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17 Nov 2025
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Chat with Withers' graduate recruitment team and ask about life at the firm, secondment opportunities, and what it's like to be a trainee. Simply return to this page on the day to post your questions.
Join us for a live student panel with BPP University Law School. We'll be joined by Jonny Hurst, Senior Lecturer in Law at BPP, and current BPP students who will share their advice on passing the SQE.
Does anyone here know how VS candidates can assess a firm to determine if it’s the right firm for them, during a VS? I know associates and partners will assess us but what kinds of things can and should VS’ers look for in a firm? I have a Spring VS fairly soon so starting to think about this in...
I imagine they will most likely start getting back to people with AC invites from early to mid April, based on this post from this thread:
If you have not heard back yet, take it as a good sign! Quite a few people have already received PFO post WGT. Best of luck for HL! 🐐
I went to their open day in Dec. Someone asked the partner about BCLP’s retention rates. The partner acknowledged that their retention rates are very low but tried to brush it off by yapping about their high quality training. It can’t be that good if people are bouncing at the earliest...
I am in a similar boat. None of my VI this cycle were 15 minutes long, so I am curious about what they could ask us, given this is for a Senior Partner Dinner and not a VS. 😅
It’s definitely time consuming but I think it has worked out well for me. I have sent 20 VS applications this cycle and 8 got past the application stage (Akin, BCLP, Covington, Paul, Weiss, SH, White & Case and Willkie). I am still waiting to hear back from PH post interview. 🥲
I think based on...
It varied for each application. For example, it took me a lot longer to complete applications that required a cover letter + long answer questions (White & Case, Travers Smith, etc) or that had several long answer questions (BCLP, SH, HL and Covington). Each of these applications took me at...
This is where I am right now. I have completed most of it. I just have one question left (choose a topic of interest). I am in two minds whether to send the application off once I am done. I don’t have substantial legal work experience. I might give it a shot and who knows, I could surprise...
Is there anybody else still working on their Baker McKenzie DTC application or who has not yet submitted it? I am still working on mine and it looks like it won’t be done until Sunday. I hope I am not on my own here. 😅
Is this the disability confident scheme? I think SH and TS are signatories. If you meet their minimum entry criteria (grades, application screening, test scores), you are guaranteed an interview. You have to opt in though by ticking the box. I think it’s for both VS and TC. I think there may be...
I was worried the paulbearers would come after me because I may or may not have made that exact mistake in my application. I think it went unnoticed though, or it was just a minor error so they overlooked it. 😅
I can understand why you feel that the partner interview can be slightly discriminatory. There is definitely an element of luck involved. There is also still a lot of bias and prejudice against people that are visibly ethnic minority or poc, and people that come from socially mobile backgrounds...
I definitely agree that there is still a lot of bias and prejudice in city law. However, I don’t think it’s a good idea for recruitment processes to not involve partners and/or associates. I feel like since partners have an ownership stake in their firm(s), they will want to ensure the right...
To my knowledge, the application deadline for Paul, Weiss was 19/01/25. They sent out a lot of their online test invites between 30/01/25 and 31/01/25. I think others received online test invites in the first week of February. Paul, Weiss sent out a lot of post app and post test PFO’s around...
It’s pretty ironic considering the SQE was supposedly introduced to broaden access into the legal profession, yet it seems to be having the opposite effect lmao. I think the exam fees have gone up again recently as well! 🥲
Why would a firm need to approve a future trainee working whilst...
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