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TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2025-26

Does anyone know anything about the Withers Legal Proofreading Assessment? Is it recorded because I look a mess 😭
Yes it is recorded and it is 15 mins. Personally, I lost 2 minutes in just navigating through the actual question, as their user interface was quite complicated for me and i had trouble in identifying the actual question.
 
Yes it is recorded and it is 15 mins. Personally, I lost 2 minutes in just navigating through the actual question, as their user interface was quite complicated for me and i had trouble in identifying the actual question.
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!
 
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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! :)
 
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Those are great results! How have you been practising for SJTs?
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.
 
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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!
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.
 
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! :)
Hey!

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):
  • 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.
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.

I hope that assists, and best of luck with the interview!! :)
 

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