Hearing Back from Law Firms, Assessment Centres & Interview Tips - 2019 - 2020

[Deleted member 3930]

Hiya! Has anyone heard back from A&O/Simmons & Simmons/ Travers Smith/ White & Case regarding the Summer Vac Scheme? Thanks!

 

[CaramelLatte]

Did you receive the interim email saying they were reviewing and would let you know by Friday?

Hey, no the email they sent me was a straight up invitation and a link to book a time-slot. Did you apply too? If so, I wish you the best of luck!

 

[Helena]

Hey, no the email they sent me was a straight up invitation and a link to book a time-slot. Did you apply too? If so, I wish you the best of luck!

Ok best of luck - yes I applied and had this interim email so guess it’s a maybe!

 

[Castelli99]

anyone know if you can ask Bakers for your WG test result/ or how long it takes you to hear if you have failed it (is there an automatic e-mail?)

Thanks!

 

[Ricky]

anyone know if you can ask Bakers for your WG test result/ or how long it takes you to hear if you have failed it (is there an automatic e-mail?)

Thanks!

I just completed it and emailed them asking for my report. Will let you know what they say.

 

[Castelli99]

I just completed it and emailed them asking for my report. Will let you know what they say.

Thank you!

 

[Ricky]

Hey guys, I just received an interview invite for Reed Smith's Winter Vac. Any advice/tips will be massively appreciated, as its my first time getting this far!

Congrats!

From Open Day:

You will have a case study based on a commercial contract. Will need to identify and simplify the relevant points for each party. You have an hour to prep for this, so quite a decent amount of time! (A&O is only half an hour).

Mark-up exercise to test grammar, punctuation etc.

Strengths-based interview rather than competency-based. So forward-looking and asking you how you would deal with certain situations. Look at the strengths RS want. Also. they won't probe much so you need to give all the information. Can also use examples from past experiences. Make sure you research the firm and know your motivations for commercial law and the firm.

 

[Dheepa]

anyone know if you can ask Bakers for your WG test result/ or how long it takes you to hear if you have failed it (is there an automatic e-mail?)

Thanks!

I did my Bakers WG around two days ago and received an invite to the VI today, so my turnaround time was pretty quick! I didn't get an email on whether I passed or failed before the VI invite.

 

[Emina]

I did my Bakers WG around two days ago and received an invite to the VI today, so my turnaround time was pretty quick! I didn't get an email on whether I passed or failed before the VI invite.

Hi Dheepa! Can I just ask, did you apply for the spring VS or summer VS at Bakers?

 

[CaramelLatte]

Congrats!

From Open Day:

You will have a case study based on a commercial contract. Will need to identify and simplify the relevant points for each party. You have an hour to prep for this, so quite a decent amount of time! (A&O is only half an hour).

Mark-up exercise to test grammar, punctuation etc.

Strengths-based interview rather than competency-based. So forward-looking and asking you how you would deal with certain situations. Look at the strengths RS want. Also. they won't probe much so you need to give all the information. Can also use examples from past experiences. Make sure you research the firm and know your motivations for commercial law and the firm.

Wow this is incredibly useful, thank you for the response! Regarding the case study, do you happen to know if it is tasked individually or as a group exercise? Also, the interview sounds interesting. I was informed by others around me that there is no real difference between a strength-based and competency-based interview, would you (as well as anyone else reading this) happen to confirm if this is true or not?

 

[Helena]

Wow this is incredibly useful, thank you for the response! Regarding the case study, do you happen to know if it is tasked individually or as a group exercise? Also, the interview sounds interesting. I was informed by others around me that there is no real difference between a strength-based and competency-based interview, would you (as well as anyone else reading this) happen to confirm if this is true or not?

Hmm I think they are quite different. Stengths based really is seeing what motivates and drives you, what you enjoy doing not just what you are capable of doing while competency based focusses on the skills you have said you have - so you talk a lot about past experiences demonstrating how you performed.

 

[CaramelLatte]

Hmm i think they are quite different. Stengths based really is seeing what motivates and drives you, what you enjoy doing not just what you are capable of doing while competency based focusses on the skills you have said you have - so you talk a lot about past experiences demonstrating how you performed.

I see, that makes sense. I guess I'm just trying to guage what kind of questions they may ask so I can anticipate how to incorporate a STAR format in my answers. It seems though, from what you have said, that the point behind a S-based interview is to discourage this pre-rehearsed STAR format?

I will certainly share my interview experience afterwards on here haha.

 

[Dheepa]

Hi Dheepa! Can I just ask, did you apply for the spring VS or summer VS at Bakers?

Spring!

 

[Emina]

Spring!

Thank you!

 

[gigi23]

Is this true? It says on the website they only have 40 people across their two AC's, this would surely mean it is pretty easy to pass? (I have been invited to an AC btw)

Congrats on getting an AC!
May I ask how long it took for you to hear back post VI?

 

[Castelli99]

Congrats on getting an AC!
May I ask how long it took for you to hear back post VI?

About a week i think

 

[Zain97]

Hi all,

I've been invited for a TC AC with CC. I don't know how I bagged that and now I'm really really stressing with the commercial element of the interview. Does anyone have any tips at all about the commercial awareness aspect and what I can be doing? A lot of people are saying being aware of current affairs, etc but what else do I need to do with this info?

Thanks!

 

[LuLa]

Hey, con

Hi all,

I've been invited for a TC AC with CC. I don't know how I bagged that and now I'm really really stressing with the commercial element of the interview. Does anyone have any tips at all about the commercial awareness aspect and what I can be doing? A lot of people are saying being aware of current affairs, etc but what else do I need to do with this info?

Thanks!

Hey, congrats!
In terms of general commercial awareness I will always recommend schogger’w commercial awareness handbook which looks at business from a legal perspective
Alternatively stoake’s “all you need to know about the city”
There’s also a few case studies available on TCLA !

 

[Alice G]

Do we get the Links WG report automatically or will we get it when we find out the outcome of our apps? Think I did horribly and quite keen to see how I got on because I’m slightly worried about it!

 

[J Wu]

Do we get the Links WG report automatically or will we get it when we find out the outcome of our apps? Think I did horribly and quite keen to see how I got on because I’m slightly worried about it!

You have to request it from grad rec. I’m sure it wasn’t as bad as it seemed! It always seems worse in the moment