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Hey guys, we've had a few requests about specific law firm interviews. Whilst we're still building the law firm insights page, please post your request here and we'll try to hunt someone down to help

Hey Jonty,

Good to see you on here. I'm very interested in this area and your thoughts. The bigger UK firms (and some US firms) appear to be racing to adopt new technologies/AI.

Let's take three of the magic circle:

A&O

• Built its own tech incubator, Fuse
• Made an equity investment in Nivaura, the first company to join Fuse
• One of its lawyers built MarginMatrix to handle derivatives compliance
• It backed the Legal Innovation Centre at Ulster University which will train students on legal tech.

Clifford Chance

• 400 lawyers are involved in its new tech group
• Invested in Kira Systems for doc review/due diligence
• Worked with Neota Logic for derivatives regulation and MiFID II
• CC Dr@ft allows in-house clients to build their own contracts.

Linklaters

• Launched its own tech software, LinkRFI, to handle bank rinfencing reforms
• Developed its own AI platform, Nakhoda, which is involved in DD.
• Trialled AI software including Kira Systems and RAVN (I think they're competitors?).

Seems like they're taking it seriously.

What kind of posts did you have in mind?

Hey all - I'm happy to say we've got a bunch of trainees who've offered their time for this week!

Nicole Shroff will be joining shortly to answer your questions. She's a trainee at Latham & Watkins and has just started in her fourth seat (debt capital markets).

To kick us off, Nicole - can you tell us a bit about yourself and your path to Latham?

Hi,

I am currently working on a tc and one of the questions is to write about an issue i have been following in the press and how it affects the firm. I can't seem to find any issue in the press which I understand or find interesting apart from brexit which i do not know will make for an app that will stand out. Do you by any chance have any ideas that I could write about?

Thanks in advance

can anyone share their experience and please help with information and advice regarding white & case’s face to face interview for the vac scheme?

Hi All,

After countless post AC PFO's, I have unfortunately not been able to secure a VS this year ( still waiting for one post VI) but have now started planning for my TC applications. I know that alot of the TC places go to vac scheme students so what I am trying to ask is - should I only be applying for TC's with firms that have a 20+ intake, any thoughts on this approach?

Hi everyone,

Good job on the site!

Basically, I've been invited to attend an A&O open day. This was much to my surprise, because I was rejected by them for a TC app back in November.

I have to choose some interactive workshops to attend during the open day, I was wondering if you’d be able to help me out a bit?

This is the email that I received:

"The Open Day will run from 9:30am - 5:30pm on the 14 March in our London office: One Bishops Square, London E1 6AD. This year, we are giving you the opportunity to only attend the sessions that you will find the most interesting and relevant to you.

The day will start with breakfast and then an introduction from our Graduate Recruitment Manager, following which will be a morning Partner Panel. You will then be able to continue the day as you have chosen, ending with a Trainee Networking Practice fair."

Further to that, theres a link, where I need to choose some 'sessions/interactive workshops' to attend. The options are:
1.) From 11 - 12:
GR app tips *
Diversity at A&O
Work through a case study and gain an insight into IP
2.) From 1:30 - 2:30:
How to build your Personal Brand
Interactive session with Nivaura (A&O’s Fintech partners) *
Pro-bono at A&O
3.) From 2:30 - 3:30:
Again, Pro-bono
Mock interviews *
Interactive commercial awareness session *
* = denotes those that I’m interested in. So effectively, its the last one that I’m struggling with..

Also if you have any tips on do’s/don’ts, how to make the best/a lasting impression, and how to get the most out of the day?

Hey all,

I've broken the once-a-week rule already as Amy Hillier has kindly offered to answer your questions this week. She's a future trainee at Clifford Chance and is helping me put together a very comprehensive interview guide - we'll be running through about 200 interview questions and how to answer each one!

To kick us off - Amy could you tell us a bit about yourself?

So the big headlines at the moment (28/02/2018):

• Toys R Us and Maplin went into administration
• Jay Powell, the new federal reserve chairman, was optimistic about the US economy in his testimony, which some think could lead to more interest rate increases.
• Despite Brexit, Toyota has joined Honda and Nissan by committing to build a new version of its car in the UK. This also follows the government's commitment to support the automobile sector after Brexit, where it has said it will invest up to £21.3m for Toyota's plant.

I still haven't decided whether it's more helpful to do a daily or a weekly round-up but we'll see how it goes. Feel free to discuss any of the topics, it would be good to see different perspectives! I'll try to pick out three interesting headlines, but you can also add anything I've missed out

Hiya!

We are quite a small community at the moment so I thought it would be a good idea to introduce ourselves here. Please also tell us an interesting fact about yourself if you want to!.

I'm Nicole, a future trainee

My interests: I love to bake and dance. My not-so-interesting fact is that I don't know how to whistle!

I wasnt sure where to post this so please move it if it's on the wrong place. This isn't really applicable to me yet but it will be soon. I was wondering if you had any tips on networking during schemes? How do you 'work the room'? Do I prepare?

Commercial Awareness Updates

Hey!

Seeing as we're quite small at the moment and that you guys seem pretty responsive, I thought I'd see if there was any interest in a daily commercial awareness update? I think it would help be stay on top of the news for later TC interviews. If I get enough votes I'll go for it! I was thinking I could post two or three main topics of the day and we could discuss them?

PS: I put weekly in the title in case daily becomes a bit too much!

C xx

Edit: You can find the March commercial awareness updates here: http://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/index.php?threads/commercial-news-update-march-2018.29/

The April commercial awareness updates here (I also start talking about the impact on law firms here too): http://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/index.php?threads/commercial-awareness-april-2018.67/

And the May commercial awareness updates here (Again I started covering the impact on law firms): https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/commercial-awareness-briefing-2/

Hi everyone

What are your thoughts on the differences between the magic circle law firms and US law firms? Which firm is it better to train at? Are you really likely to work more hours at a US firm?

I wasn't sure when we should start applying?

Mine was where I had to estimate the amount of people in the UK that used mobile phones. It was odd.

Hey J,

I have an upcoming scheme at jones day, I was wondering if you had any advice as I know you did a scheme there?

Hi! I thought this might be fun to start. It can be for vacation schemes or TCs (Im not sure when people apply to TCs).

I got interviews from:

• Skadden
• Hogan Lovells
• Osborne Clarke
  
• DLA

Hi all,

Each week we run an ask me anything thread featuring a trainee/associate/partner at a City law firm. Today I'd like to welcome Rayhaan Vankalwala, a current trainee at US firm Morrison & Foerster. He has kindly offered to answer any of your questions this week, so feel free to ask him anything about applications/life as a trainee etc.

I'll kick us off: Rayhaan, can you tell us a bit more about Morrison & Foerster?

Hey guys,

A bunch of you mentioned you'd like to see an example of a successful application.

I attach images of my training contract application to Allen & Overy. There's quite a number of things I'd change now, but I hope it helps you work out whether you're going in the right direction. It's worth noting that I didn't attend my interview (I had a different offer by then), plus my written application won't have been the only factor taken into account!

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Best,

J