is the Mayer Brown SJT timed?
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TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26
- Thread starter Ram Sabaratnam
- Start date
Oh no, good to know it's recorded. I'll make sure I look somewhat presentable then!
That's really helpful about the UI being tricky though, I'll keep that in mind so I don't waste time just figuring out where everything is. 15 minutes is tight as it is!
9/9 for grit and digital mindset, 7/9 for applied intellect and creative force for Mayer Brown. Good to know the SJT practices have been paying off, but I hate the math stuff so much!
Two questions in the VI are. You get 2 mins to prep and 2 to answer. Rest is untimed, but recorded.
Hi @Abbie Whitlock , I have an upcoming second stage AC with a US firm & it will consist of a partner interview & an ‘AI-assisted assessment’ which should take 2 hrs altogether in person.
I was just wondering if you and anyone else kindly had any tips on how I should best prep and approach this since this would be the first time I’m doing this type of assessment!
I was just wondering if you and anyone else kindly had any tips on how I should best prep and approach this since this would be the first time I’m doing this type of assessment!
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I've just been invited to the final stage with Greenberg Traurig!! I would be so grateful if anyone has any insight they might be willing to share on this stage. As always, I am happy to help out with the firms that I've had previous experience with.
I did almost all the SJT and practice practice tests available on firm and free websites, like that of Links, CC, etc. One thing that's helped me is to always have a note of what the firm is looking for in front of you during the test, so you can answer after looking at those, so whenever I answered I evaluated it against the criteria they provided. MB helped since it's untimed but I think once you get familiar, it becomes easier to do it even under time pressure. I did mess up the VIs though so I guess you take what you can get.
would it be okay to mention an interaction with a former partner at a firm that i am applying to? the partner has moved to another firm (where i met them) but i found the conversation about their work at their old firm insightful
wow amazing job!! do you have any tips for improving scores? i just did mine and I got 4/7/6/7
on a side note: does anyone know how to improve for the math stuff? granted, i've only ever done 2 amberjack assessments so far, but every time I've only received an average score for numerical reasoning
. it seems like i'm doing the right process and getting the right answer, so I'm not sure what they're looking for.
Hey!Hi @Abbie Whitlock , I have an upcoming second stage AC with a US firm & it will consist of a partner interview & an ‘AI-assisted assessment’ which should take 2 hrs altogether in person.
I was just wondering if you and anyone else kindly had any tips on how I should best prep and approach this since this would be the first time I’m doing this type of assessment!
Congratulations on the AC invite, that is amazing news!!
I have previously written a post on how I would prepare for and approach a partner interview, which I have quoted it below! Unfortunately, I've never encountered an "AI-assisted assessment" before so I'm not too sure what it involves - apologies! Would you happen to have any further information from the firm on what it might involve?
Generally speaking, if it is something along the lines of a written assessment / case study exercise in which you are able to use AI, I would just ensure that you are using it responsibly and verifying any information that you receive. I'd treat it as a tool to support your thinking and to enable you to work more efficiently, rather than something you rely on completely. For example, it could be helpful for structuring your answer or refining your wording, but your final output should still clearly reflect your own reasoning and judgement.
If you are able to find out a bit more about the format of the assessment in advance, that might help and give you some ideas of how to prepare - otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much and try to approach it in the same way that you would approach any other assessment. I'm sure everyone else completing the assessment will feel exactly the same way, and you just have to give it your best shot!
Best of luck!
Hey!
Congratulations on the interview invite!
I would say that a partner interview tends to be a hybrid type that emphasises your overall judgment and fit to the firm.
A few pointers that might help (from my experience with partner interviews):
If you can clearly explain your reasoning and show curiosity about the firm's work / clients, this should be exactly what they are looking for. Ultimately, you want to show that you are genuinely motivated to work at this specific firm, and that you would be someone that is great to work with.
- Technical questions, if any, will typically be quite high-level (e.g. spotting issues, weighing up risks, or explaining how you would approach a problem), rather than detailed law. It might help to practice strengths-based questions or scenario questions (i.e. "What would you do if..."), as these are likely to come up.
- There is usually much more emphasis on your motivations and commercial awareness, rather than competency questions (though there may still be a few of the latter) - e.g. why this firm, why law, and why you.
- They are often interested in how you think and communicate, rather than whether you know the "correct" answer. As long as you can explain your thought process in a clear way, you should be able to tackle any question (even if it is slightly unexpected!).
- I'd generally expect a more conversational style - the partners could probe your answers (which is completely normal, and doesn't mean you are wrong!), ask questions about your legal career / education so far, and discuss their own work at the firm.
I hope that assists, and best of luck with the interview!!
Hey!
I would say that this is absolutely fine, and it can be a really nice way to show genuine insight if you frame it well!
I did something very similar in my Reed Smith interview. I'd had a coffee chat with a partner during one of my summer vacation schemes who mentioned that they had trained at Reed Smith and spoke really highly of the culture and their experience there before moving firms. I then referenced that conversation in my final partner interview during the AC as a way of showing that I had gained insights into the firm's culture, and explained why I was drawn to it (especially as a direct TC applicant, where I didn't have the VS experience at Reed Smith to draw on in the same way).
It actually worked really well - funnily enough, the partners interviewing me had worked with that partner previously, so it led to a really natural and engaging conversation about the work in that team.
I completely get the concern about whether it might come across the wrong way or feel slightly indirect (as this is what I worried about too), but I think the key part is how you frame it. As long as you are clearly linking it back to your motivation for that specific firm (e.g. what you learned about the culture, training or work), it adds value rather than seeming irrelevant. I found it was a really good way to show that I had (indirectly!) tried to learn more about the firm and went beyond surface level research
Hi, thank you! I'm also quite relieved about it, even though I doubt I'll progress further due to my VI not going very well. Happy to help with the following tips for the SJTswow amazing job!! do you have any tips for improving scores? i just did mine and I got 4/7/6/7
on a side note: does anyone know how to improve for the math stuff? granted, i've only ever done 2 amberjack assessments so far, but every time I've only received an average score for numerical reasoning
1. Apart from doing the practice tests firms like Links, CC, etc. have up on their websites (along with the ones firm send in their invite), having a note in front of you to check what criteria they're looking for while answering SJTs always helps me. Takes a bit of time to ensure the answers are correct, but after some practice you should be good to go even in a timed atmosphere. I've realised it really helps to ask: "which criteria am I fulfilling with this answer?" and then answer.
2. I've also realised that more or less, most firms look for similar criteria even if they name them differently and with SJTs, there's a very low chance of you messing up with the absolute worst option. The key becomes balancing them: for example, if I discover something that may impact a client, what should I do? The correct answer would be a mix of research, followed by approaching a senior and preparing a note (in that order).
3. I think I used to fumble a lot earlier since I wasn't sure what to prioritise or by overthinking the options. But something that helps immensely is imagining yourself in the exact situation they are mentioning. "What would you do in this exact situation?" is the question to ask, and chances are one of the options will be exactly it or very close to it. This may or may not always be the correct answer, but it usually works for me since some situations (like the one mentioned earlier) are quite generic and mostly everyone would do the same thing in this situation.
Hope this helps! I'm sorry I can't help much with the math stuff, I took like 4-5 minutes per math question since I'm terrible at it. I had to write the entire thing down, calculate, then read the question again and realised I missed something in the email, then do the whole process again. I would also appreciate any advice on improving on the math stuff.
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hi when did you hear back after the SJT about the proofreading exercise?
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