Linklaters Vacation Scheme Interview 2021

Jaysen

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  • Feb 17, 2018
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    A big thank you to this candidate for sharing their experience with the forum:

    I interviewed virtually for Linklaters and found the experience overall very enjoyable! With it being virtual we were given a virtual q&a session a couple of days before the AC with grad recruitment answering any technical questions about the day and the vacation scheme. This was the only firm I’ve ever been interviewed at, so I think I’m very lucky with my experience/how welcoming Linklaters were! I only met one other candidate throughout the day but we were told that there were up to 10 in different groups and there was a spot for everyone.

    The day overall was very long, and I think the times can change depending which group you’re in, but I started with my online assessment around 9.30. This lasted until about 11.15/11.30 then I had a break. After the break we had an informal q&a with a current trainee and others in your group which was so helpful in understanding what it was like to be a vac schemer and trainee at the firm! Following this I had a lunch break, then my HR interview then Partner Interview.

    Online Assessment;

    The online assessment was generally very similar to online advice. It included a small SJT, a reading comprehension on a contract and an e-tray exercise. My advice would be that the SJT and e-tray exercise do not take long at all so I would really focus on the reading comprehension part (this is where I made a mistake, I got worried about timings and made stupid mistakes on the comprehension because I was rushing)

    Following this, you were given a case study with some time to process all the documents. After half an hour you were given a mock task that you had to complete which involved writing an email. My advice for this section is don’t stress too much about your legal knowledge. I had gone over basics (thanks so much TCLA) but as a non-law student, my knowledge was really basic. I would advise to follow the lay-out of other emails you were given such as how to start/end the document. Also, just make sure the document has headings and is clear in what your main points are and why you have chosen them.

    HR interview;

    The person who interviewed me was lovely, really a reflection of how nice everyone was throughout the day. She started by asking me why commercial law/why linklaters and specifically mentioned why law as I am a non-law grad! She then focused into competency questions such as teamwork, leadership, resilience etc… One that I hadn’t prepared for what is the biggest risk I’ve ever taken! My advice here is just to try stay calm and really think about your answers. A couple of times I had to take a minute or so to think about my answers, but my interviewer was completely understanding about this! Overall it felt very much like a conversation of them getting to know me. A lot of advice I had seen was they want you to succeed and I really did resonate with this. I genuinely felt that my interviewer was interested in me and the things I had done, especially because of their application process I had extra curricular's not on the application. They also explained the partner interview and gave me some tips on what to expect/ how to react .

    Crisis email;

    After the HR interview I was given a crisis email and 15 minutes to read and identify key issues/points to discuss. Again, and as with the case study, no legal knowledge is really needed. Commercial knowledge is very beneficial just to know about how businesses run and fit into the wider system but again, no real practice is need.

    Partner Interview;

    I had my partner (and managing associate) interview last in the day and I was given the option whether to discuss the case study or crisis email first. I decided to do crisis email first but the two components don’t relate to each other so you can do either. You were given your response to the case study/documents as well to refer to. This interview was very challenging, and I really thought I had failed it. The partner and managing associate really question you about everything you wrote and mine were experts in the sector that my case study was on! That said, they really helped me develop my answers and again as previous reviews have said, it felt like a seminar in that they were helping me to understand the case study in a new light. Overall it was a very intellectually challenging but also enjoyable interview- I came away with learning new skills. The interview also ended on basic why law/why Linklaters …

    My main advice for this interview is; stay calm. I really do think they challenge you to see how you hold up under pressure. As long as you are logical in your reasoning then I think you will be fine. I told them I didn’t understand what they meant quite a few times, but I think they appreciated the honesty because I was then able to fully comprehend their point and answer the question fully.

    Main advice;

    My main advice is to practice competency questions, they don’t really ask anything too different to what is specified on the TCLA list so going through these is really helpful in creating a few scenarios you can draw upon! Also I think enthusiasm goes along way so find examples of why commercial law/ why Linklaters that you feel strongly about as it is much easier to come across as enthusiastic about the firm this way. Lastly, staying calm is key! I was so nervous beforehand but managed to stay calm and logical throughout all parts of the assessment. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification on the interview questions/what they are looking for.

    Overall I really enjoyed the experience. I have no idea how it compares to other assessment days (it was my first one sorry) but in general everyone I encountered appeared to be invested in me, my interests, and helping me to succeed. The whole day was extremely well organised and welcoming! Also, grad recruitment said it would take a week to hear back but I heard the next day so be prepared for earlier feedback than advised!
     
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    Penny_

    New Member
    Feb 20, 2021
    1
    0
    A big thank you to this candidate for sharing their experience with the forum:

    I interviewed virtually for Linklaters and found the experience overall very enjoyable! With it being virtual we were given a virtual q&a session a couple of days before the AC with grad recruitment answering any technical questions about the day and the vacation scheme. This was the only firm I’ve ever been interviewed at, so I think I’m very lucky with my experience/how welcoming Linklaters were! I only met one other candidate throughout the day but we were told that there were up to 10 in different groups and there was a spot for everyone.

    The day overall was very long, and I think the times can change depending which group you’re in, but I started with my online assessment around 9.30. This lasted until about 11.15/11.30 then I had a break. After the break we had an informal q&a with a current trainee and others in your group which was so helpful in understanding what it was like to be a vac schemer and trainee at the firm! Following this I had a lunch break, then my HR interview then Partner Interview.

    Online Assessment;

    The online assessment was generally very similar to online advice. It included a small SJT, a reading comprehension on a contract and an e-tray exercise. My advice would be that the SJT and e-tray exercise do not take long at all so I would really focus on the reading comprehension part (this is where I made a mistake, I got worried about timings and made stupid mistakes on the comprehension because I was rushing)

    Following this, you were given a case study with some time to process all the documents. After half an hour you were given a mock task that you had to complete which involved writing an email. My advice for this section is don’t stress too much about your legal knowledge. I had gone over basics (thanks so much TCLA) but as a non-law student, my knowledge was really basic. I would advise to follow the lay-out of other emails you were given such as how to start/end the document. Also, just make sure the document has headings and is clear in what your main points are and why you have chosen them.

    HR interview;

    The person who interviewed me was lovely, really a reflection of how nice everyone was throughout the day. She started by asking me why commercial law/why linklaters and specifically mentioned why law as I am a non-law grad! She then focused into competency questions such as teamwork, leadership, resilience etc… One that I hadn’t prepared for what is the biggest risk I’ve ever taken! My advice here is just to try stay calm and really think about your answers. A couple of times I had to take a minute or so to think about my answers, but my interviewer was completely understanding about this! Overall it felt very much like a conversation of them getting to know me. A lot of advice I had seen was they want you to succeed and I really did resonate with this. I genuinely felt that my interviewer was interested in me and the things I had done, especially because of their application process I had extra curricular's not on the application. They also explained the partner interview and gave me some tips on what to expect/ how to react .

    Crisis email;

    After the HR interview I was given a crisis email and 15 minutes to read and identify key issues/points to discuss. Again, and as with the case study, no legal knowledge is really needed. Commercial knowledge is very beneficial just to know about how businesses run and fit into the wider system but again, no real practice is need.

    Partner Interview;

    I had my partner (and managing associate) interview last in the day and I was given the option whether to discuss the case study or crisis email first. I decided to do crisis email first but the two components don’t relate to each other so you can do either. You were given your response to the case study/documents as well to refer to. This interview was very challenging, and I really thought I had failed it. The partner and managing associate really question you about everything you wrote and mine were experts in the sector that my case study was on! That said, they really helped me develop my answers and again as previous reviews have said, it felt like a seminar in that they were helping me to understand the case study in a new light. Overall it was a very intellectually challenging but also enjoyable interview- I came away with learning new skills. The interview also ended on basic why law/why Linklaters …

    My main advice for this interview is; stay calm. I really do think they challenge you to see how you hold up under pressure. As long as you are logical in your reasoning then I think you will be fine. I told them I didn’t understand what they meant quite a few times, but I think they appreciated the honesty because I was then able to fully comprehend their point and answer the question fully.

    Main advice;

    My main advice is to practice competency questions, they don’t really ask anything too different to what is specified on the TCLA list so going through these is really helpful in creating a few scenarios you can draw upon! Also I think enthusiasm goes along way so find examples of why commercial law/ why Linklaters that you feel strongly about as it is much easier to come across as enthusiastic about the firm this way. Lastly, staying calm is key! I was so nervous beforehand but managed to stay calm and logical throughout all parts of the assessment. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification on the interview questions/what they are looking for.

    Overall I really enjoyed the experience. I have no idea how it compares to other assessment days (it was my first one sorry) but in general everyone I encountered appeared to be invested in me, my interests, and helping me to succeed. The whole day was extremely well organised and welcoming! Also, grad recruitment said it would take a week to hear back but I heard the next day so be prepared for earlier feedback than advised!
    Thank you so much for sharing. Could you provide a bit more information on my questions below? Much appreciated.
    - Is the case study on M&A like in previous years?
    - Is the case study scenario fictitious? Did they ask anything actually happened in the business news recently?
     
    Last edited:

    BK

    Legendary Member
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    M&A Bootcamp
    Aug 26, 2020
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    Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.
    February 2021

    Please specify what the interview was for.
    Summer Vacation Scheme 2021

    Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

    9am arrival and briefing
    9.30am multiple choice case study
    10:30am case study reading and writing time
    11:45am graduate recruitment interview
    12:45pm crisis management task given
    1pm partner interview
    2:30 trainee Q&A

    Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.

    Online multiple choice questions: 30 minutes to review a contract, do SJTs based on integrity, prioritise emails.

    Written case study: 25 minutes reading, 35 minutes writing - candidates have to pick 2 legal issues and 1 commercial issue from the case given and summarise it in an email to a supervisor.

    Graduate recruitment interview: typical firm questions, competency questions and questions on candidates' skills and experiences.

    Crisis management: 15 minutes before the partner interview, candidates will be given a crisis regarding their case study (eg: PR management, natural disaster, cybersecurity issue etc).

    Partner interview: goes through the content from the written case study with more details and questions, and how the candidate should handle the crisis.

    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.


    Go through Linklaters' agile mindset framework - the questions are based on this. Also, for the 30 minutes MCQ - the first section (contract review) takes much longer than the others. I took 20 minutes on that section and 10 for the remaining 2 but did not regret this!

    Were you successful?

    Yes
     

    BK

    Legendary Member
    Staff member
    Future Trainee
    Gold Member
    Premium Member
    M&A Bootcamp
    Aug 26, 2020
    202
    106
    Please state the month/year you interviewed at the firm.
    February 2021

    Please specify what the interview was for.

    Summer Vacation Scheme 2021

    Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.

    9-10am Arrival and case study part 1
    10-10:30am Case Study review
    10:30-11am Written Case Study exercise
    11:45-12 prep for Partner Interview
    12-1pm- Partner Interview
    1:15-1:45pm Trainee meet and greet
    2:25-3:30pm HR Interview.

    Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.


    30mins for first part of Case Study which was three different exercises that had to be completed- one was an email prioritisation, one was multiple choice about limitations of an NDA and the other multiple choice about the Case Study which came up for the written task and the Partner interview. 30mins then to read through the documents for the written exercise. It was a M&A bundle about the acquisition by Company X of Company Y.

    30mins to draft an email that would be sent to the client highlighting issues that might arise from the acquisition (due diligence) prior to call between client and law firm. 15mins before the Partner Interview a ‘crisis’ email was sent which spoke about a PR issue at the firm- had to think what you would do in that situation.

    45mins of questioning on the acquisition- lots of questions about how the company would finance the M&A, amongst other things. Tricky but they prodded me to the right answer if I wasn’t sure. Also asked about dealing with the PR issue. Then I was encouraged to ask them general questions.

    30-45mins HR interview- one interviewer and myself. She asked questions and then asked if had any questions for her at the end.

    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.


    For the first Case Study there really isn’t anything you can do to prepare you just need to read the questions and work through the 3 tasks. Take your time because you need to pass all aspects of the day to be successful.

    For the Case Study which was the basis of the interview and the written task - read all the documents carefully and understand what you are being asked to do. They really liked the layout of my email because I used bullet points/made it very clear and easy to read. Be careful of tone depending on who the email is intended. In terms of preparation I read TCLA’s forum on case studies as well as looking up potential areas of due diligence. But I definitely needed to look more into how M&As are financed.

    Partner Interview- be calm and try and grasp which direction they are leading you in. It isn’t an interrogation but very much feels like a discussion. Speak out your thought process so you look like you are logical.

    HR Interview- in advance I had looked up lots of potential interview questions and had thought about my answers for them in advance so I wouldn’t be spending ages thinking in my interview. Every question I was asked I had already seen online so nothing was a surprise.

    Were you successful?

    Yes
     
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