of work, 3 hours of studying. I try to take the time to recharge as much as I can during the weekend (which is why I study so hard in the week) but often, still have to study in the mornings. I have just started my TC application round, with a few firms in mind and a schedule ahead of me. I've got all the chances on my side, I just need to make the best of it.

Feel free to tag along and watch me try, fail and, hopefully, succeed!

I find that a lot of the scenarios ask you to evaluate whether you should take the initiative when the opportunity arises or speak to your supervisor/seniors first. I know there can't be a generic answer to this but do you have any thoughts on the appropriate steps to take? Additionally, is your supervisor your first point of contact when a problem emerges in any situation?