Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.
February 2021
Please specify what the interview was for.
Spring Vacation Scheme 2021
Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
12pm - 5pm on TopScore.
12 - 12:30pm: Briefing with Graduate Recruitment.
12:30 - 1:10pm: Group Exercise.
1:20 - 2:15pm: Written Exercise.
2:25pm - 3:20pm: Talk with current trainees.
3:30 - 4:20pm: Interview with one partner and two associates.
4:30pm - 5pm: Talk from GR/end of AC.
Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.
Group exercise (40 mins): It was more of a negotiation exercise where you had to defend a certain position and had 10 mins to read through a number of documents to prepare a 2-min introduction on your position. Then you had to negotiate with the rest of the group (we were 5) and within 30 mins you're supposed to come to a conclusion and decide which idea you would implement, taking into account the budget and discussion with the others.
Written exercise (55 mins): Had to read around 10 pages including some background info, graphs, articles, profiles on a company. The information is quite straightforward and doesn't require background knowledge. The question was about advising the client on the risks/advantages of a business proposal (and whether they should enter into it), what further information you needed from them and any next steps you'd be taking. It wasn't an M&A case study, it was on advising a furniture company that was interested in expanding its services and reaching a wider customer base (through 3D-printing and customisable furniture).
Interview (50 mins): One partner and one associate. Explained their background, what they were doing at B&B and how the interview will go. Had a specific set out questions to ask.
What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.
Group exercise: Timing is really tight so I'd suggest being the timekeeper and reminding everyone that X amount of time is left because we really struggled with that. If you're not comfortable doing that, ask someone if they want to do it instead. Some people contribute less so make sure you ask what they think without calling them out on it. If someone has been talking for a while, propose to conclude and move on to the next person/point. Make sure to express your point of view and raise different pros/cons of the idea proposed by someone else. And remain consistent in terms of acknowledging and engaging with others.
Written exercise: manage your time wisely because there's a lot of documents and information to process. I'd suggest writing your response throughout rather than after reading everything because I lost a lot of time by not doing that. Try to add any legal/commercial awareness that you have if it's relevant and consider all the different risks and implications to reach a conclusion. Think about any further info you'd need to advise fully. Analyse the facts and info in depth in a structure way to assess the pros/cons of each idea.
Interview: the firm really focuses on candidates' individual personalities so just be yourself and don't show that you've prepared all your 'why law?, 'why B&B?', 'why you?' answers because it might feel unnatural. Try to build a rapport with them because they're very nice and are genuinely interested to get to know you more. There aren't any trick questions but the 'hardest' part was the debate question (which assesses whether you can think on your feet). Make sure to ask questions at the end. And try to refer to your talk with the trainees if possible.
The AC is quite intense and long so make sure you get some rest the day before and make good use of the regular breaks.
Were you successful?
No
February 2021
Please specify what the interview was for.
Spring Vacation Scheme 2021
Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
12pm - 5pm on TopScore.
12 - 12:30pm: Briefing with Graduate Recruitment.
12:30 - 1:10pm: Group Exercise.
1:20 - 2:15pm: Written Exercise.
2:25pm - 3:20pm: Talk with current trainees.
3:30 - 4:20pm: Interview with one partner and two associates.
4:30pm - 5pm: Talk from GR/end of AC.
Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.
Group exercise (40 mins): It was more of a negotiation exercise where you had to defend a certain position and had 10 mins to read through a number of documents to prepare a 2-min introduction on your position. Then you had to negotiate with the rest of the group (we were 5) and within 30 mins you're supposed to come to a conclusion and decide which idea you would implement, taking into account the budget and discussion with the others.
Written exercise (55 mins): Had to read around 10 pages including some background info, graphs, articles, profiles on a company. The information is quite straightforward and doesn't require background knowledge. The question was about advising the client on the risks/advantages of a business proposal (and whether they should enter into it), what further information you needed from them and any next steps you'd be taking. It wasn't an M&A case study, it was on advising a furniture company that was interested in expanding its services and reaching a wider customer base (through 3D-printing and customisable furniture).
Interview (50 mins): One partner and one associate. Explained their background, what they were doing at B&B and how the interview will go. Had a specific set out questions to ask.
What is your best advice for each aspect of the assessment on the day? Please break this down for each assessment. This can include advice for preparation, as well as tips for the day.
Group exercise: Timing is really tight so I'd suggest being the timekeeper and reminding everyone that X amount of time is left because we really struggled with that. If you're not comfortable doing that, ask someone if they want to do it instead. Some people contribute less so make sure you ask what they think without calling them out on it. If someone has been talking for a while, propose to conclude and move on to the next person/point. Make sure to express your point of view and raise different pros/cons of the idea proposed by someone else. And remain consistent in terms of acknowledging and engaging with others.
Written exercise: manage your time wisely because there's a lot of documents and information to process. I'd suggest writing your response throughout rather than after reading everything because I lost a lot of time by not doing that. Try to add any legal/commercial awareness that you have if it's relevant and consider all the different risks and implications to reach a conclusion. Think about any further info you'd need to advise fully. Analyse the facts and info in depth in a structure way to assess the pros/cons of each idea.
Interview: the firm really focuses on candidates' individual personalities so just be yourself and don't show that you've prepared all your 'why law?, 'why B&B?', 'why you?' answers because it might feel unnatural. Try to build a rapport with them because they're very nice and are genuinely interested to get to know you more. There aren't any trick questions but the 'hardest' part was the debate question (which assesses whether you can think on your feet). Make sure to ask questions at the end. And try to refer to your talk with the trainees if possible.
The AC is quite intense and long so make sure you get some rest the day before and make good use of the regular breaks.
Were you successful?
No