New Threads

Hi all, i was wondering if anyone can give me some (relatively urgent) advice.!!

I have been offered an interview for a paralegal position (11 month contract). I am worried because if i apply for VSs ( winter and spring) or have assessment days, i am not sure if i would be allowed to take unpaid time off? has anyone had any experience with this? (first i would use my 25 day holiday time, but if i had none left over)

I am panicking because i don't know what to do, but because it is only an interview i don't want to ask the recruiter as i don't want to lose the opportunity.

thanks so much for help!

Hi guys,

What's everyone's approach to answering face-to-face interview questions? I know the STAR method is encouraged but I find it too artificial especially when the interview is treated as conversation-like.

Thanks!

Commercial Awareness Update: 1st May 2019

Hi everyone,

Another month has flown by! The topics covered this week are:

1. Second Belt and Road Forum by @kitk
2. Uber’s upcoming IPO by @Abstruser

As always, feel free to share your thoughts and comments below. Happy reading!


1. Second Belt and Road Forum (by @kitk)


The story:

Last week, over 5,000 delegates attended the second Belt and Road Forum held in Beijing.

This forum is about China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Launched in 2013, the BRI aims to connect Asia, Africa and Europe via both land corridors and sea routes. This involves the funding of infrastructure projects, like the building of railways and ports, in various countries around the world.

At last week’s forum, US$64 billion in deals were signed and 283 “practical outcomes” had been achieved. Also, 37 world leaders joined Chinese President Xi Jinping in signing a joint communique promising to work together in further opening their markets, as well as promoting green growth and diversified and sustainable financing for BRI projects. This is an increase from the 29 world leaders who attended the first Belt and Road Forum in 2017.

The BRI appears to be of growing interest to European countries. In late March, Italy became the first major European economy to endorse the BRI, while Swiss President Ueli Maurer and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz were among the signatories of the abovementioned communique.


Impact on businesses and law firms:

With the increasing economic scale and political support of the BRI, more businesses are likely to become involved in the BRI projects. Examples of such involvement include providing project design services and green financing for the construction projects. Law firms might handle more advisory work related to the provision of such services. As the BRI involves large, cross-border projects that involves many parties, there is also likely to be a higher chance that law firms would work on disputes arising between parties participating in such projects.


2. Uber’s upcoming IPO (by @Abstruser)


The story:

Last Friday, Uber filed its S-1 form with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in preparation for its upcoming initial public offering (IPO). In the United States, all companies intending to publicly list their shares must file an S-1 form with the SEC. An S-1 form typically contains basic financial information in relation to the listing company and its share offering.

Uber’s filing revealed a price range of $44-50 per share for its upcoming IPO. With 180 million common shares to be sold, the ride-hailing company is expected to raise $7.9 billion to $9 billion, which would give Uber a valuation between $80.5 billion and $91.5 billion.

The S-1 form also revealed that Uber will be selling shares worth $500 million in a private placement to PayPal. PayPal has handled Uber’s payments in Australia and the United States since 2013. Last Friday after the S-1 filing, PayPal announced that it had agreed to extend its global partnership agreement with Uber to develop future commercial payment collaborations, including Uber’s digital wallet.


Impact on businesses and law firms:

At the price range announced on Friday, Uber’s IPO is poised to be the second-largest IPO by a US company, after Facebook’s $16 billion offering in 2012. However, it isn’t all smooth sailing for Uber. In its S-1 filing, Uber is expected to post a net loss of $1 billion for Q1 2019. In contrast, Uber had posted a net income of $3.7 billion the same time last year. Uber attributed its projected losses to increased spending on incentives and advertising, which highlights stiff competition posed by other ride-hailing companies such as Lyft, and food delivery companies like Deliveroo. Growing competition in the ride-hailing segment is also highlighted by the poor performance of competitor Lyft’s shares since its IPO in late March. The company’s shares are currently trading at 20% below their initial price, as investors display little confidence in the company’s long-term growth prospects in a highly-saturated market.

On the legal side, public companies are generally subject to stringent corporate governance regulations that private companies are not. This means that as a public company, Uber will likely be required to disclose more information to stakeholders than it previously did as a private company. This may be particularly significant in light of Uber’s considerable legal troubles in the past. In 2017, Uber faced a series of sexual harassment and pay discrimination lawsuits brought by over 400 former employees. Uber also fended off an intellectual property theft lawsuit brought by Waymo in 2017, a subsidiary of Google that develops autonomous vehicle technology. The company only recently received a renewed license to operate in London in 2018, after Transport for London (TfL) refused to renew Uber’s operating license in light of public safety and security concerns. Uber is still in ongoing litigation in both the United Kingdom and the United States over whether Uber drivers are independent contractors or employees.

The other day I spoke to someone who went through three recruitment rounds before finally being offered a training contract with a great firm. I’m on my second (likely unsuccessful) round and I’m trying not to give up hope, so I find stories like this really inspiring and would love to hear them.

Current and future trainees, did anyone have to go through more than one recruitment round to get a training contract? What happened? Why do you think you were ultimately successful?

Looking forward to hearing some inspiring stories!

Cover letters can be the bane of your existence or a blessing sent from heaven, depending on your perspective. It is a blank canvas upon which you can dictate how much you share and what you share with the employer which in many ways is brilliant. In others, such as considering how to structure it and what to include, it can be somewhat daunting.

The following covers some of the main considerations of a legal cover letter, whether you’re applying for paralegal roles or a training contract.

1. Consider the purpose of the letter

Like almost all my other tips, I would suggest that you stop and think about what you’re trying to achieve with this kind of writing. Here are a few considerations (taken from https://law.yale.edu/student-life/c...udent-job-seekers/cover-letter-advice-samples) :

A good cover letter:

• Demonstrates your writing skills;
  
  
• Tells the employer who you are (e.g., a first-year student at YLS) and what you are seeking (e.g., a summer intern position);
  
  
• Shows that you know about the particular employer and the kind of work the employer does (i.e., civil or criminal work, direct client service, "impact" cases, antitrust litigation);
  
  
• Demonstrates your commitment to the work of that particular employer and conveys that you have something to contribute;
  
  
• Shows that you and that employer are a good "fit"
  

At the preliminary stage of a cover letter, it is also a good idea to research who you’ll be addressing it to. A lot of law firms don’t specify the recipient of the letter as it’s likely that different members of the grad rec team will be reading it. However, it would speak well of you if you did find a recipient. For regional/city firms, I would recommend visiting their profile on lawcareers.net where it often specifies “Applications To:” and the appropriate name. Brownie points = scored.


It is ultimately up to you which order you want to choose for the why you/why us points specified above. However, I find it best to introduce yourself first as that should always be your first sentence.

In the first few sentences, introduce yourself briefly by stating your name, your academic background and your current status (are you a 2nd year or in employment, 3 years after graduating?). Also, explain what position you’re applying for and you can even mention where you found the position (more important for a non-graduate scheme role).


Although it is important to put a story to a name, a recruiter will not want a candidate who isn’t passionate about their firm as well as the profession they are entering. Therefore, this section is ultimately the following two questions: “why commercial law” and “why do you want to work for xyz firm”.

Then, to take an example from one of my old cover letters, you make that firm relatable to you (please don’t refer to a firm as “you” as I did):




Once you’ve got the question of “why this law firm” out of the way, you need to delve into why you’re a suitable fit. Another way in which to think about this part is “what skills, qualities and attributes would you bring to the role” which will enable you to weave in skills you developed from extra-curricular and formal work experience alike. For example:





With a cover letter, you may have the liberty to go into more detail but always remember to keep things concise. You don’t want to bore the recruiter with endless and unimportant detail so I would suggest selecting three or four qualities. It is also handy to look at the wording of the job posting. If it’s a traditional job then there will most definitely be a list of desirable skills. If it’s a graduate scheme, you still may be able to find a list of strengths the recruiter is looking for. If not, delve into their website/brochure and pick out adjectives and adverbs from their writing that seem important. The recruiter may be checking these qualities off of a list, especially if they’re strengths-based such as Reed Smith.


Always thank the recruiter for your time in conclusion and specify anything you may want to additionally disclose here.

If you’re looking for further, in-depth tips on legal cover letters, I found the following post to be extremely useful: https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sec...-write-winning-covering-letters-for-law-firms

Hi Guys,

Thinking about the different questions that come up on applications, this one always trips me up. For the past two applications that I've answered this, I haven't been happy about my answer because I feel as if I'm shoe-horning a proud feeling I might have never felt or showing off. Essentially, I haven't been able to find a middle ground.

For those of you who've written a successful answer/application for the above, would you mind sharing tips/excerpts from your answer? I always find other examples extremely, extremely useful. Thank you

Hi, does anyone know where to go with the question for BWB:

In 2015 BWB became the first UK law firm to be awarded a B Corp status. If successful, how would you help the firm continue to be a socially responsible organisation?

Is it more about CSR or pro bono?

Hi!
i have a video interview with marriott harrison for a VS next week?

Is there anyone who knows anything about the firm or has any insights? Or who has an interview too!

Thanks for any help, really appreciated!

Hi all,

I've got a VS lined up this summer at a firm's Bristol office. When applying, I thought I wanted to be in Bristol but I have since changed my mind and would like to be in London. What do you think is the best way (in the event of me receiving a TC offer) of saying "I'd really like a TC with you, but in your London office"? Is this something I should bring up before I (hypothetically speaking) get a TC offer? any advice/anecdotes would be much appreciated!!

In this article, @Marco Mendola introduces the SRA Code of Conduct and considers some of the ethical dilemmas facing commercial lawyers. A good read - especially as some firms do ask about ethics at interview.

https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....nd-sra-code-of-conduct-some-ethical-dilemmas/

Hello and happy Sunday! I hope this post finds everyone well, whatever you might be up to if it is exams, applications or vac schemes! My next writing topic is about acing written exercises in assessment centres, for anyone who might have TC assessments in the near future.

Naturally, your writing will be guided by the topic or the nature of the task, but I hope to provide some general tips that can be applied to the majority of these exercises.

1) Know what the exercise is asking of you, before writing

This step is pretty self-explanatory. However, with every comprehension exercise, you will be marked down badly if you don’t focus on the most important parts of the task. Using the example of a Simmons & Simmons written assessment; the task involved writing a report on which building, out of three, you would recommend that the law firm moves into. The brief gave a few pointers on what Simmons partners wanted from their office space, including indoor and outdoor amenities, prestige, space for more employees etc. The category list was extensive and there wasn’t time to go into them all in detail. However, thinking commercially, you could tell what was the most important, and that was cost and potential for expansion. Weighing the importance of the information in front of you, therefore, will give you a basic structure for your writing. It is a conscious effort to tick the boxes that the firm is looking for. With this in mind, I made sure to make the cost of the rent and what that rent was providing the firm in terms of value, the focal point of my paragraphs. However, this does not mean that the smaller points, such as the building’s environmental rating, was inconsequential. I would simply advise that you judge which pointers you give more time and writing to.

2) Adapt your language to suit the format and conclude your argument in the first paragraph

Before writing, consider the format of the writing you are putting together. Is it a letter, are you briefing a client in an email, is it a report? Based on this, you should attempt to meet the expectations of the format as closely as you can. Again, I will use the example of my Simmons assessment, wherein the writing assessment was in the form of a report, that was to be sent to the partners of the firm. Although the firm may not put a heavy emphasis on this, it looks well for you if you can show what is expected from a basic report. Lay out your analysis into a paragraph per point, construct a succinct yet overarching introduction. Your language should suggest that this is a report and not the writing of an interviewee at an assessment center. I found that the best way to demonstrate this was in my introduction, by providing a quick overview of what I was going to write, with language such as: “This report will attempt to provide an insight into...”, “ultimately, the findings of this report are...”

On that note, ensure that your introduction contains a mini conclusion. This will help you in the likelihood that you cannot complete the assessment because it ensures that you would have completed an essential part of the task: coming to a certain conclusion. Whatever the task, do not sit on the fence. Even if there are arguments for and against, I believe presenting a strong argument for your opinion speaks well of you as a potential lawyer.

Finally, consider your audience. I’ve had tasks that were directed towards clients as well as partners and it's expected that you will change your writing to suit who you are addressing. Clients need simplicity and for points to be direct, as well as the law to be broken down into easy, understandable language. They also want to understand the impact of the advice you are providing them, on their business. Although partners will want the same simplicity, the relationship between yourself (supposedly a trainee) and them is different, since you are working for the same firm.

3) Time is of the essence

Everybody says that the time given for a written assessment isn’t enough. And it isn’t. However, I believe that no matter the time given to you, it will never be enough. Therefore, thinking about how much time you have, before you start reading or writing, is essential. Judge how much time you need to read (should be much less than your writing) according to the total time you’ve been given. Then, think about dividing your time accordingly with the paragraphs you’ll be writing. I’ve made the mistake of trying to give the same amount of time to each of my pointers before. In hindsight, I realized that (unlike essay writing), mentioning smaller points without extensive explanation might be enough. Unfortunately, because of this, I didn’t get to write about the points I thought would impress the assessor more.


These tips are pretty basic and general in their nature. If anyone has any specific questions about written assessments or has an example of a task they’d like tips on, please let me know in the comments box below!

Hey


I am looking to start my LPC (LLM) this September hopefully! And I just wanted some advice on whether there are any disadvantages to this? Apart from having to pay for it lol

I have applied to a few VS and been able to get through to video interviews/ ACs but unfortunately have not been offered anything. And I've also applied to commercial paralegal work and I just feel like the moment someone with an LPC applies for the role, my CV is put at the bottom of the pile.

So, as long as I pick electives which are similar to the majority of commercial firms - is there anything else I’m failing to consider?

Like the way I’m looking at it, is that, I do the LPC, apply for commerical paralegal work to help boost my commercial legal experience and hopefully this whole process will help me grow as a person and I will be able to perform better in ACs and have a better chance of securing a TC.


Thanks so much for all your help!

I’m currently applying for training contracts having failed to secure any spring and summer vacation schemes. I’m a little concerned, though, that it’s too late to apply for TCs - that you need to apply for deadlines in the autumn/winter and unless you are truly exceptional (ie worked in a high powered finance role and are now switching to law or something) it’s unlikely you’ll be offered an interview now. Indeed, I applied for two silver circle firms two months ago and haven’t heard anything.

Does anyone know if my concerns are unfounded? What is the timeline for training contracts like? Do they tend to review on a rolling basis and get back to you within a few weeks or do they leave it until summer, once they’ve done all their vac schemes? Has anyone heard back from any firms?

Thanks!

I have a vacation scheme at Trowers coming up in the Summer. I know all applicants do an Assessment Centre which consists of a test that is a mixture of short maths and verbal reasoning.

The test at Trowers is different to the tests other law firms which generally ask candidates to decide if something is 'true', 'false' or if it is 'impossible to tell'. Instead, with this test each question is followed by several potential answers, and candidates must decide which one to choose.

Unfortunately, maths is not one of my real strong points. Therefore, has anybody had experience of the Trower AC and know what sorts of maths questions would come up or what they would consists of?

Also, any advice on preparing for the maths part of the test would be greatly appreciated.

Hi guys,

I have been asked by @Jaysen to create this thread to summarise what I believe are the big stories in The Lawyer and Legal Week every week. I will aim to try and do at least one summary per week given I know that many of us don't have premium subscriptions to both so I will try to ensure you guys can get the key articles from both publications!

I hope you find this useful and any feedback please just comment below and I'll do my best to improve week by week!

Best,
Dan

Hi all,

I've got a VS lined up this summer at a firm's Bristol office. When applying, I thought I wanted to be in Bristol but I have since changed my mind and would like to be in London. What do you think is the best way (in the event of me receiving a TC offer) of saying "I'd really like a TC with you, but in your London office"? Is this something I should bring up before I (hypothetically) get a TC offer? any advice/anecdotes would be much appreciated!!

Hello!

I wouldn't normally ask for help on a uni assignment, but I'm quite stumped on this one so any general advice would be much appreciated.

I also figure this is one of the most concentrated communities of students who are likely to be studying or have studied company law!

I'm faced with an essay question which reads as follows:

“The idea of limited liability presents different challenges for equity investors and company creditors”.

Critically assess the methods English law has developed in dealing with these challenges.

Quite simply, I've written most of my essay in reference to the principles of separate corporate personality and the circumstances in which the corporate veil may be lifted. However, I've really struggled to see what challenges, if any, equity investors may be faced with from this perspective.

This has led me to begin questioning whether I'm completely misunderstanding the question and I should actually be looking at limited liability in the context of disclosure obligations, security, indemnity and insolvency law.

Obviously, this would be an entirely different essay (cue mental breakdown).

Any ideas or help clarifying this would be greatly appreciated!

Sorry if this is elsewhere but I couldn't find anything

I have been looking at GDL and LLM options and one option I have come across is an online GDL at the University of Law - I was wondering if law firms would look down on you if you chose to take this route? Also if there is a difference between a regular GDL and an online one? I have done a bit of research but couldn't find any differences to the work one does on the course.

Any information would be great! Thank you in advance

Hi all,

I think i have managed to confuse myself when calculating the UCAS points part on applications. The Shearman & Sterling guidance note says "As the UCAS Tariff changed in 2017, you should calculate your tariff based on your grades at the time you completed your A-levels." Now does this mean i should calculate all my grades (AS grades included) following the old system because I completed them before the new system came into place or do i use the new system to calculate all my grades? I know this is simple but i'm currently overthinking...

Hi all!

- Apologies if this query is a repeat -

I'm currently drafting a Personal Statement (max 500 words) for a TC Application. Obviously from reading previous threads, this is where your skills and experiences are outlined, however I'm conscious that most applications have a 'Work History/Experience' section which allows you to detail your positions of responsibility within the role etc. As most of my skills come from legal based work experience, how would I avoid repetition?

Thanks in advance!

Hannah

Please feel free to use this thread for any off topic questions/comments discussions.

One question from me - I'm in the market for new headphones, does anyone have any suggestions? I listen to music every day while I work, so quite happy to splash out a bit for some good ones.