New Threads

I am applying to a few training contracts and I am wondering how helpful it really is to apply now (say I send off a few applications a week before the final 31st July deadline).

This legal cheek article seems to suggest that it is pointless:

https://www.legalcheek.com/2015/07/last-minute-training-contract-applications-are-a-waste-of-time/

Anyone ever talked to graduate recruitment about this?

Hi everyone,

The law firm financial results for 2017/18 have been released and I wanted to share the results for a selection of law firms. It's quite a helpful way of comparing law firms by size and profit, and also to take a look at which firms are growing the most (even though it does fluctuate between years).

Revenue-wise, Clifford Chance has long been the bigger law firm within the magic circle (closely followed by A&O). In the last five years, the firm has seen an impressive 28% growth in turnover. It's also worth noting that Freshfields has bounced back from its static revenue in 2016/17 with revenue growing by 5%.


As you can see, the picture is different when the firms are sorted by profits per equity partner. Macfarlanes has topped the table despite being a considerably smaller firm by revenue. Linklaters has fallen to the bottom of the magic circle after PEP fell for the first time in almost a decade. The firm cited its investment in technology and its international expansion as reasons for the fall.

A student recently had a question about the negotiation exercise on a vacation scheme. Thought I'd share this post with you guys here:

· Start with your best possible outcome. A little obvious but it’s important – that way, if you have to concede, the outcome may still be optimal.

· Work out what outcome you don’t want. If you can define this point during your preparation, it can ensure you and your team don’t accept a bad deal.

· Be willing to concede. I’ve seen some teams be very unwilling to concede on anything, that isn’t the sign of a good negotiator.

· Make it seem like you want to concede. This is great if your negotiation exercise has you read out your team position first. The idea is that you seem to be reasonable negotiators, so the other team thinks it’s easy (when you may actually be negotiating a better deal).

· During your preparation, signpost goals and discuss within your team what you’d be willing to concede. That way you’ll be less influenced by the other side’s negotiation tactics and you’ll be able to steer the outcome towards what you want.

· (A slightly cheeky addition to the above, but sometimes it can work if you pretend a particular issue is very important to you and then let it go. The other team will likely concede something in return – only consider this if it actually fits within the task!)

· Ask lots of questions. Often each party is given a different set of information. If you have more information you’ll be more informed during your negotiation.

· Silence can be a good thing. If you’ve said what you need to say and another party is deciding, let them think. If they want you to jump to an answer, don’t be afraid to pause and think.

· Usually you’re allowed to go back to your teams to discuss, you may want to use this if the other side has proposed something or if things aren’t going too well.

· Write notes – so when you go back to your teams, you have all the information to form an outcome. This is especially helpful if numbers are involved!

· Stay calm and be patient – the quickest way to ruin your assessment is to let things get heated. It’s fine to be firm, but getting into a shouting match never ends well.

· On the other side of that, try not to get too excited if the other team is about to accept a bad deal – if they notice it, they may reconsider.

· Be careful negotiating on future promises, unless you have a way to ensure performance e.g. security over an asset. If you can’t, focus on what’s there at the moment.

I have identified a few challenges affecting the legal profession over the next 10 years, for example, cyber security, technology, the Big 4, alternative billing models etc. How can I use my skills and experiences to assist the profession in meeting these challenges?

I have completed a vac scheme and got interviews at some top firms however I have never done more than make my application questions or cover letter very thorough, firm specific and clear. Obviously I have had a host of rejections as well.

I was thinking - do law firms want to see how your work experience ties in with a future trainee role..?! I have never done this, I usually just copy and paste my generic work experience but is this something I should be doing? In other words, should I be tailoring my work experience entries to that specific training contract firm?

Does anyone do this and is it a good idea?
(bearing in mind, I am not totally sure I have the time to construct amazing new work experience paragraphs without making it look like a lazy add on)

Thanks!

Firms like Slaughter May, Jones Day and White Case are amongst the few that an applicant is required to write a cover letter as part of their application.

I am just confused - Do I need to introduce myself and say what stage I am at - (I just think all my information will be present in the application form so why waste precious words in introducing myself)

But this is just my viewpoint - if anyone has written a cover letter for such firms - Please let me know how did you start it?

Any advice that you can share will be heavily appreciated

Hey guys, sorry I've been away for a while (exams are finally over!). I'll be starting these posts up again for this month.

Commercial Awareness Update 27/06/2018 - 04/07/2018

General Electric continues to sell off its assets

The Story: General Electric continues its strategic review to focus on Aviation, Power and Renewable Energy. The company will sell off its healthcare division and its stake in Baker Hughes, one of the world's largest oil field services companies. The news caused GE's share price to rise, and investors are positive that the company is being slimmed down, especially after years of debt, disorganisation and poor management. The company also announced an extra $500m in cuts by 2020.
The impact on businesses and law firms: In 2015, General Electric reviewed its M&A and finance legal panel. The firms appointed included Allen & Overy, Weil Gotshal and Manges, Freshfields and Slaughter and May. This year, General Electric will be reviewing its panel, which runs every four years. Clearly General Electric will be looking for law firms with strong M&A practices to help it unwind its stake in Baker Hughes and spin off its healthcare division. The law firms chosen can expect high fees and a high volume of work if they are selected, and those in the run in will have to think about how they pitch themselves.

The consequences of Trumps tariffs continue

The Story: Donald Trump has been criticising Harley-Davidson, the American motorcycle manufacturer that has announced plans to move some production out of America. The news comes as the EU has imposed tariffs on motorcycles imported from America in response to Trump's tariffs.
The impact on businesses and law firms: Trump's tariffs has caused the cost of metals to rise and reduces expected European sales to fall. That's because Harley Davidson relies on metals for production and 16% of motorcycle sales come from Europe. Other businesses have cut investment and look to be waiting before moving production and adjusting their supply chains. But if America continues to chase a trade war, we can expect more businesses to follow Harley Davidson.

The smartphone patent war has ended

The Story: Apple and Samsung have settled a seven-year dispute over patents. The dispute started in 2011, when Apple filed a suit claiming Samsung had copied the design of the iPhone in some of its productions, violating Apple's patents.
The impact on law firms: This legal dispute is said to be the most high profile patent case of the last decade. It took place in courts in ten countries and reached the US supreme court. Samsung initially lost the 2012 trial, awarding Apple $1 billion, but this was then reduced to $548 million, and this settlement suggests Samsung has given up trying to overturn the ruling.

Hi all,

Sorry for my prolonged absence. Had a holiday and then started working for a Lawtech company in June so have been busy.

Thought a quick write-up on education provider's response to the advancement of tech in the legal field may be interesting.

University of Manchester - Has launched an undergrad module in conjunction with Neota Logic & Freshfields - https://www.legalcheek.com/2018/06/...eshfields-to-launch-undergrad-lawtech-module/

University of Edinburgh - Have an LLM in Innovation, Technology and the Law - http://www.law.ed.ac.uk/postgraduate/llm_msc/innovation_technology_and_law

University of Swansea - Have launched an LLM in Legaltech - http://www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/law/llmlegaltech/

University of Westminster - Have launched an a core module for 2nd year students called 21st Century Law in conjunction with a new start-up lab they're running - https://www.westminster.ac.uk/law-courses/2018-19/september/full-time/law-llb-honours

University of Liverpool - Have announced a partnership with Kira Systems and Weightmans. Will be interesting to see if anything is incorporated into the undergrad degree - https://www.weightmans.com/media-ce...ems-to-develop-ai-capable-of-legal-reasoning/

Does anyone have any news about other providers who have announced anything?

Hi, I was wondering whether you have any tips/advice in regards to the linklaters TC app? Thank you.

Hi All, one of my TC app questions is as follows - which area of law or public policy would you like reformed and why? I wanted to answer this question with issues within family law (which I studied in my final year of my LLB). However the firm in question is very M&A and private equity heavy, would my answer to the above TC question be viewed negatively because it does not relate to corporate law?

Any thoughts on this or I am over thinking this yet again

Hi guys!

Thought I'd share - Part 1 of our huge 2018 Training Contract Applications Guide is now out. You can find it here: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/training-contract-applications-the-2018-guide/.

Happy Thursday

Hey guys,

You probably know by now how much we like fillable PDFs

Here's one we've designed for your vacation schemes. The table follows the same structure I used in mine to keep track of everything each day. It's also handy for the final TC interview because you'll often be asked questions about what work you did each week.

Here's the link: https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/thecorporatelawacademy/CLA+-+Vacation+Scheme+Work+Log.pdf and you'll see a screenshot below.

Best,

Jaysen

Ashurst Vacation Scheme 2016

How did you find the Ashurst vacation scheme?

This vacation scheme was only a week long so it absolutely flew by! You only sit in one department. I actually think this is a good thing as vacation schemes can be really exhausting but it's easier to really throw yourself into it for just one week.

Your supervisor is instructed to set you a research task of some form so that they can give feedback on this to grad recruitment. I found my supervisor was pretty good at giving me work, but I also let trainees around the office know that I was available, and other people popped into the office to give me work. The workload wasn't unmanageable but I was always very busy.

There were quite a few presentations and sessions with people from the firm - a trainee panel, a CSR and diversity talk, etc. which are really just opportunities to ask lots of questions and find out more about the firm.
The people were lovely. I didn't meet one rude person. My supervisor was great, really hardworking but also very chatty which was nice. It think this is an important party of Ashurst's culture and is something that all the trainees talk about when you ask them why they chose the firm.

The socials were really fun! We went to Bounce one night which was really great. There was ice skating and drinks on the last day.

A final thing I want to mention is that this particular scheme was huge. There were a looot of people on it which I found a bit weird.

What were the vacation scheme assessments like at Ashurst?

There are none. There's a partner dinner which I suppose is an assessment. An annoying thing is that because it was only a week and there wasn't time for a TC interview during that, I interviewed for a TC in January. What's really annoying though is that you have to reapply for a TC after the vac scheme! However, I think it's pretty must guaranteed that you'll get an interview - I think you'd really have to screw up not to. Also they may have changed this structure since 2016.

What advice would you give to future vacation schemers attending the Holman Fenwick Willan vacation scheme?

My biggest piece of advice is to get to know as many people as possible and make sure that you always come across as really friendly and approachable. Definitely wander around the office, introduce yourself, offer to help out, etc.

On average, what time did you arrive and leave each day?

9am and I left about 6pm most days.

How much were you paid for the Ashurst vacation scheme?

£400

How would you rate your overall vacation scheme experience?

4/5

Hey guys,

I think most of you have finished exams this year. A huge well done!

Here's what we've been working on at the moment and some recent site updates.

• We're in talks to partner with a few universities and organisations.
• We've been chatting to law firms/partners about the creation of courses.
• We spoke to the lovely Rosie Watterson (future HSF trainee) from Apply. Shine. Win. This was a lot of fun and she has some great advice for you guys - I'll be transcribing this very soon.
• We've updated the next part of our Vacation Scheme Guide.
• I've been working on a detailed 2018 training contract application guide - to come soon.
• If you haven't seen the guide already, Jessica Booker, a former magic circle graduate recruiter, shared her thoughts on the Watson Glaser Test. She really knows her stuff, so we hope to invite her to share her thoughts more often.
• We're building up our list of vacation scheme experiences.
• We had our first Brazilian law student join us - welcome Vinicius!
• We've had many SEO students join us (welcome guys) following my talk at Norton Rose Fulbright. One will be writing a regular column on political/economic/business news, I will share that with you soon!

On that last note, if any of you are interested in becoming a contributor for The Corporate Law Academy, we've got one slot left. if you want to apply or learn more, please get in touch at [email protected].

Happy Thursday/Friday!

Jaysen

(HFW) Holman Fenwick Willan Vacation Scheme 2017

How did you find the Holman Fenwick Willan vacation scheme?

The main thing I really enjoyed about this vacation scheme was that I found both weeks that my supervisors made an effort to find interesting work for me to do, and the work they gave me was genuinely useful. It wasn't "made up" work to keep me busy, but research which formed the basis of actual information which was sent to clients, which was pretty exciting but also pretty challenging. Also, I found that people in the department would often come into the office to give me work which was nice, it made me feel genuinely valued.

I'm a non-law student and sat in a litigation seat one week and was expected to use Westlaw etc. to research cases which was kind of confusing but the library staff were really helpful. My advice is that if you find the tasks challenging, make use of the resources available to you.

However, first and foremost HFW is a shipping and industry firm. You're going to enjoy the firm and the work that they do a lot more if you're interested in these areas. I wasn't to be honest and so sometimes I found the work a bit dull.

The socials were fun but there weren't that many. I think we went to an escape room and then to dinner, and we also went for drinks another evening.

What were the vacation scheme assessments like at Holman Fenwick Willan?

I felt that there were a lot of assessments.

There was a negotiation exercise which is quite challenging. You're in a team of two and you're both given some time to read through a lot of information and to plan. You then negotiate against another team while someone from graduate recruitment and a partner sit in. It was a lot of information to work through so keep an eye on the clock when you're preparing. Also, make sure to speak out - even if you're working in a team, you're getting assessed individually so make sure your voice is heard.

There's also an assessed research task. You're given information and you have to write a briefing on your findings.

Based on this, you later prepare a presentation as part of a group with people who have had the same research task as you. This wasn't particularly challenging because you've already researched the task, although you've all probably approached the research slightly differently so it's important when you're planning to divide the research up based on what you've emphasised in your written research, e.g. if you're emphasised risks in your written task then you should try and present on this too rather than presenting on opportunities.

The two-partner interview was quite unusual I felt. It emphasised legal ethics quite a lot which I found strange. Other than that, it was a mixture of competency questions and quite a lot of questions about my degree.

What advice would you give to future vacation schemers attending the Holman Fenwick Willan vacation scheme?

My advice would be to put a lot of emphasis on the assessments because they all seem to be very important in determining whether you get a TC offer.

The feedback they get from your supervisors on the written work that you do is also really important. It's better to spend a lot of time on a task and to do it to the best of your ability than to do it quickly but badly. Sometimes I felt like I was spending a lot of time doing something but then the feedback I got was really positive and didn't criticise me for spending too long on it.

On average, what time did you arrive and leave each day?

I arrived at 9am and left at about 6pm. The latest I stayed was until 7.30pm to finish a task.

How much were you paid for the Holman Fenwick Willan vacation scheme?

£350 a week.

How would you rate your overall vacation scheme experience?

3/5

Howes Percival Vacation Scheme 2017

How did you find the Howes Percival vacation scheme?

The people were really kind and took the time to answer any questions that I had. The workload was okay, I could finish everything with time to spare even if I had not studied it before. I sat in corporate, property, intellectual property and employment seats.

What were the vacation scheme assessments like at Howes Percival?

They were quite simple. Bullet point tasks which I had to complete. Feedback was given at the end of each day.

What advice would you give to future vacation schemers attending the Howes Percival vacation scheme?

They want someone interesting. So be interesting. Have something to say.

On average, what time did you arrive and leave each day?

9-5

How much were you paid for the Howes Percival vacation scheme?

£0

How would you rate your overall vacation scheme experience?

3/5

Linklaters Vacation Scheme 2017

How did you find the Linklaters vacation scheme?

My supervisors were very relaxed. The workload consisted of mainly research tasks, correspondence drafting, updating client bibles, and shadowing. This was manageable. I enjoyed the exposure to high profile matters. I did not engage in the socials.

What were the vacation scheme assessments like at Linklaters?

There was an appraisal at the end of my time there.

What advice would you give to future vacation schemers attending the Linklaters vacation scheme?

Ask constructive questions. Be proactive in seeking out work.

On average, what time did you arrive and leave each day?

6-6.30 Employment, irregular in Capital Markets (latest 11pm)

How much were you paid for the Linklaters vacation scheme?

400 p/w

How would you rate your overall vacation scheme experience?

4/5

DLA Piper Vacation Scheme 2017

How did you find the DLA Piper vacation scheme?

The friendliness of staff varied. The workload was manageable and consisted of mainly research and company administration work. I enjoyed the socials and felt they were a great way to bond with fellow vac scheme students. I enjoyed the interesting work but felt more under constant surveillance than in other vac schemes

What were the vacation scheme assessments like at DLA Piper?

Main assessment was a presentation at the end of the two weeks.

What advice would you give to future vacation schemers attending the DLA Piper vacation scheme?

Actively seek work. Ask engaging questions.

On average, what time did you arrive and leave each day?

8.30-7pm

How much were you paid for the DLA Piper vacation scheme?

£350 a week.

How would you rate your overall vacation scheme experience?

3/5

Reed Smith Vacation Scheme 2018

How did you find the Reed Smith vacation scheme?

Very packed schedule, first 1.5 days were just induction and various workshops. Sat in two departments (corporate and innovation). People were lovely, everyone was really friendly and encouraging. Ended up playing with the firm softball team. Socials included a crazy golf evening, dinner at burger & lobster, and drinks at Dirty Martini as well as an in-firm drink social. I would have preferred more times at our seats but we completed a lot of different useful exercises such as a mock employment tribunal and a negotiation workshop which was engaging and enjoyable.

What were the vacation scheme assessments like at Reed Smith?

Second last day of the scheme was a half day assessment day that involved a case study, group exercise, and competency-based interview.

What advice would you give to future vacation schemers attending the Reed Smith vacation scheme?

Read up on the firm's recent deals and new initiatives. Make sure to ask questions and always be enthusiastic and engaged, even for the boring workshops! Get involved in socials such as sports teams while you're at the firm if you have an interest in sports and make sure to be polite to everyone from Partners to support staff as everyone can relay feedback to graduate recruitment. Double and triple check all the work you submit and don't be afraid to take the initiative to introduce yourself to everyone on your floor.

On average, what time did you arrive and leave each day?

9:30-5:30PM

How much were you paid for the Reed Smith vacation scheme?

£330 a week.

How would you rate your overall vacation scheme experience?

5/5

Slaughter and May Vacation Scheme 2017

How did you find the Slaughter and May vacation scheme?

There were plenty of introductory talks on the firm/practice areas, and depending on your supervisor, the opportunity to sit in with trainees for a few of their training sessions, and cross-firm talks on current commercial affairs. The workload depends very much on the Associate you are assigned and on how busy they are, so accordingly there was an optional case-study work pack to keep vac. schemers who had less work equally occupied. The people were friendly, reserved, and notably very intellectual. The social on the last night provided a very good opportunity to talk with trainees/associates/partners and HR from across the firm. Overall an authentic insight into the work of a trainee, since it is up to you to make the most of the opportunities.

What were the vacation scheme assessments like at Slaughter and May?

There were no vacation scheme assessments, being an Easter scheme. No guaranteed TC interview either.

What advice would you give to future vacation schemers attending the Slaughter and May vacation scheme?

Have an eye for detail, and take the time to do your application properly. The covering letter if your only opportunity to properly express why you are a good fit, so give it your best shot. Read carefully, ask for the deadline as soon as you receive a task, don't be afraid to ask your Trainee buddy for assistance and see if you can lend them a hand too.

On average, what time did you arrive and leave each day?

9:30 - 17:30

How much were you paid for the Slaughter and May vacation scheme?

£400 a week.

How would you rate your overall vacation scheme experience?

5/5

Herbert Smith Freehills Vacation Scheme, Spring 2018

How did you find the Herbert Smith Freehills vacation scheme?

It was great - all I expected and more!

Schedule: Talks every morning and evening, and work in the middle with the occasional lunch event. We could leave for home right after the talks (about 5:30)

People: Friendly, approachable, capable. Everyone seemed deserving of a place on the vacation scheme and a training contract.

Workload: Varied by department but generally nothing too strenuous. There were days when I had nothing much to do and had to ask for work.

Socials: Dim sum making!! Other than that, there was a quiz night and some drinks nights.

What were the vacation scheme assessments like at Herbert Smith Freehills?

Just a training contract interview on the final day.

What advice would you give to future vacation schemers attending the Herbert Smith Freehills vacation scheme?

Think through their application form and brush up on commercial awareness, but otherwise don't stress too much about it!

On average, what time did you arrive and leave each day?

8:30-5:30

How much were you paid for the Herbert Smith Freehills vacation scheme?

£400 a week.

How would you rate your overall vacation scheme experience?

5/5

Allen & Overy Vacation Scheme 2017

How did you find the Allen & Overy vacation scheme?

There was an induction and icebreaker on the first day then the next 2 weeks were based on departmental work, social activities and workshops. You are given a trainee buddee and you will be sat with an associate or a partner in their office. The workload was not too heavy. I barely had any work to do in my first week as my first supervisor had just returned from holiday, although I had much more work in my second week as my second supervisor got me more involved in his transactions. The socials were great, there was: a pub quiz, a treasure hunt, and a dinner with some partners at a fancy hotel.

What were the vacation scheme assessments like at Allen & Overy?

There was a contract drafting task in the first week and a group presentation on aspects of the firm's CSR work for which you are given a detailed brief. There is no partner interview for a training contract, instead you are assessed on your performance on the scheme itself.

What advice would you give to future vacation schemers attending the Allen & Overy vacation scheme?

Be yourself, be friendly, ask lots of questions both at the workshops and in the office with your supervisor as this shows you are interested. Try to get involved in the firm's activities outside work such as the choir or football, although this isn't compulsory. Use the gym, and the roof gardens. They are great! Try to keep a note of the tasks you do for your own records and for your CV.

On average, what time did you arrive and leave each day?

I arrived at 09:30 and left at around 17:45.

How much were you paid for the Allen & Overy vacation scheme?

£450 per week.

How would you rate your overall vacation scheme experience at Allen & Overy?

4/5

Sidley Austin Vacation Scheme 2018

How did you find the Sidley Austin vacation scheme?

The schedule wasn't too packed. The first day was the most busy, because of IT training and that kind of thing. There was a volunteering afternoon. There weren't too many social events - there was a breakfast one day and drinks on another evening, they were pretty casual and a good opportunity to talk to trainees. Most of the assessments were then towards the end of the second week, but this varied for each of us, some people had their partner interviews on the Wednesday of the second week.

I found that the people in the firm were really nice. They were intelligent, friendly and genuinely took an interest in you and were willing to take the time to talk to you about things. There really wasn't a sense hierarchy - I felt completely comfortable going to talk to partners. Trainees are super eager to bring you out for lunch or coffee.

The workload was balanced. I found both weeks that my supervisors had work for me to do so I was always busy, but I also made sure to go around the office and seek work from other people too (although there wasn't so much time for this). HR would sometimes send around capacity emails if teams had work available, so there's scope to do work outside of the department you're in.

Overall, I really liked the people and the atmosphere of the firm. It was a positive experience.

I would've liked for there to be sessions on key departments in the firm so you could get a better feel of the kind of work that they do, but the idea is that you should go out and find out more about the departments you're interested in yourself. It would have been good if we'd been asked which departments we have a preference for beforehand.

What were the vacation scheme assessments like at Sidley Austin?

There was an associate interview on the first week. This was quite casual, more of a conversation about you. It was relaxed but still important to prepare for it like a normal interview.

There was a negotiation exercise on the second week. You're given information at the end of the first week and you're expected to prepare for the assessment beforehand by meeting with your "client" (a partner) to figure out their preferences. The actual exercise itself is all about testing teamwork. It's necessary to compromise. I got the impression that this exercise wasn't all that important and is just to filter out if you're overly stubborn or rubbish at teamwork.

The final partner interview is quite intense. They really grill you a lot on the work that you've done so make sure that you 100% understand it inside and out. It's important to ask questions to your supervisor so that you really get the full picture.

What advice would you give to future vacation schemers attending the Sidley Austin vacation scheme?

The final training contract partner interview is really important. To be honest I think it's pretty much make it or break it so make sure you really focus on this, they definitely put a big emphasis on it when it comes to making the final decision. This is a shame because it kind of defies the point of a vacation scheme (supposedly getting a more rounded picture of you) but it's understandable when the firm takes so few trainees. In terms of preparing, this is kind of difficult as you don't find out what departments you're in until the first day. So I think focus more on mentally preparing yourself for being in a professional environment.

On average, what time did you arrive and leave each day?

The scheduled hours are 9.30am-5.30pm. I arrived about 9.00am and left about 6.00pm, but this was just because I wanted to - my supervisors made it very clear that there was no expectation to.

How much were you paid for the Sidley Austin vacation scheme?

£350 a week.

How would you rate your overall vacation scheme experience?

4/5

Hey guys, I just sent this round via email. Thought I'd share it here too.


Hi everyone, I know some of you start your vacation schemes tomorrow. I wanted to send this over. It's a short extract from our upcoming vacation scheme guide.

Vacation schemes are intense. You’re in a new environment, with new people, working on tasks you probably don’t understand. You’ll feel you need to be switched on, even at the social events, because you want to impress. You’re constantly trying not to make mistakes because you really really want to convert your scheme into a training contract.

I’ve been there. It’s stressful. I made a lot of mistakes during mine, and I want to remind you that mistakes are normal. If anything, they’re to be expected.

Law firms aren’t expecting you to get everything right. You might find a task confusing. Include the wrong information. Forget your interviewer's name. Run late to an event. That’s ok. What matters is how you respond to and learn from those mistakes.

If you find yourself with too much work to do, ask if you can push back a deadline. Next time, ask when the work is due as soon as it’s set.

If you’re stuck on a task, that’s fine. But don’t just say you’re stuck. Explain what you’ve done so far and what you find confusing. If the work is for a partner, consider asking a trainee for help first. Get some pointers on how to produce something the partner will like.

If you make mistakes in your work, try to understand where you went wrong. Ask if you can run through the task when the lawyer is free. Then prepare some informed questions. Next time, make an effort not to repeat that mistake. Make a note. Print the document out and proof-read it. Check and re-check your work a few times.

These are the small things that impress. And when it’s time to give feedback, an associate will not say ‘she made mistakes in her report’, but instead, ‘she made mistakes in her report, but she was quick to learn from them’. That's the kind of person that makes a good trainee.

Ok, that's all for now. I'll have the guide out soon.

If you need advice during your scheme, feel free to ask me any questions in the vacation scheme forum. To gain access to the forum, drop me an email or PM with a screenshot confirming your scheme.

Best of luck,

Jaysen

Hi guys,

Welcome to all the new vac schemers that have joined these forums this week. I know many of you start tomorrow.

I am currently working on a vacation scheme guide which will cover everything from preparation to the workload to converting your scheme into a TC. I will try to get this out tonight or latest tomorrow, so keep an eye out.

Please post if you have any questions/tough situations/want some advice on your scheme and we'll be happy to help you out.

Good luck!

Jaysen