[Official] Willkie, Farr & Gallagher Vacation Scheme Thread 2025/26

[Bread]

Hi @Bread

Our senior associates are starting to mark the written exercises today, and we expect this to take a week or slightly longer. We'll then need to look at who has passed and is therefore progressing to the next stage of partner interview, and who unfortunately hasn't met that benchmark. As such we would hope to let people know sometime late next week.

Best wishes,

Kirsty

Thank you!

If someone does not progress, will the be informed about how they could have done better/what score they received?

 

[Kirsty Wilkins]

Thank you!

If someone does not progress, will the be informed about how they could have done better/what score they received?

Hi @Bread,

Due to the number of people who take our Written Exercise, and the fact that we have just one person in Graduate Recruitment, we don't usually provide feedback at that stage. We do however provide it for those who don't make it past the partner interview.

Thanks,

Kirsty

 

[PrayingforaTC2026]

Hi @Kirsty Wilkins, thank you very much for your input so far!

May I ask how progression from the Written Exercise to the Partner Interview works? For example, is there a set number or proportion of candidates who move forward (e.g., a top percentage), or is it determined on a case-by-case basis?

 

[Kirsty Wilkins]

Hi @Kirsty Wilkins, thank you very much for your input so far!

May I ask how progression from the Written Exercise to the Partner Interview works? For example, is there a set number or proportion of candidates who move forward (e.g., a top percentage), or is it determined on a case-by-case basis?

Hi @PrayingforaTC2026

Once all the Written Exercises are marked, they are put in order from the lowest to highest mark. There's no set number of candidates that get through to the partner interview, but we start by looking at looking at the top 50% and how many people that would put through to partner interview. If we have more partner interview spaces than the top 50%, we would look to also invite those that scored the next highest score after that, and so on and so on until spaces are full. Similarly, if we have more people scoring in the top 50% than we have partner interview spaces for, we would look to increase the cut off score of those that get through by one mark each time until we have the right number for partner interview.

Once the final decision has been made as to the cut off point and who has scored above and who has fallen below that mark, we ask Shortlister to provide us with the identification of all the candidates so that we can see which scores relate to which person and then contact everyone to let them know if they will be progressing to the next stage.

Hope that helps,

Kirsty

 

[yasmars]

Hi Kirsty, hope you are well. A few people have still not received any communication from Willkie post app, which I assume is likely to be rejections now. Is there a reason for this?

 

[Kirsty Wilkins]

Hi Kirsty, hope you are well. A few people have still not received any communication from Willkie post app, which I assume is likely to be rejections now. Is there a reason for this?

Hi @yasmars

Yes, we do have some people who are in our 'maybe' list who haven't yet been rejected. This is because if a number of people didn't pass the video interview and written exercise stages, there would be space to move those in that 'maybe' list through to video interview and therefore still proceed in the process. The Written Exercise is currently being marked, so we should be able to get back to everyone by the end of next week.

Best wishes,

Kirsty

 

[1stCycleApplicant]

Hi @Kirsty Wilkins
Thanks for all your insight so far and I can appreciate that this is a super busy period for you!

Would you be able to let us know what day this week you believe interview invites might be sent out? Also, will all interview invites be sent out at the same time, and then you wait to see who confirms, before sending out rejections?

Thank you in advance!

 

[kim wexler]

Hi @Kirsty Wilkins

Thank you for everything you have posted so far. It’s been really nice to see a law firm interact with its applicants in a more friendly and approachable way!

I just wanted to ask about the interview process since the results will be out by Friday. I am aware that the partner interview is meant to be CV blind, but will they have not seen our application question answers either?

Thank you for your time!

 

[Kirsty Wilkins]

Hi @Kirsty Wilkins
Thanks for all your insight so far and I can appreciate that this is a super busy period for you!

Would you be able to let us know what day this week you believe interview invites might be sent out? Also, will all interview invites be sent out at the same time, and then you wait to see who confirms, before sending out rejections?

Thank you in advance!

Hi @1stCycleApplicant

No problem at all!

We are sending out invites to choose a partner interview slot for those that have been successful in the Written Exercise from today onwards. We will be waiting to see who accepts an interview slot before sending out rejections, as obviously anyone who does not choose sign up to a date/time might make space for someone else to proceed through to partner interview who only just missed out in their WE scoring.

Thanks,

Kirsty

 

[Kirsty Wilkins]

Hi @Kirsty Wilkins

Thank you for everything you have posted so far. It’s been really nice to see a law firm interact with its applicants in a more friendly and approachable way!

I just wanted to ask about the interview process since the results will be out by Friday. I am aware that the partner interview is meant to be CV blind, but will they have not seen our application question answers either?

Thank you for your time!

Hi @kim wexler

I'm glad you're finding your experience with Willkie to be a positive one so far!

With regards to the partner interview, our partners will have no information about you so it's a completely blind process, and they see nothing more than your name (so no, no application question answers).

Thanks,

Kirsty

 

[1stCycleApplicant]

Hi again @Kirsty Wilkins

Thank you for your response, we really appreciate how transparent you’ve been throughout the entire process!

I was fortunate enough to receive a partner interview this morning. Would it be possible to know how many vacation scheme spots will be available this year? I believe last cycle it was 20, split across both spring and summer. Will that continue on this year?

Thanks again!

 

[TCGrad1642]

Hi @Kirsty Wilkins!

Thank you for your help so far. The application process with Willkie has been great! I was curious as to whether the decision to offer vacation schemes will be based on performance in the partner interview and case study or if performance on written exercise, VI and application is also considered.

Thank you!

 

[Kirsty Wilkins]

Hi again @Kirsty Wilkins

Thank you for your response, we really appreciate how transparent you’ve been throughout the entire process!

I was fortunate enough to receive a partner interview this morning. Would it be possible to know how many vacation scheme spots will be available this year? I believe last cycle it was 20, split across both spring and summer. Will that continue on this year?

Thanks again!

Hi @1stCycleApplicant

Congratulations on getting to our partner interview stage!

As last year we have 20 vacation scheme places available split across Spring and Summer.

Thanks,

Kirsty

 

[Kirsty Wilkins]

Hi @Kirsty Wilkins!

Thank you for your help so far. The application process with Willkie has been great! I was curious as to whether the decision to offer vacation schemes will be based on performance in the partner interview and case study or if performance on written exercise, VI and application is also considered.

Thank you!

Hi @TCGrad1642

That's great to hear, thank you!

The decision as to who will be offered vacation schemes will be based entirely the partner interview and verbal case study. The results of the application, video interview and written exercise are not considered, as they were just used to get each applicant through to the next stage of the process.

Thanks,

Kirsty

 

[Myparentsdream]

Hi @Kirsty Wilkins

When can we expect our rejection emails? will it be 5pm tomorrow. It is utterly painful being here watching people get invites whilst many have nothing. Last year everyone was told the same time.

 

[Kirsty Wilkins]

Hi @Kirsty Wilkins

When can we expect our rejection emails? will it be 5pm tomorrow. It is utterly painful being here watching people get invites whilst many have nothing. Last year everyone was told the same time.

Hi @Myparentsdream

Everyone who completed the written exercise will have a reply from us by the end of this week (our working day officially ends at 5.30 p.m. tomorrow).

Best wishes,

Kirsty

 

[Myparentsdream]

Hi @Myparentsdream

Everyone who completed the written exercise will have a reply from us by the end of this week (our working day officially ends at 5.30 p.m. tomorrow).

Best wishes,

Kirsty

Will there me anymore invites or have they all been sent yesterday?

Can we expect more to be sent given we will be waiting 26.5 hours.

 

[Kirsty Wilkins]

Will there me anymore invites or have they all been sent yesterday?

Can we expect more to be sent given we will be waiting 26.5 hours.

Hi @Myparentsdream

Yes, more invites are being sent out in addition to the first set that were sent out yesterday.

Best wishes,

Kirsty

 

[Myparentsdream]

Hi @Myparentsdream

Yes, more invites are being sent out in addition to the first set that were sent out yesterday.

Best wishes,

Kirsty

Thank you.
Will there be more tomorrow or is today the final batch.

Also are these being sent in a batch or individually?

 

[Kirsty Wilkins]

Thank you.
Will there be more tomorrow or is today the final batch.

Also are these being sent in a batch or individually?

@Myparentsdream

We expect there to be more invites tomorrow. They will likely be sent individually so we can keep track of them to ensure we have sufficient remaining partner interview spaces for everyone who accepts those invites.

Thanks,

Kirsty