- Feb 17, 2018
- 4,695
- 8,577
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.
One 30-minute panel interview with the two graduate recruitment partners and the graduate recruitment manager.
Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.
We were required to prepare a 5 minute presentation to open the interview. We were given 3 potential presentation titles to choose from:
1. Present a recent legal update, why is it interesting & how does it relate to the firm.
2. Review a news article (from the week after interview invites were sent out), explain why it is relevant to the firm and/or its clients
3. Pitch a prospective client for the London office of V&E, explain why they would be a good target client for the firm.
The interview started with the presentation, which is timed. I was only asked one question about the presentation before moving on to my application form. The rest of the interview was focused on my application form and video interview answers.
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.
The presentation appears to be a very important part of the assessment. I found it to be very helpful in understanding what makes the firm different from other US offerings in London. Each of the presentation titles require you to spend a lot of time working out what makes V&E unique, and, therefore, why the topic you are presenting about will affect the firm. There is a useful Chambers student article about the firm.
From my research, for normal in-office interviews they give you a case study and ask you to prepare 5 minute presentation on it.
The interviews are short, 30 minutes goes very quickly. This also means that they are not able to ask many questions, so your responses really have to be on point early on, there is no time to 'warm up' in the early parts of the interview. Don't be put off by them only asking 1 question on the presentation, I think it is really down to time constraints.
I did not feel like they had a set structure or sequence of interview questions, which gives you the opportunity to somewhat control the interview, by offering up a topic for them to ask you about.
As they mention in the grad recruitment brochure, and in most of their articles about partner laterals, the firm as a whole is extremely focused on people being a good fit for the firm. From my experience, this translates into the interview, where they seem to be mainly focused on you as a person and your experiences, rather than commercial awareness or technical legal problems.
The style was conversational in my interview, but once they have run out of things to ask you about, or things to talk about, they ask you if you have any questions. I would definitely have plenty of questions ready, whether it be about the firm, the interviewers or a relevant commercial issue.
The firm does not give out offers until they have interviewed all candidates, so if you are early on, expect a wait.
Were you successful?
Yes
February 2021
Please specify what the interview was for.
Summer Vacation Scheme 2021
Please give an overview of the day with approximate timings.
One 30-minute panel interview with the two graduate recruitment partners and the graduate recruitment manager.
Please provide a summary of each assessment on the day with approximate timings.
We were required to prepare a 5 minute presentation to open the interview. We were given 3 potential presentation titles to choose from:
1. Present a recent legal update, why is it interesting & how does it relate to the firm.
2. Review a news article (from the week after interview invites were sent out), explain why it is relevant to the firm and/or its clients
3. Pitch a prospective client for the London office of V&E, explain why they would be a good target client for the firm.
The interview started with the presentation, which is timed. I was only asked one question about the presentation before moving on to my application form. The rest of the interview was focused on my application form and video interview answers.
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.
The presentation appears to be a very important part of the assessment. I found it to be very helpful in understanding what makes the firm different from other US offerings in London. Each of the presentation titles require you to spend a lot of time working out what makes V&E unique, and, therefore, why the topic you are presenting about will affect the firm. There is a useful Chambers student article about the firm.
From my research, for normal in-office interviews they give you a case study and ask you to prepare 5 minute presentation on it.
The interviews are short, 30 minutes goes very quickly. This also means that they are not able to ask many questions, so your responses really have to be on point early on, there is no time to 'warm up' in the early parts of the interview. Don't be put off by them only asking 1 question on the presentation, I think it is really down to time constraints.
I did not feel like they had a set structure or sequence of interview questions, which gives you the opportunity to somewhat control the interview, by offering up a topic for them to ask you about.
As they mention in the grad recruitment brochure, and in most of their articles about partner laterals, the firm as a whole is extremely focused on people being a good fit for the firm. From my experience, this translates into the interview, where they seem to be mainly focused on you as a person and your experiences, rather than commercial awareness or technical legal problems.
The style was conversational in my interview, but once they have run out of things to ask you about, or things to talk about, they ask you if you have any questions. I would definitely have plenty of questions ready, whether it be about the firm, the interviewers or a relevant commercial issue.
The firm does not give out offers until they have interviewed all candidates, so if you are early on, expect a wait.
Were you successful?
Yes
