New Threads

I have a training contract interview coming at a firm called Weightmans. They are a top 45 Uk firm that has their roots mostly in the insurance sector.

Their application form was in March so I ended up giving in and got an interview. Here comes the tricky part

The HR has stated that the interview will consist of a

1) Written Exercise
2) Group Exercise ( she advised general preparation for group exercises)
3) Presentation leading to an interview


I have no idea how to prepare because they are not a corporate heavy firm so my knowledge on private equity or M/A will probably not be very useful - Am I right in thinking this?

Secondly - the presentation leading to interview aspect - does this mean I won't be asked questions like Why Weightmans - Why you - etc. I thought because it is a presentation etc so the focus will be on my presentation and then they will ask questions surrounding the presentation

The information available about the firm itself is severely limited and only the firm's profile seems like the only go to position. I am unsure how to prepare for this all

Any advice would be great.

Hi there,

With vacation scheme season coming up soon I'll be posting a lot more material in this section. In the meantime, feel free to ask any questions if you need help preparing for your schemes.

Best,

Jaysen

General tips:

• Be interested/enthusiastic about the work and ask thoughtful questions when it’s appropriate.
• Be sincere and a nice person to the other interns (even if others are trying to be competitive)/secretaries/trainees etc.
• Show you’ve taken feedback on board.
• Manage expectations if you’ve been given too much work; it’s much better to do less work of a higher quality than trying to work for everyone.

In answer to a question about legal drafting:

It’s important to think about the purpose of legal drafting to do well in this exercise. You're meant to be recording what the parties have agreed, or if it’s the first draft, your client’s instructions. There are consequences if a lawyer doesn't capture the points correctly.

Some of the most important points:

• Spend a lot of time planning: think about the type of agreement, what has been agreed and how best you can set this out on paper.
• Make sure the language is simple, relevant, clear and can’t be misconstrued.
• Omit unnecessary words.
• Have a clear layout, use headings and sub-headings if they help; it should be easy to read. Be consistent with your language and structure.

In answer to a question about structuring legal research:

It’s difficult to offer general advice because firms have different formatting styles, partners have different preferences and the task may require a particular style, but, a few tips I can suggest.

First, you should be getting IT training during the first day or two. This is a question worth asking in terms of the numbering format for your firm – ours is 1/1.1/1.2 etc.

Second, check with the person who sets you the task whether they have are particular style they prefer. If it’s a senior then I’d suggest asking your trainee buddy or a secretary for suggestions.

Third, try to understand what the task requires. It’s not usually so rigid – unless the person has asked for a particular format. I can’t say I’ve ever included purpose and rarely an intro/conclusion. Typically, I’ll do a summary of my findings (sometimes in bullet points) and then provide more detail in the body of the report. The key is that the partner/supervisor can get to the important points quickly. Then, if they want more guidance on how you got there, they’ll read the main body.

If you’re confused, make a start and then check in with the supervisor/partner to see if you're doing it right. Trainees do that a lot in practice - it stops you wasting time and it shows you're proactive when you're not sure.

Hi All,

Hope applications are going well! Anyone able to provide tips/experience of telephone interviews? Especially when HR mention in their email that it will centre around why law and commercial awareness?

Thanks in advance!

I wanted to share a recent report by Allen & Overy, some very interesting conclusions.

The Future for Legal Talent
A major study into how lawyers view their careers in a new world

http://www.allenovery.com/news/en-gb/articles/Pages/The-Future-for-Legal-Talent-Report.aspx.

Here's a summary; I've highlighted some of the points I found interesting.

• Whilst 55% of law students said they have a clear vision on the direction of their legal career, that figure fell to 23% in the first five years of practice.

• 81% of current lawyers think many young lawyers won't feel the path to partnership is worth it, although students disagreed with this.

• 83% lawyers interviewed think that lawyers starting out now will have a different career experience compared to 5/10 years ago.

• 81% students believe tech will let them focus on the more creative aspects of the legal role. Conversely, 5% believe it'll increase the risk of redundancy.

• 84% think they'll need different skills today compared to 5/10 years ago, 30% felt the existing training adequately prepared them for it.

• Some of the most important skill sets they're looking for include technological expertise, commercial awareness, building a personal brand and a network of contacts and peers.

• There's a big interest in further learning and training from students as many feel ill-prepared. Many students expect to return to study at some point.

• Work/life balance was identified as the most important criterion for career success and almost half said they expect to work less than five days a week.

• Allen & Overy's research show - alongside legal expertise - increased interpersonal skills, adaptability and emotional intelligence will be the most important skills for lawyers considering a move into legal consultancy.

Allen & Overy pose some very interesting conclusions:

• "What development opportunities do law schools, firms and legal departments need to offer all lawyers – from students to the very experienced – to ensure they are ready for the challenges of tomorrow?".

• Their research also shows that "existing structures are no longer fit for purpose" in terms of what lawyers expect in their future careers.

When was your Ince & Co interview?

January 2018

What was it for?

Training Contract

Please describe the interview process at Ince & Co.

First up on the agenda for the Ince & Co assessment day are two tests designed to test your writing abilities and soft skills. You will take a spelling and grammar quiz, and undertake a letter writing exercise. Then you will do an in-tray exercise. The in-tray exercise is a paper based exercise. You have 15 minutes to prepare before this Ince & Co interview with a partner begins. You are given a list of six emails in your inbox which you are asked to prioritise while explaining your ordering to the Ince & Co staff member. The interviewer will ask you to justify your decisions, and will give you additional information, which may change your opinions.

The in-tray exercise is followed by a partner interview. There are either two partners in the interview, or a partner and a member of the recruitment team. The interview opens with the discussion about the in-tray exercise outlined above, designed to examine how you cope under pressure. There are also the more expected interview questions about your CV and motivations for choosing law and Ince & Co in particular. The day ends with a tour of the Ince & Co offices given by a current trainee. Be sure to engage with the trainee, ask for information and in turn ask them questions about their experiences with the firm, and the law they are practising.

What advice would you give to future applicants for the Ince & Co interview?

Take the spelling and grammar test slowly and consider your answers. If you know that you have weaknesses in your spelling and grammar try to revise the correct formats ahead of the session. Practice for the letter writing test is more focused on how to write an effective letter. See how JobTestPrep can help you prepare for the writing tests here. Practice in advance. This will will mean that you are prepared for the type of task you will have to carry out. You are notified in advance who the partner or partners in your interview are, so take advantage of this knowledge to research them, their area of practice, and prepare questions to ask them in the interview.

When was your Veale Wasbrough Vizards (VWV) interview?

December 2017

What was it for?

Training Contract

Please describe the interview process at Veale Wasbrough Vizards (VWV).

The assessment day includes a presentation, group activity and a written exercise. Core values to think about is that clients are always at the centre of the firm, teamwork and collaboration, and the importance of a commercial approach. One of the questions is that they ask you to provide an example of a time you have gone the extra mile.

What advice would you give to future applicants for the Veale Wasbrough Vizards (VWV) interview?

Firms are generally looking for candidates who can tackle difficult situations head on, and to do this you need to maintain confidence and a clear head, even if you feel very nervous. Speaking up, remaining calm and ensuring your thoughts and opinions are heard by those assessing you is the best way to secure a follow up interview. This is especially effective when combined with preparation, you should know a lot about the firm and its work, and be able to pepper this into your answers as much as possible whether in a debate, presentation or group exercise.

When was your Shoosmiths interview?

March 2018

What was it for?

Vacation scheme

Please describe the interview process at Shoosmiths.

The assessment day has four key elements: a role play, which is similar to a client meeting; a group exercise, where candidates discuss information they have gained from the role play; a written exercise, in which candidates will have to use information they have been given throughout the day to create a persuasive written argument; and a competency-based interview.

What advice would you give to future applicants for the Shoosmiths interview?

You are expected to work competently as an individual and in group. It is competitive and everybody wants to show off their best attributes, but you should remember to be respectful of others and not their competitive side get the better of them. You need to display motivation, encouragement of others, inclusiveness, note taking skills and the ability to move the group towards a decision. I advice is to speak because if you do not speak, you will not be assessed. However, this does not mean that you should speak for the sake of speaking, but if you have something good to add. Think about how the firm differentiates itself from others. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

When was your Watson Farley & Williams interview?

August 2017

What was it for?

Training Contract

Please describe the interview process at Watson Farley & Williams.

There is a group exercise, a written advice task, another group exercise and a proof reading exercise.

What advice would you give to future applicants for the Watson Farley & Williams interview?

For the group exercises, make sure you contribute and don't only address one person when speaking. For the written advice use clear language and have a logical structure with an introduction and a conclusion. When completing the proof reading, read the document at least twice.

When was your Memery Crystal interview?

August 2017

What was it for?

Training Contract

Please describe the training contract interview process at Memery Crystal.

It was an application form followed by an interview with HR and an associate.

What advice would you give to future applicants for the Memery Crysal interview?

Candidates can expect an intensive, fairly scripted interview. The initial focus was on competency questions, which if you have prepared, should be reasonably straightforward. No woolly answers - my response to 'tell us about a time you have gone above and beyond in your work' was critiqued strongly.

The current awareness question centred around the BBC pay gap news at the time; be prepared to go in depth and argue your perspective.

There was also a question which looked initially like a legal question but was actually basic common-sense. It asked what you would do in a situation where a client has gotten the better of a third party. It was cleverly couched in fairly emotive wording - this led me down a completely wrong avenue, so take a step back when answering and analyse the question.

I personally struggled to build a rapport, but I think that was mainly down to my nerves and inexperience at that point. It was a valuable learning curve, but a tough interview.

When was your Cooley interview?

February 2018

What was it for?

Vacation scheme

Please describe the interview process at Cooley.

The first stage was a group exercise in which we had to advise a client on an acquisition. Distributing information between each other, we had to rely members to read through information and feed it back to the rest of the group. We were then asked to give a presentation, followed by a number of questions and challenges. For those that go through to the second stage, there were four different interviews with partners and associates back-to-back.

What advice would you give to future applicants for the Cooley interview?

[Not provided]

When was your Freeths interview?

April 2018

What was it for?

Training Contract

Please describe the interview process at Addleshaw Goddard.

The interview was largely dominated by competency questions, so I was concerned that I was repeating myself. However, the interviewer was very good, and was incredibly understanding throughout the process. They will ask you competency questions, but they by no means take an artificial approach to studying your answers.

What advice would you give to future applicants for the Addleshaw Goddard interview?

I was asked about my motivations to join a regional firm, as well as who Freeths' competitors are and how it differentiates itself. I was also asked about a current news story that was of interest to me and the commercial opportunities or threats that might stem from it.

When was your Mayer Brown interview?

February 2018

What was it for?

Vacation scheme

Please describe the interview process at Mayer Brown.

Full day assessment centre, and probably the most rigorous process among the firms I interviewed at. We started with a research and presentation task to a panel followed by a Q&A session. We then completed a verbal reasoning test in which we had to both summarise and proof read an article. Following a tour of the office, I had a business exercise in which I was given the opportunity to prepare some questions to secure additional information and then recommend a client a fictitious firm should pursue. Finally, we had an interview with a partner in which I was asked about our motivations for joining the firm, as well as any particular role models or interests I had. I was also asked some typical competency questions.

What advice would you give to future applicants for the Mayer Brown interview?

Be sure to speak up when preparing the presentation. Also, for the business case study, be very straightforward. Don't concern yourself with coming up with a genius question to ask, take a simple approach and build up. I made the awkward mistake of preparing a number of questions relating to the fictitious firm, only to forget that I had prepared them and waste plenty of time chasing up relatively minor distinctions between clients.

When was your Gateley plc interview?

April 2018

What was it for?

Vacation Scheme

Please describe the interview process at Gateley plc.

1. Introduction to the firm. This includes a presentation, a video prepared by the firm, and coffee;

2. Hour-long panel interview with partners from the office you selected in your application.

3. Written test. You will be given some information regarding a new development that pertains to the firm's core sectors, and you must use this to write a blog post for their website.

You will be offered lunch, and reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed.

What advice would you give to future applicants for the Gateley plc interview?

They don't invite many applicants to the assessment centre, so the interviewers will have tailored their questions to your application. Be prepared to discuss any experience/interest you shared in your application at length. Expect commercial questions [i.e. where they should open a new office and why/how a housebuilding company should react to Brexit, etc.]).

You have 45 minutes to complete the written task. Keep an eye on the time, and don't regurgitate information. It might be worthwhile to have a look at the firm's blogs to ascertain the desired length/tone.

Hi, I was wondering if anyone has any experience of the Taylor Wessing Cosmic Cadet game? I know they said that no prior experience/ preparation is required in playing the game. But is there anything I should look out for when completing the game?

When was your Browne Jacobson interview?

May 2018

What was it for?

Vacation scheme

Please describe the interview process at Browne Jacobson.

There is an online application, online tests, telephone interview, and assessment centre. The assessment day was structured well. There was a group exercise, case study, written exercise, and individual interview. I felt everyone was friendly, and supportive.

What advice would you give to future applicants for the Browne Jacobson interview?

The telephone interview was competency based. I was also asked why law, why the firm, and what differentiates it from its competitors. For the assessment centre, the best advice is to be yourself. Its important to let your personality shine through, and let the assessors know who you really are. Be confident, and ask loads of questions. The case study and written exercise need to be structured well, and it is important to pay attention to detail. The interview was mainly competency based, so preparing good examples beforehand will help. It will help to read the key competencies on the firm's website, and think about how your skills/experiences match with those.

When was your interview with Wesleyan Assurance Society (in-house)?

April 2018

What for?

2018 Training Contract

Please describe the interview process at Wesleyan Assurance Society.

I felt very welcomed and comfortable at the assessment day. I built rapport with fellow candidates quickly and the assessors seemed very laid back. There was an introductory session/presentation, followed by - interview, written exercise, presentation, and group exercise.

What advice would you give to future applicants about the Wesleyan Assurance Society interview?

Expect general questions, not typical of standard law firm interviews such as - What motivates you, What would you do if a colleague wasn't working to the best of their ability etc. This was difficult as whilst the questions weren't particularly complex, I was thrown off as I didn't think I needed to prepare for such questions. Research both the company and financial services in general thoroughly.

When was your Stephenson Harwood interview?

August 2017

What was it for?

Training contract

Please describe the interview process at Stephenson Harwood.

The assessment day started with a presentation, Partner interview, written test, commercial awareness interview, office tour and lunch.

You are given the topic of your presentation in advance and will have a week to prepare for it prior to the assessment day. The Partner will ask many questions on your presentation, followed directly by a Partner interview on competencies and interests. I advice you to spend time on understanding how the topic chosen in the presentation affects the firm.

The written exercise is 1 hour 30 minutes long. It requires you to write a report based on the substantial amount of information provided. Your report then forms the basis for the next interview with a Partner where you will be asked on your rationale behind the advice you gave in the written exercise and a general discussion on the information.

What advice would you give to future applicants for the Stephenson Harwood interview?

Research the firm and make sure that you understand the firm, its culture and the clients that it works for. You will be asked how the firm is different from other firms and how it better can sell itself to its clients. To answer this in an outstanding way, I would suggest that you read the services that the firm provides and learn about the firm culture. Also, you should use the 7 days that you are given to work on your presentation in a clever way. Be creative and think outside of the box. Be concrete and talk clearly. Think carefully about how the topic that you have been given affects Stephenson Harwood. To make your written exercise smooth, make sure that you understand the firm's services quite well. This will allow you to give a more realistic advice.

When was your Kennedys interview?

January 2018

What for?

Vacation scheme

Please describe the interview process at Kennedys.

First there is a video interview if you are successful at the critical reasoning test. If successful here, you go on to an assessment centre, which included a group exercise, a written test and a short partner interview. It was very welcoming and one could see the effort they've put into the process.

What advice would you give to future applicants about the Kennedys interview?

Video interview:

• Extremely basic. Just three questions one of which was why Kennedys, and the other two were competency questions i.e tell us about a difficult experience, what did you do?.

First interview:

• Group exercises (plural)
• Written test
• Interview

Group exercise: the differentiating factor here was that there was not just one group exercise, but several. The first was typical, we were given a scenario, placed in teams and had to negotiate with the other team. This tested both communication skills and intuition. The other two were very random, as they both involved games, clearly testing collaboration skills. You were explained the rules in case you had never played the game and had to work both on your own, in the first exercise, and again as part of a group, in the second exercise. This was a lot of fun but beware that, this being a game, you naturally will let your guard down, and this is exactly what they are testing. They want to see how you truly communicate with others, how you handle losing/winning and so on. Do NOT treat these as games, essentially.

-Written test: very basic. In my case, I was advising a client who had an accident at his job and wanted advice on what course of action they should take. You are given some hints and you have to develop on these. Structure is as important as content, keep this in mind at all times.

-Interview: 20-30 minutes with one partner. This was mainly competency based, like the video interview, with one commercial question at the end, relating to the firm's practice areas. Best way to prepare is to answer such general questions in your free time, and during the interview be approachable, smile and answer directly and succinctly.

Hi Jaysen i have an upcoming assessment centre at NRF, just wanted to ask whether you have any advice? it consists of two psychometric tests, partner interview, and a group exercise.

Thanks

When was your Shearman & Sterling interview?

Late 2017

What was it for?

Winter Vacation Scheme

Please describe the interview process at Shearman & Sterling.

Very short notice, contacted 4 days before interview way past deadline despite having applied at start of window.

30 min interview with head of HR/Grad Rec and a Senior Associate.

What advice would you give to future applicants for the Shearman & Sterling interview?

Very basic ‘why you, why Shearman’, competency questions like ‘time youve worked in a team, have you ever provided a service to a client’ etc. I was also asked about my strengths and weaknesses.

Finally a question on a recent commercial story I’d been following. Was properly probed on this, so be prepared to justify why it’s important/why it’s relevant.

Was rejected on basis of not knowing enough about the firm, so they’re hot on this. Also feel as though fit is very important to them.

Waited a week before rejection.

White & Case vacation scheme interview:

• The focus is on your application form, then why W&C, why law, some normal competency questions
• a number of questions about what the trainee role involves
• trying to assess your response to typical situations trainees might find themselves in

Thanks to @Denisa Olaru for this one!

When was your PWC Legal interview?

April 2017

What was it for?

PWC vacation scheme

Please describe the interview process at PWC Legal.

The first interview was with a recruitment company who were screening applicants for PwC. They asked mostly competency based Qs, pretty standard ones such as; Describe a time you had to receive feedback, Describe a time you had to work in a team, Describe a time you had to solve a complex problem, Describe a time you've led a team, Describe a time you've had to deal with a difficult person etc. After these straight-forward questions were dealt with, the interviewer asked a few other Qs about why law and what I knew about the next stage (e.g. LPC)

The second stage was an assessment centre that was three parts; individual assessment (timed exercise where you had to read a document through that had multiple options in it, summarise the pros and cons of each and then recommend an option), group exercise (timed exercise where you had to read a number of documents related to your particular solution to the issue (we had a client looking to expand into the hot drinks industry and needed recommendations about which area to move into), then present back to the group the pros and cons of your particular solution before deciding as a group the best approach to take) and finally psychometric evaluations (timed verbal reasoning and diagrammatic tests).

The final stage was a further invitation back for a face to face interview with a partner. This was, largely, competency based Qs again but with follow-up Qs each time now. e.g. Describe a time you received feedback and how you dealt with it, answer, Ok, what about giving feedback?. Other interviewees mentioned their partners had a more general approach to interviews - e.g. asking them about commercial issues affecting PwC now or the UK legal scene etc.

What advice would you give to future applicants for the PWC interview?

Practice practice practice. Competency based Qs are the easiest thing in the world if you practice them (using a methodology like STAR) and don't deviate whatsoever from your answer. I messed up the final interview by deviating on one of my answers and making myself sound like a walkover, if I had stuck to my original planned answer, the feedback I got was that I would have gotten the vacation scheme.

Furthermore, think about how PwC operate. They're a really interesting law firm to work for given they sit within a MDP, so you have a lot of access to internal experts and get to go with them on client meetings. Think about how this can affect you (for better or for worse) if you were working there.

Finally, be aware of how widely PwC operate both geographically and as a law firm. They have massive departments in various areas of the law, they like their applicants to have noticed that (e.g. they have a top rated immigration dept)

Name: Jonty