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29 Oct 2025
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Join Isabel Elsey, Legal Recruitment Manager at BCLP, for a live Q&A session. Get details on secondments, innovation, growth areas, and everything else you’ve wanted to ask about life at BCLP!
Do you mean Willkie? This is a Willkie thread so I think Gemma can only answer certain questions about Willkie specifically. 🙂
If not then it might be good to ask on the other TCLA threads that cover all firms including Watson Farley & Williams. 🙂
I think they recently rebranded and the name is now just Freshfields.
It’s no longer called Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, if that’s what you are referring to. 🙂
For the cover letter I used around 850 to 900 words.
For the two questions I used 500 each so the maximum word count. 🙂
Ideally you want to be within 20% of the word count.
This ensures the responses are detailed but concise so there has to be a balance. 🫡
For the cover letter I think 800 is...
I have just read my application to Paul, Weiss.
In at least 3 places, I forgot to put the , between Paul, Weiss. 😂🥲
In most parts (95%) I have included it.
I read through my application so many times to avoid this mistake and I still made it. 😂🥲
Hopefully they will let it slide or perhaps...
It is definitely risky for sure. 💯
I would never want to discourage anyone from applying to any firm but BCLP is a tricky one. 🥲
I have seen people already getting AC offers for the SVS from a few weeks ago.
I guess it comes down to how fast someone can write a good quality application. 🙂
To be honest this is tricky because BCLP’s application for SVS has 4 x 500 word long answer questions (2,000 words overall). 🥲
If you feel that you can write a strong written application I would go for it but with the short time frame left it will definitely take superhero abilities. 🥲
The...
I also read on this forum somewhere that they send the WGT in batches and begin to screen applications before the deadline. 🙂
For that reason, it might just be they are doing both at the same time now. I wouldn’t assume a PFO just yet.
HL do receive around 4,000+ applications a year so I guess...
I don’t think there is an expectation for you to memorise everything and regurgitate it all in an interview. That would seem robotic. 🫡
It’s much better to choose areas of commercial law that interest you and focus on those. Doing it this way also means you can articulate ideas better. 🙂
For...
I have also applied to Travers Smith for the SVS. 🙂
My cover letter is around 850-900 words and I am also worried about it being too long. 🥲
It would make sense that 1,000 words is the maximum for the cover letter.
Not entirely sure though. 🤷🏾♂️
Freshfields is non-rolling so I don’t see why it wouldn’t be worth still applying. 🙂👍🏽
The deadline is 23rd of January. That’s 9 days away. If you can write a strong application in that time frame I’d say go for it!! 🫡🫡
Best of luck!
It depends on the application and firm but it takes me between 1-3 weeks per application.
I tend to start a few at the same time and add to them gradually. I submit them roughly at the same time. 🙂
I do it in this way because I am neurodivergent. I find it difficult to focus for long periods...
If this is for the DTC route the online SJT won’t be sent until the 23rd January (deadline day).
This is based on what it says on the Freshfields grad rec website. 🙂🙂
If you mean the SJT then yes that is automatically sent.
The WGT is sent to everyone that submits a successful application and passes the SJT test.
Best of luck. 🤞🫡
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