New Threads

"We set out standards high and we trust our people to hold themselves accountable for meeting other people’s expectations. Describe a time when you had to drop everything and really ‘raise your game’ in order to keep a promise you had made to someone else. How did you manage both this and your other commitments?"

This is a very specific question, how would you go about answering it if you don't really have a suitable example that answers all points of the question?

Some great advice from @Alice G -

1. Give yourself time. Time really is a great healer, so give yourself time to reflect and process the events from the past year. While some applications open in August, do not forget that firms hold events and open days right into November. Yes, be mindful of rolling basis applications, but just make sure to prioritise those effectively.
2. Create a new plan. For me, this meant not only thinking about everything I had learned about the law and different firms over the past year, but also, and most importantly, what it was that I learned about myself. In doing so, I have been able to decide what types of firms to apply to with a far greater understanding of what I want from my long-term career. It has also meant that I have been able to think what I could be doing to better myself as an applicant.
3. Attend your first event of the new cycle! At first, I went with a feeling of dread, but when I got there, I was reminded of how much I actually enjoyed learning about different firms and meeting so many new and interesting people who are in the same boat as me! Just making that one small step really helped me.
4. Do not trawl through LinkedIn or spend too much time on people’s Instagram pages. Comparing yourself to someone else is never going to make you a better or more worthy candidate. Keep in mind that people develop and progress at their own pace and people very rarely post about the rejections they have had to endure prior to their eventual success. Essentially, we can never fully appreciate the lives or experiences of others so own your own journey and focus on you!
5. Celebrate all of the achievements you have had in the last year and reflect also on how far you have come. Sadly, I tend to find that the pain of rejection lingers far longer than the euphoria of success but celebrating your victories can really help you to feel more motivated. I had a lovely message recently when someone reminded me of how amazing it is to get a place on vacation schemes and to have reached AC stages with international firms. It honestly did take someone else to point this out for me to take a step back and allow myself to feel proud of my achievements. Be kind to yourself and give yourself the advice you know you would give to a best friend.
6. Lastly, do things you enjoy throughout this winter season and prioritise your happiness. Applications are tough but ensure you make time to see family and friends to give you social events to look forward to. You can also make sure that you do things for yourself on a daily basis. This might be going to the gym, reading a book (and I mean one which isn’t university related!!), having a bath or playing music/an instrument. Regardless of what it is, taking half an hour for yourself each day and getting outside of the ‘application headspace’ can really help to make the process less of a chore.

Does anyone have experience in interviewing at Maples Teesdale for their training contract and are able to share some insight?

Many thanks

Hi everyone - first post on this forum!

I'm going into my second year at uni, so I'm starting to look online for advice as to my chances of securing a vacation scheme. While lurking, among all the very useful threads on TheStudentRoom, I came across this one: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6105646.

For those that don't have the time to read it, the author seems to have gathered data from law firms' diversity reports over the past few years, and put them in a table. It seems that, particularly for the 'top' commercial law firms, the percentage of trainee and associate solicitors who went to a private school is much higher than the UK average (which is either 7% or 12% depending on how you measure it). This is particularly true if we assume that the people educated overseas all went to private school. Some of the firms have 'private school' figures of over 50%!

Coming from a fairly average state school background, I'm quite worried that, despite all the social mobility initiatives, my application will be at a disadvantage because of either my school status or the polish/grades of those who went to private school. I'm also worried about not fitting in and getting on with my colleagues if/when I do get a TC!

I had a few questions (for anyone still reading :/)

1. Are these figures more or less in sync with what you've personally seen on vac schemes, training contracts, etc.?
2. Do you think that these figures have changed since the reports were published? A lot of the data seems to have been collected in 2017 or 2018
3. Do you have any ideas as to why privately-educated individuals are over-represented at these firms?

Thanks!!!!

Hi everyone,

Linklaters have launched a new platform for their applications and when I'm trying to enter my undegraduate modules, there is a search bar to type the name of the module and in theory something should come up. However, nothing pops up there and in fact I cannot enter any module whatsoever. Has this happened to anyone else?

Those of you wanting to discuss the Big 4 when answering the popular interview question: "What are the biggest challenges facing law firms over the next five years?" will enjoy this one!

@Oliver Gilliland's latest article is an in-depth look at exactly how the Big 4 pose a threat to law firms. He examines the impact of clients' demanding more-for-less, why the Big 4 have an advantage, and how regulation could pose a challenge to the Big 4's efforts to disrupt this market.

https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/rise-of-the-big-4/

Hi guys - wondering how you would answer this question:

How is the legal landscape changing and what are the challenges facing Ashurst?

Is it OK to use cybersecurity threats as an answer? Thanks so much!

Hi everyone,

I saw a thread that talked about events at law firms that aren’t necessarily open days and thought I would just create this thread to help people find events that they may want to apply to!

I would definitely recommend anyone aware of other events post them to collate a nice list of these.

Legal Cheek are starting to ramp up their student events list (they’re also usually in the evening and only require your CV and two questions for the panel to apply):

Clyde & Co (London) - Tuesday 10th October - Climate change and the law (https://www.legalcheek.com/event/climate-change-and-the-law-with-clyde-co/)

Taylor Wessing (London) - Tuesday 15th October - Mental health and wellbeing in the law (https://www.legalcheek.com/event/mental-health-and-wellbeing-in-the-law-with-taylor-wessing/)

Pinsent Masons (Leeds) - Wednesday 23rd October - Skills for lawyers of the future (https://www.legalcheek.com/event/skills-for-lawyers-of-the-future-with-pinsent-masons-in-leeds/)

I hope that this helps (and my apologies if it’s in the wrong section)!

Hi All,

I came across this post today, it's a clear explanation of the benefits and evolution of contract review software: https://www.artificiallawyer.com/2019/09/19/the-kira-systems-guide-to-ai-driven-contract-analysis/, as well as touching on the technology behind it.

Best,

Jaysen

Hi all

I was wondering if anybody has completed the Linklaters "Capp Online Assessment" and could shed any light on what it actually entails as the info the firm provides doesn't seem to give too much away. It seems that its trying to test quite a few different attributes so I am wondering if its similar to HSF's assessment which had SJT and critical reasoning questions in the same test.

I'd really appreciate any info anybody has on this as I'm a bit apprehensive to go into it blind.

Thanks in advance for any help

Hi everyone,

The 'introduce us to a topic' question is forming part of the HSF app again this year and i think it is one of the trickiest ones to start thinking about, so I wondered how people might feel about sharing some ideas for inspiration purposes? If you made an app last year and using the same topic then I totally understand that people might not want to share but it would be really interesting to hear about everyone's interests and gain some inspiration from it

I don't mind kicking off and sharing that I spoke about nutrition in my app last year and its relation to wellbeing and I don't think it was really factual or detailed enough. I may still write on the same topic this year but I am still unsure!

Does anyone else experience problems with Ashurst's application? Specifically, under the cover letter section, it says 1000 words max. I copy & paste there 996 words and it wont let me proceed claiming that I must be under 1000 words. Does anyone know why? Maybe its the format of me including my address etc. on the right hand side that is causing this? Thanks.

Hi guys

Was just looking for some advice on how to answer the above in a tight word limit (250 words)? Do you need to actually mention the competitors or just talk more about what makes the firm unique?

Thanks

We're delighted to announce that we have 5 TCLA Scholarships available.

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You will also receive a free mock interview with the TCLA team.

Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of any of the following factors:

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- Where a scholarship will make a substantial impact to your application journey

If you'd like to apply for a scholarship, please email [email protected] stating why you need the support of the scholarship and how it would help you. The information you send us will be kept confidential.

The deadline for submission is 1 October 2019, but we will award the scholarship on a rolling basis. If you have already applied for a scholarship to TCLA's Crash Course, don’t worry - you can still apply for a TCLA scholarship.

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This was initially posted to a different thread but thought I'd repost it here. Please note, the case study may have changed since, or you may be given a different one.

From anonymous:

When was it?

Mid November 2018

What was it for?

Vacation Scheme (although the Training contract interview process is exactly the same)

First interview: Case Study

The first interview is a case study. You are given a document bundle to read through within 30 minutes. You then have to give a 20 minute presentation to a partner, who will then ask follow up questions for around 30 minutes.

The case study is typically a scenario of you as a trainee, working on an M&A deal. In the first couple of pages, a fictional partner provides some background information on a client. The client, an investment arm, is looking to acquire a target – which was a company producing [redacted] in my interview. You have to investigate the details of this deal. You are given explicit instructions by the fictional partner that you have to address 6 points. This includes questions such as: what legal issues are raised in the deal; how much the client should pay to purchase the target; and what are the shareholders rights issues (this was raised because the deal is a [redacted]).

The document bundle consists of different types of documents. There are company balance sheets, shareholder right documents; bank loan terms and conditions; and background company information on the acquirer and the target.

Note that this case study is immensely time pressured. There is about 30 minutes to read through it all. Seeing as there around 10 pages in the bundle, that gives you roughly 3 minutes per page. In fact, you probably have less time than this, because you have to factor in time to organise your thoughts and structure your presentation. It is also important to quickly discern what information is relevant to the 6 points that you are given in the briefing. Make sure you stick to the briefing instructions, and think carefully about how the information in the case bundle relates to the instructions.

Also, make sure that you do not just describe the issues at hand, but offer practical solutions. For example, in my interview, the [redacted] was being provided with automation technology by a supplier. What’s important is that you’re providing pragmatic suggestions to deal with aspecific problem you have identified.

In the presentation, you are being marked for the organisation structure of your answers. Make sure you have a clear and coherent structure – and, again, remember to offer practical solutions. The partner will probe you on various details you have missed. I think the best thing to do is engage with what the partner is asking you, to not be worried about looking over documents again (they expect you to do this), and to try and think on your feet.

Second interview: scenario based

This is the first time Allen & Overy have changed their second interview for years. It used to be competency and commercial. Now it is scenario-based. This means you’re extremely unlikely to be raised questions like: ‘what commercial news story interests you?’ You’re also unlikely to be asked firm-focused questions, like ‘where should Allen & Overy open its next office’ etc.

Instead, you are given a set of scenarios, and you have to answer what you would do in those circumstances. These scenarios were clearly pre-prepared by the interviewer and are testing specific skills, like adaptability. One example is: ‘you’re a trainee, and you have been working really hard on a specific task. But then, an associate says that you need to take a completely different approach and scrap what you’re doing right now. How do you react to this?’

These scenarios will be interwoven with related competency questions. So, with that scenario about taking a different approach, the interviewer would then ask: ‘has something like this ever happened to you in real life – when you worked really hard at something, but then had to completely change your plans? How did it make you feel?’

Some general advice:

The case study is considerably harder than the second interview. The latter will feel quite relaxing after the former. It is really hard to prepare for the case study, because it is such a unique task given the time pressure. Perhaps read some shareholder rights issues and do some basic balance sheet calculations (ebidta etc.)

But the most important things I would say is just relax, do your best, and try and engage with the partner and get into a conversation. The partner is not expecting you to retain all of the information. The case study is designed so that it is impossible for you to raise every issue and know all the ins-and-outs of it. So stay calm, listen to what the partner is asking, and engage with this as well as you can.

Hi All,

Just to let you know it’s FT.com Open Day, which means you can read the Financial Times for free today.

From here: https://aboutus.ft.com/en-gb/announcements/ft-sets-the-agenda-with-new-brand-platform/

16 September 2019: The Financial Times is calling for a better form of capitalism with its powerful brand platform, The New Agenda, launching today.

The publisher’s first major brand campaign since the global financial crisis, The New Agenda will position the FT at the forefront of debate about the disruption of established corporate and economic models and what should come next. Launching with the line - Capitalism: time for a reset - it will encourage business leaders to find opportunity in the new normal and promote stronger corporate purpose.

Introducing the concept to FT readers, editor Lionel Barber said: “The liberal capitalist model has delivered peace, prosperity and technological progress for the past 50 years, dramatically reducing poverty and raising living standards throughout the world.”

“But, in the decade since the global financial crisis, the model has come under strain, particularly the focus on maximising profits and shareholder value. These principles of good business are necessary but not sufficient. It’s time for a reset,” he continued.

The campaign, developed with The Brooklyn Brothers, foregrounds FT journalism and is entirely content driven. Through a series of provocations, audiences will be encouraged to consider the implications of major economic and societal change, including the ethics of investing, the potential perils of big tech and the future of the corporation itself.

On September 18, print copies of the FT will be wrapped with the highly visible campaign creative. On the same day, the publisher will make FT.com free to read globally for 24 hours in what it calls FT.com Open Day, when new readers are invited to explore the FT’s award-winning journalism online.

The global brand creative will run out of home, on digital, mobile and display, and will be complemented by an integrated acquisition campaign that will run throughout autumn across all regions. The New Agenda will also manifest in the weeks and months ahead at FT events and through field marketing; in partnerships, sponsorships and all external communications.

Finola McDonnell, FT’s chief communications and marketing officer, said: ‘Our readers want a guide to the risks and opportunities that disruption brings. But they also want to be challenged: The FT has the authority and credibility to ask fundamental questions of business and, with this campaign, we are highlighting the choices that will determine the future of the economic order, reflecting what we do every day through our unrivalled journalism’.

Click to expand...

Enjoy!

Clifford Chance's vacation scheme application question for this year is as follows:
You have told us about your academic achievements and work experience and now, in no more than 600 words, we are keen to hear more about you. This should include your extra-curricular activities, positions of responsibility and an achievement of importance which you are most proud of.

How would I go about structuring my answer to this question? I thought that I'd make a list of 4 or 5 distinct points addressing each part of the question, and how each point developed the skills I need to be a good trainee, but I'm not sure whether I need to link all my points back to Clifford Chance/commercial law. I want to avoid writing a simple list of achievements or extracurriculars, unless this is what the question is asking me to do.

Any advice by any person is sincerely appreciated.

Our interview course is live! Access it here:
https://classes.thecorporatelawacademy.com/p/interview-course.

In this course, we've brought together the knowledge and experiences of 9 future trainee solicitors to help you excel at interviews. These future trainees bring a variety of perspectives based on what they’ve learned interviewing at multiple law firms across the City.

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In this course, you will receive advice on preparing for competency and commercial questions, strengthening your application, building a rapport with your interviewers and much more.

We also break down TCLA’s best advice for the variety of assessments during assessment centres based on our experiences conducting mock interviews with hundreds of candidates.

Note, this course is free for members of TCLA Premium.

Our applications course will be released this Wednesday!

Hi everyone,

I am an overseas student with an LL.B. from a Dutch university and have recently moved to the UK and am now wondering whether anyone could shed some light on my chances of getting into a vacation scheme/training contract here?

As I have a non-qualifying law degree, I was also wondering whether it would increase my chances if I would self-fund the GDL (or an LL.M.?) and then apply for vacation schemes/training contracts? Unfortunately, I thought I could increase my chances by getting into a paralegal/legal assistant positions in the UK but despite strong academics and some work experiences at university, I have so far not had any luck

Thank you for any help!!

Hi Guys,

I am currently researching about tech evolution in Africa. I have found the companies on which I want to focus on, however I cannot find recent articles explaining city law firms strategy in Africa.

Could you help me?

Thanks

Hi everyone,

I know this has been asked before but unfortunately, I couldn't find where and I can't remember what was said exactly!

Should you put upcoming events you are attending on your work experience form?

After applying, I have been invited to attend the LawCareersNetLIVE event in December. Is this something I should put on applications now under work experience? If so, should I just leave the details blank?

Thanks!

Hi All,

It's awesome to receive messages from you guys to say you've secured a training contract. I quite often hear that future trainees to help us out at TCLA (which we really appreciate!) but aren't entirely sure how. I've put this list together to give you some guidance on what helps us out the most.

1. Share with us your success story*: It's always inspiring when future trainees come back and share with us their journey and advice.
2. Share with us your interview* or vacation scheme experiences*: your experiences and advice can help make a huge difference to future candidates applying to your firm.
3. Help candidates by answering questions and posting in the forum: this is a big one - we love it when future trainees come back to help out in the forum - everyone has their own journey and perspectives, which we are always keen to hear.
4. Spread the word! We rarely pay for advertising, which means we rely on a combination of word of mouth, social media marketing and quality content to grow TCLA. Anything you can do to help us reach more people is always really appreciated.

*If you'd like to do this anonymously, that's absolutely fine. Please send me your post via PM and I'll post it on your behalf.

Thank you!

Jaysen

Are you struggling to understand bonds?

Do you wonder why bond prices and yields move in opposite directions?

Why is everyone talking about the inverted yield curve and what does this have to do with law firms?

In his debut article, TCLA writer Matthew Dow explains all!

Read here: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/the-yield-curve-inversion-impact-on-the-legal-sector/

Hi everyone,

I have a vacation scheme interview with A&O and would be really grateful if anyone could share any experiences, tips or advice for this?

In particular, I was wondering how to prep for the case study part of the interview? I’ve never done a case study interview before so don't really know what to expect.

Any help would be much appreciated!!

Can you apply to more than one in the same year? E.g. to the spring/summer ones if you're rejected from the winter one?

I know on the website it says to only apply for one, but that's immediately preceded by a paragraph solely relating to international students so I wasn't sure whether that only applied to them.

TIA!