New Threads

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone knew what Baker McKenzie's view on shortening their name in an application.

I was thinking to write "Bakers" after the first "Baker McKenzie" in the question.

Does anyone have any insight on grad rec's opinion about this

Thank you!!!!

Hi guys,

I recently received an offer to be a Brand Ambassador for my university at a law firm. I had also applied for brand ambassador roles for other law firms, including a magic circle one. Do you think it is possible to use my current job offer to leverage the other firm to give me an interview? (I haven't heard back from the other firm yet.)

Thank you for your help!

So Reed Smith has the following question on their TC app:

"What are your main activities or interests outside of your study or work-life?"

Do you think that could include also activities/interests that you used to have but no longer practice? Let's say university activities/societies that you participated in but you no longer do because you've graduated.

Thank you in advance!

"10 years on from the financial crisis and the European banking sector is still suffering from a painful amount of problems; the sector is too large, lacks capital and most significantly has too many unprofitable, unsustainable players – the zombie banks."

A fantastic insight into Europe's troubled banks by TCLA writer @Oliver Gilliland: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/the-horde-of-the-european-zombie-banks/
https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/the-horde-of-the-european-zombie-banks/

Hey guys,

I'm new here but I've been watching the threads for quite a while, trying to gather what tips and tricks I can for applications. Whilst I am yet to land a TC, the tips have certainly got me closer!

There is, however, one thing I haven't seen much on here, and I was hoping you would be able to help me. I always have a hard time debating whether or not I should personally tailor the 'work experience' section of an application form. This is usually a spot where the firms ask us to list our work experience, how long we did it for etc. I tend to give a generic, copied answer for this section just because it isn't a part specific to the firm.

My generic answer does highlight the key skills I have learnt that make me a good trainee. For example, commercial awareness, attention to detail, commercial experience, working in a team etc. However, I don't specifically say this makes me a good trainee because the word limit is often very limited (150 words typically.)

So that leaves me with two questions really:

•Do you really emphasise why your experience makes you a good trainee? Giving a point, an example from your place of work, and explaining why? Or do you simply leave it descriptive and open to interpretation, whilst highlighting the skills you have learnt?

•Do you tailor your work experience section to the individual firm? Personally, I don't because I find it hard to tailor when there is no specific question being asked.

Looking forward to hearing what you guys do!

Hi everyone!

Welcome to the first commercial news update for June! We are still trying to keep our stories a little bit shorter and snappier for you all but do let us know what you think!

Happy reading!

Commercial News Update – 5th June 2019

Topics covered this week:

1. Trump’s ‘Substantial Trade Deal’ with the UK @Jaysen
2. The Google Antitrust Investigation @Moni
3. Trump’s Tariffs on Mexico @Alice G
4. Italy’s Debt @Sara Moon

Trump’s “Substantial Trade Deal” with the UK @Jaysen

The Story:

President Trump called the UK-US special relationship the “greatest alliance the world has ever known” on day two of his state visit to the UK. The US president’s comments came during a joint press conference with Theresa May in which both leaders speculated on a trade deal between the UK and the US post-Brexit.

Impact on Businesses and Law Firms:

Ahead of his arrival to the UK, Trump weighed in on Brexit, suggesting the UK should just “walk away” from the EU. His comments didn’t help the financial markets, which dread the prospect of a no-deal Brexit. Uncertainty scares investors because it’s hard to price in risk and predict future earnings. It’s why last month the pound fell against the euro for 11 consecutive days, matching the record it set just before the financial crisis

However, Trump’s promise to strike a “very, very substantial trade deal” with the UK could offer new opportunities for businesses. Lower tariffs, as well as looser trading rules and investment restrictions, may increase imports and exports (especially for key UK-US exports in chemicals, machinery and vehicles) and lead to more investment.

Suppose, as a result of a UK-US trade deal, US businesses find it easier to acquire UK firms or that UK investors have an easier time raising finance from US lenders. Commercial law firms that are positioned on both sides of the Atlantic will be well prepared to deal with a rise in transactional work. Those that are not may struggle to break into the very competitive legal markets.

Yet, despite all the promise, there are also many doubts and concerns over a UK-US trade deal. The UK prime minister won’t be leader for much longer, both countries are arguing over Huawei and there is no guarantee a trade deal will be agreed -- will Donald Trump be re-elected? What if we don’t have a hard Brexit? Do we prefer regulatory alignment with the US or the EU?

The Google Antitrust Investigation @Moni

The Story:

On Monday 3rd June, several of the world’s largest technology companies, including Google, Facebook and Apple, saw their stocks tumble as reports circulated that the Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and US House of Representatives were preparing sweeping antitrust investigations into large tech companies.

Alphabet Inc stocks tumbled 6% following the report that the Justice Department would investigate Google’s search practices and its other businesses. While the Justice Department has yet to provide confirmation, the report stated that the department’s antitrust division has been laying the groundwork for the probe. Alphabet is one of the world’s five largest companies by market capitalization and is a major player in the advertising market. In addition to Google, the Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission will also be investigating Facebook, Amazon and Apple. Investor concerns were further stoked when, less than a day later, it was reported that House Democrats will be launching a separate “top-to-bottom” antitrust investigation of the tech industry.

The investigations mark a turning point in a longstanding antitrust conversation regarding tech companies within the US, and it comes at a point where tech companies are under the spotlight regarding their role in the economy, politics and society more broadly. Depending on their outcomes, these antitrust investigations could leave the companies open to new regulatory scrutiny and lawsuits.

Impact on Businesses and Law Firms:

By investigating these tech giants, the federal government is taking on some of the world’s most popular companies which have spent the last decade building up their relationships in Washington. Google survived a previous investigation by the Federal Trade Commission who said that while they had concerns about anti-competitive behaviour, the company also had strong pro-competitive justifications for its actions. However, the investigations are being instigated on the back of several successful investigations by the European Union and at a particularly heated time in the political cycle. The decline in stock prices is an indicator that investors are not willing to shrug off the possibility of regulatory and legal scrutiny. The outcomes and nature of these investigations, especially the DoJ and FTC investigations, will largely shape the relationship between big tech and Washington for several years to come.

This year, we established the TCLA podcast series: "Trainee Talk". We are now looking for two people to join our team!

Trainee Talk features interviews with future trainees, trainees and other members of the legal profession, as we try to uncover how they got to where they are and share the advice they have for aspiring lawyers.

Why become a member of the podcasting team?

• You will build relationships with a variety of stakeholders, which may include graduate recruitment, trainees and associates at commercial law firms
• You will be given access to TCLA Premium Version 2.0
• You will be pivotal in growing TCLA's userbase from a monthly reach of 10,000+
• You will work directly with the founding team and gain skills in presenting and clear communication

What will your responsibilities be?

• Reaching out to legal professionals to invite them to participate in an interview
• Interviewing legal professionals online and/or in-person as podcast host

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for people who are proactive, with good communication skills and a strong commitment to the role. Successful candidates must be willing to commit to a minimum of 5 hours per month to the role.

How do I apply?

Please fill out this short form: https://forms.gle/KkxtBvp7TiWQ2WhA9. If you have any related experience in producing or hosting podcasts, please mention this in your application.

Applications close on Friday, 7 June 2019

Hello everyone,

Slaughter and May has just opened applications for the 2021 TC, thus I thought it could be useful to create a new thread in order to discuss the application process.

First of all, they seem to put emphasis on the CV and the cover letter. In regard to the former, what is the ideal structure to adopt? Should it rather be bullet points or text? How to link the CV with the firm, which is probably the hardest part? Should individual modules be included (they already are on the application form)?

In regard to the latter, what should be included on the cover letter?

Morning all

I have been following TCLA at arms length for a while and more specifically the disappointment surrounding Travers Smith with VS and TC application delays. I thought I'd finally make an account and attempt to contribute something back to the good advice people post on the forums.

Alike others, I received the 'spaces are now full' for the VS application, and the initial 'unlikely response until 31 July 2019' for the TC application emails.

This morning I received a further update again emphasising that it will be a 'couple of months' before they get back to people. They do reiterate that this is because every application is looked at and considered and that they will get back to us regardless of the result.

At least we have some sort of explanation as to the slow turn around - whilst frustrating, if this is because they consider application then perhaps it may well work in our favour.

Thoughts welcome below!

All the best

Ross

Hi all,

I hope you are all well!

I'm currently applying for direct TCs (I'm soon to graduate), but have one vacation scheme coming up in the summer. However, I want to hedge my bets and also apply direct (just in case I don't covert the TC). Although I haven't done it yet, what do you think about putting on my CV/work experience section on apps 'incoming vacation scheme.' Would this make a difference/is it wise to do this - even though I wouldn't have much else to put (as I haven't done it yet).

Thanks!

TCP

Hi all,

I’ve recently finished final year and had the good luck to have a firm ask me whether I’d be interested in a job as a paralegal - I haven’t secured a VC//TC and I’m wondering what you all think about whether I should go for it or not considering how competitive the job market is.

I’m doing my last day tomorrow and I’m thinking about asking them about details before officially saying I’m interested, but I don’t know what else I can ask beyond how much I’d get paid (lol)

Any thoughts would be really appreciated!!

Hi,

Do you have any tips about choosing an issue to write about in an application form?

I'd really like to talk about the interplay between technology and privacy (referring to the Whatsapp attack) but I'm not sure if this is too generic.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Hey guys! Haven't been on here in ages. Hope everyone is well

I've been invited to an AC at BCLP and would really appreciate any advice from anyone regarding what to expect! I understand the day includes a drafting exercise, a business style role play, a team-based negotiation exercise and an interview. I'm particularly wary of the role play and the negotiation as I've not much (or any!) experience here.

Does anyone have any experience with those elements, even if not at BCLP? Would be very grateful!

Thanks!

I just got an invite to a vid int from Howard Kennedy and wondering if anyone has done one of these with them before? If so, were the questions more competency based or technical? Any experiences people can provide would be massively appreciated!

How would you answer an interview question along the lines of "There's a pressing client on the phone/ there's an important deal coming through but your supervisor is out of the office/stuck in traffic. What will you do?"

Thank you in advance!

Hi everyone,

This is where we will be posting all the vacation scheme diaries! I hope these are useful and that you enjoying reading them!

Hi all,

I'm currently an international LLM student at UoN. My family decided to move here and I've been looking for jobs relevant to my background (solidly law-related - LLB, scholarships, moot prizes). However, saying that it's been a struggle is an understatement. Therefore I wanna ask if anyone who was an international student has successfully secured a TC in the UK? Are there firms that are more open to international students? Or should I just give up? Thanks so much!

Hi All,

We've partnered with The Business Update to create a series of interview checklists on different commercial topics.

Here's our first one:



Best,

Jaysen

Hi everyone,

I have been invited to take Reed Smith's Strengths Assessment test as part of a TC application. Has anyone taken the test before and/or would anyone be able to advise on how best to prepare for the test?

I have a decent amount of practice with Watson Glaser and other verbal reasoning tests, but this assessment sounds like it might be more varied. I'm wondering whether it may be a mixed bag of verbal reasoning, situational judgment and other personality tests, but am not really sure.

Thanks!

Bristows Training Contract Interview 2019

Thank you to @Hida74 for kindly sharing this.

First round interview
- Interviewed by a senior associate and partner. I was told about my interviewers in advance.
- 1 hour interview followed by a tour of the offices with a trainee solicitor.
- Interviewers focused more on my application and work experience
- Why did you decide to go to X university.
- Why did you decide to do X work experience.
- Why law?
- Why not banking or consultancy?
- Why Bristows?
- What is IP law?
- Why are you interested in IP law?
- How would you fund a cancer research project?
- What concerns will a private investor have?
- Unlimited liability vs limited liability?
- What are the data protection issues for law firms?
- Should big tech companies be regulated? (Facebook)
- Is freedom of speech being restricted too much? (Debate)

Second round interview
- Interviewed by two partners on the trainee recruitment committee. I was told about my interviewers in advance.
- 1 hour written task followed by a 1 hour interview.
- Written task: provided with news articles on the GDPR and then had to advice a client via email on a GDPR related issue. (1 hour is enough time to get through the articles and draft the email)
- Why did I get X grade in X module?
- More commercial questions in the interview.
- Why commercial law?
- Why Bristows?
- What makes Bristows different to other firms?
- IP questions - 2 items look very similar (potential IP issue), made by different companies but are sold in the same store. Is there a case?
- What other firms have you applied to/are going to apply to?
- Situational questions - You are a trainee solicitor at Bristows working late. You don't know if something is correct in the document you have come across and you need to send it to the client by tonight. No one is in the office to answer your questions, what do you do?
- Situational questions - You are a solicitor at Bristows on your way home. You see the counsel for the opposition on the train with confidential files open for the public to see, what would you do?

This candidate is happy to answer further questions about the interview process. You can PM her for more details.

Hi all!

I hope you're well!

I've started to draft my personal statement for the Freshfields TC application cycle this summer.

I'm struggling to actually write. Various guidance and insights say why law, why Freshfields, why you with a 70% weighting to the 'you' bit but what does this actually mean?

If anyone who has been successful to get to AC stage can share how they structured or answered their PS for Freshfields, that'd be great, please!

Thanks!

Hey All,

I've locked the last thread since it has now reached over 100 pages.

Please use this thread to share application/interview outcomes, as well as support and tips for upcoming law firm interviews and assessment centres.

Good luck this year guys!

Best,

Jaysen

Why have you chosen law over another career or what has attracted you to commercial law are all iterations of the same question and you're likely to be asked it in your next application. However, what is the question broadly asking you and how can you go about answering it are considerations you must take into account before delving in.

In fact, your route into law may not have been definite and certain. You may have mulled it over for a little while or been enticed by money. Nevertheless, it’s important to break down all the little motivations that keep you going and what you think will result in your eventual satisfaction within this field of work. Below, I have outlined a few.

1) Considering motivations

I believe that motivation for a legal career can broadly fit into two categories:

• experience in the legal world
• internal motivators

While the first is self-explanatory – think presentation evenings, open days, formal and informal work experience opportunities – the second relates to what you are seeking from a career, how you know you want that from a career and why you think law might be able to provide it. I also believe you can tie the two together – you don’t necessarily have to separate them.

For example:

you might know that you’re seeking a career that’s sociable and allows you to work collaboratively with other people. You would then demonstrate in your writing how you know that to be the case, e.g. you’re an avid player of team sports or you might be captain of the debate team. The next step would then be to relate it to law: how do you know that law is a career that will provide that satisfaction? This would be your opportunity to mention any events or lawyers you’ve spoken to who have proven that collaboration is key to a legal career.

It is important to note that this is not a question that is asking whether you’d be a good lawyer (unless it explicitly asks that) so outlining your strengths and relating it to law isn’t what you need to do. However, having said that, you may be looking for a career that uses your strengths because you actually enjoy using them.

For example:

I’ve previously used the example of written communication as a motivator for pursuing a legal career. Writing well is not just a strength of mine, it’s an enjoyment and something I have an appreciation for. I can then relate that to law by discussing the uniqueness of the profession with needing good written communication. This has then allowed me to delve into legal experience I’ve had in the past that’s asked me to use that skill, thereby proving that I know what this career entails.

A further consideration is that, when looking at your motivators as a whole, ask yourself whether you could apply them to many other careers. If you only list collaboration, problem-solving and client-contact, for example, consider whether the recruiter will think: “but couldn’t you get the same from investment banking or consulting?” Hopefully, your examples from legal experiences will not prompt this question but it’s a consideration worth keeping in mind.

2) The writing

I’ve discussed clarity of expression and structuring your answers previously (here) so I won’t go into detail again. However, like every piece of writing you create, it is important to consider what it is that you are answering. Returning to my introduction and the fact that there are many iterations of the same question, it is important that you answer the exact question you have been given and not what you think you have been given. Some examples of different types of this question include:

• Why have you chosen law over another career?
• Why are you interested in becoming a commercial solicitor?
• Please explain your interest in pursuing a legal career at an international law firm?
• Please explain why you want to be a solicitor at XYZ firm?

Each firm wants to know that you’ve really considered the profession and that you want it. But each one also asks it a slightly different way each time. Reading into the question will help you structure your answer.

For example, if a question has the word “commercial” or “city” within it, you will need to explicitly explain what about that has attracted you. I would even go so far as to say that, for any commercial city law firm, you will need to discuss why commercial law anyway.

Then, you have other identifiers within some questions, such as “international”. That is an explicit prompt to show that you’ve considered the globality of the law firm and why that draws you in. Finally, some law firms combine career motivation with motivation for them specifically. For this, I would consider both halves separately but also how they might be combined (which might make for a more convincing and impressive answer). For example, a motivator for pursuing law might be the international aspect of the work and you can connect that to the reason why you chose xyz international law firm. If you can’t make such explicit links, I would advise that you just focus on being clear and convincing.

If you've had the courage to read this loong post, I thank you and hope you've find it useful. But if anyone has a different written topic they would like covered, please let me know as I am always open to suggestions and ideas! Thank you