Bristows Interview

[caali94]

Hi all,

I've been invited to Bristows first round TC interview and was just wondering if anybody has any experience on what to expect? Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

[taneshS]

Hi all,

I've been invited to Bristows first round TC interview and was just wondering if anybody has any experience on what to expect? Any advice would be much appreciated!

Hey! I didn't interview at Bristows but I did interview at a similar tech/IP focused firm. I think one of the most important things (and where I fell down) is to have a clear understanding of why you want to work for a firm like Bristows, as compared to other firms. You don't want to make it seem like Bristows is just another application, but the firm that you've really thought about working for.

Did they give you any idea what to expect at the interview?

 

[taneshS]

It's not much but I found this on TSR (about the first round Bristows interview).

"From what I can remember it was just 3 basic questions, it didn't really go beyond what you've already answered on the app form."

 

[taneshS]

And this, although I'm not sure if they incorporated the past telephone interview questions into the first round interview:

"Bristows consisted of:
- why do you want to be a lawyer
- have you considered the bar (essentially why do you want to be a solicitor)
- why bristows
The telephone interview lasted just over 10 minutes, the interviewer was extremely friendly - it was more like a chat. "

 

[Coralin96]

I've had a few first round interviews. In my experience, they were usually with HR and/or an associate. The questions were usually the topic "Why this firm", "Why commercial law", etc. There was also sometimes a very simple commercial awareness question e.g. what do you think of the tariffs.

I get the sense it's just a filter to see which students have the potential to go forward. (So it's an easy way to cut out students who aren't very clear in their answers (which was me a few times!)).

 

[Jaysen]

Hi all,

I've been invited to Bristows first round TC interview and was just wondering if anybody has any experience on what to expect? Any advice would be much appreciated!

Hey, a Bristows trainee has kindly offered to answer any questions you have about the interview (if you want to). I will PM you.

 

[caali94]

Hey! I didn't interview at Bristows but I did interview at a similar tech/IP focused firm. I think one of the most important things (and where I fell down) is to have a clear understanding of why you want to work for a firm like Bristows, as compared to other firms. You don't want to make it seem like Bristows is just another application, but the firm that you've really thought about working for.

Did they give you any idea what to expect at the interview?

Thanks! I have a science degree so hopefully I have enough to say about "why Bristows"

I've been told it's an hour long interview with a partner and senior associate. I've already done the video interview which I think replaced their telephone interview so I've answered why law, why the firm etc, just trying to get a feel of what this one will involve.

 

[caali94]

Hey, a Bristows trainee has kindly offered to answer any questions you have about the interview (if you want to). I will PM you.

That would be fantastic, thank you!

 

[Jaysen]

PM'd!

 

[gigi23]

Hello, I was wondering if any of the tips shared in private messages could maybe be published/sent to people applying to Bristows this year and who wonder what the interview will be like?

 

[Deleted member 970]

^ I would appreciate this too! Got a TC interview with Bristows coming up as well and would really appreciate any advice!

 

[Jaysen]

I will see if I can find some advice!

 

[Deleted member 970]

I will see if I can find some advice!

Thank you!

 

[gigi23]

Hi, I've just been invited to a second round interview and I was wondering if anyone had any information as to what to expect, particularly from the 1h written exercise, thanks in advance to anyone who can help

 

[caali94]

Sorry I haven't checked here in a long time (decided not to be a lawyer but that's a whole other story haha)
Unfortunately I didn't write anything down after my interview (first round) so I'll just post what I remember

I would say it was a fairly standard interview. The interviewers were very friendly, I didn't feel like they were trying to catch me out at all. A lot of the questions focused on me as a person and my experiences - how did I find school/university, how would my friends describe me, how do I spend my spare time etc.
There were also the standard why law, why Bristows, why do you think you would be a good lawyer
There were also competency questions - teamwork, dealing with conflicts, what annoys you about people etc.

I can only remember one 'law related question' which was about a start up scientific company. I can't remember the exact questions but there was something about how I would get funding (I said charities, research grants etc). I don't think they expect you to have the exact right answer, I think they just want to follow your thought process. If it looked like I was struggling they were helpful in suggesting a direction to think about.

I know I had looked up a couple of cases Bristows had worked on but I can't remember if they asked me about them!

My advice would just be to relax and just answer honestly. Think of a couple of questions to ask at the end, you could look up a bit about your interviewers and maybe ask them something relevant to them. The interviewers were very friendly though so don't be too scared and try and enjoy it as an experience as best you can!

Hopefully this helps someone!

_____________________________________________________
I'll just add this at the end - this is the advice I got from trainee I spoke to:

I had a very positive experience during my application process. People here are very friendly and will want a genuine conversation that shouldn’t feel too formal - but remember you are still being assessed! Here’s a couple of (hopefully) helpful guidance notes:

• It would be worthwhile looking up both interviewers once you find out who they are. Just know what areas they work in, and roughly what a lawyer does in those areas.
• Ask questions, preferably targeted towards what you’re interested in. I think it’s better if these questions are based on genuine interest about certain departments (preferably one they can comment on) rather than one like: ‘what are your thoughts about the emergence of US firms in London and the impact on the legal market’. For me, the latter seems like a question that is very general and designed to try to impress, but really, it’s a matter that doesn’t affect Bristows too much.
• Answer honestly (may sound obvious), but, for example, if you’re asked ‘how do you like spending your weekends’, don’t feel the need to say ‘reading patents’.
• As for types of questions to expect, I’m afraid it seems there’s not much off the table. From memory, there were a few of the typical questions, some on my background, some competencies, and plenty of others. The others included discussions about recent news (not necessarily IP/Tech/Pharma) as well as some on the feet thinking that you can’t really prepare for. I would recommend knowing in brief terms about some cases (probably 1-3) - some IP, some that Bristows have worked on. Those summarised by Bristows on our website would be a good start to finding relevant ones. Lexology (if you have a subscription) could be helpful here.
• A few questions are designed to make you think. I believe the best approach here is to say what you think (pretty much as you’re thinking it). I feel that a lot of people here think in their head and just deliver a final answer without showing their working. I think it’s much better to describe what you’re thinking, what you’re taking into account before finally saying what your ‘final answer’ is. It shows you can arrive at a sensible and reasoned conclusion.
• The interview isn’t designed to catch you out. Prepare well, then go in and try to enjoy it. The interviewers are all very nice