CMS Assessment Centre

law2021

Star Member
Dec 1, 2020
28
51
Hi everyone! Appreciate I'm a little late to this thread but thought I'd post anyway :) My AC is next week (it's my first one!) & I'm particularly nervous about the case study. Are there any resources that can help me prepare for it? Thank you!
 

IntrepidL

Legendary Member
Jul 29, 2018
174
153
Hi @law2021, I would recommend researching on CMS' practice areas and industries because most case studies would revolve around those. Prior to my assessment centre, I was also advised on updating my knowledge in relation to four key themes: 1) Brexit, 2) US-China Trade War, 3) Coronavirus and 4) climate change, sustainability and ESG-related issues.

Making notes on those four key themes and incorporating my general knowledge of those into my case study really helped! :)
 
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Reactions: law2021

law2021

Star Member
Dec 1, 2020
28
51
Hi @law2021, I would recommend researching on CMS' practice areas and industries because most case studies would revolve around those. Prior to my assessment centre, I was also advised on updating my knowledge in relation to four key themes: 1) Brexit, 2) US-China Trade War, 3) Coronavirus and 4) climate change, sustainability and ESG-related issues.

Making notes on those four key themes and incorporating my general knowledge of those into my case study really helped! :)
Thank you so much!
 

whoyou

Standard Member
Aug 25, 2020
7
11
Hi everyone! Appreciate I'm a little late to this thread but thought I'd post anyway :) My AC is next week (it's my first one!) & I'm particularly nervous about the case study. Are there any resources that can help me prepare for it? Thank you!
Hello,

I wouldn't suggest you need to know everything commercial going on in regards to the case study - I had a lot of knowledge of global affairs/commercial issues but I didn't necessarily find them applicable. My advice would be to focus on the materials they give you and pick out the issues from there, when I was doing it a lot of points were drawn from mainly common sense. For example, if one of the materials provided was an article that stated there was a scandal in regards to a business that the client was interested in acquiring, immediately I can see one con as being reputational harm, stability etc. So based on the task you get approach it through thinking - ok if I was this business or client what would I think about this? What are the pros and cons? If you're dealing with a business what makes it valuable? Its employees, intellectual property, stability, profitability, logistics, reputation etc. So pay attention to any issues that come up regarding anything that may diminish or increase its value in your analysis and when reading the materials.

Also you get quite a lot of time to prepare for it. I read through the materials first and annotated the docs (on the screen because you get sent the documents) and then as I was thinking I wrote out my thoughts in a structured way, so when I was presenting I had something to refer to.

Hope this helps😄
 
Last edited:
  • 🤝
Reactions: law2021

law2021

Star Member
Dec 1, 2020
28
51
Hello,

I wouldn't suggest you need to know everything commercial going on in regards to the case study - I had a lot of knowledge of global affairs/commercial issues but I didn't necessarily find them applicable. My advice would be to focus on the materials they give you and pick out the issues from there, when I was doing it a lot of points were drawn from mainly common sense. For example, if one of the materials provided was an article that stated there was a scandal in regards to a business that the client was interested in acquiring, immediately I can see one con as being reputational harm, stability etc. So based on the task you get approach it through thinking - ok if I was this business or client what would I think about this? What are the pros and cons? If you're dealing with a business what makes it valuable? Its employees, intellectual property, stability, profitability, logistics, reputation etc. So pay attention to any issues that come up regarding anything that may diminish or increase its value in your analysis and when reading the materials.

Also you get quite a lot of time to prepare for it. I read through the materials first and annotated the docs (on the screen because you get sent the documents) and then as I was thinking I wrote out my thoughts in a structured way, so when I was presenting I had something to refer to.

Hope this helps😄
This is very helpful! Thank you :)
 

Lisa Lowe

Legendary Member
Junior Lawyer
Nov 26, 2019
155
149
Hi does anyone know the chances of being offered a CMS TC if you have been accepted onto the VS? Appreciate this is a vague question, but trying to gauge my chances? (London office)
 

GR

Standard Member
Feb 15, 2021
6
8
Hi guys! I had my AC last Tuesday and I was just wondering how long people took to hear if they had been accepted/rejected? I've applied for the Dubai Academy :)
 

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