Our Mock Interviews
Refine your technique and maximise your next opportunity to impress at interview with help from a TCLA instructor. Book a 1-hour virtual Mock Interview for £50 (or as little as £30 as a TCLA Premium member) and gain the confidence and techniques that are essential to success at the highest level.
A Mock Interview with TCLA gives you the chance to be tested under timed conditions by interviewers who have excelled in the training contract process across multiple law firms. We have been running this service for three years, and we prepare for these interviews as if we were participating in the interview ourselves. This is your chance to get the most tailored preparation in the legal market.
Our Interview Philosophy
We strongly believe that the best way to prepare for a law firm interview is to simulate the real thing as closely as possible. Knowledge is only one aspect of what’s needed to excel at interview. The ability to respond to challenging questions and present yourself well under pressure is often what distinguishes one candidate from another.
We believe anyone can be trained to perform exceptionally well at interview. With enough deliberate practise and the right training, we can support candidates to overcome any barriers they may have faced in their journey so far.
Even if you don’t have the luxury of the right connections or much experience of ‘law firm etiquette’, our Mock Interviews can hone your technique and give you the skills and confidence to achieve your potential. Even if you have not secured an interview, TCLA Mock Interviews can be an extremely useful component during this stage of your career journey. Around 1 in 3 TCLA members who book Mock Interviews have no upcoming interview but simply want to acquire these valuable skills, challenge themselves and reap the wide ranging benefits of this service.
If you are not securing enough interviews and you would like to improve your conversion rate from application to interview, give our Application Review service a try.
What our interviewees have said...
This was an immensely valuable experience. Mahesh knows just how much further to push, and we were able to get to areas that I wasn’t entirely confident about. The feedback was on point- we went for a model of feedback immediately after an answer- and this helped quite a lot as I was able to incorporate it into subsequent answers.
To briefly sum it up, the experience, like everything else at TCLA, exceeded all expectations.
OL
Chloe is fantastic! She made sure I got the most out of the session and was incredibly helpful. She asked tough questions and then provided insightful feedback on areas for improvement.
Robert
Mahesh was incredible! I cannot thank him (and TCLA) enough for offering this service.
Specifically, Mahesh began the interview by asking exactly what I hoped to improve and gave targeted feedback at the end of each question. The interview didn’t feel intimidating at all and was very well tailored towards the firm I am applying for. At the same time, the questions were challenging enough to be useful and thought provoking. Mahesh also gave insight into tailoring interview answers to different types of firms (ie. US vs UK). This mock interview had so much value and I feel much confident going into my upcoming interviews.AB
Mahesh has been absolutely fantastic. I have been having weekly interviews with him in preparation for Winter Vacation Schemes and Training Contract interviews. He has been incredibly invested in my process, is extremely friendly and approachable and more importantly went above and beyond to help me secure my training contract. Thank you very much Mahesh!
AG
Mahesh answered all of the questions I had in mind concisely and in depth. I appreciated his honest and straight forward approach in providing feedback that was constructive in order to improve my answers and performance. I also thought it was great that he pointed out how I spoke as the way I come across is also important in the interview.
OBE
It was an extremely beneficial and insightful session. I gained a lot from it and it made me more confident for the real interview. The only regret I have is having more time with Mahesh – he is truly brilliant as a trainer/mentor!
FD
Mahesh was again brilliant at providing true and constructive feedback, giving practical pointers on how to improve, suggestions and other tips. Worth every minute!
FD
Mahesh was very thorough in his approach – more than other mentors I have to say. I have learnt really a LOT in just one session. Incredible value. He will definitely be my first choice for mentorship in the future.
DT
Mahesh carried out a thorough, and challenging mock interview. This really helped me with my upcoming interview, and my feedback enabled me to focus on specific areas of improvement. This was ultimately invaluable, particularly as some of the more challenging mock questions were asked in my interview!
SB
Chloe was great, loved her! I liked the fact that she gave honest and to the point feedback straight after each question. She helped me understand what I needed to improve in my approach.
Daniele
The feedback Mahesh gave was very specific to my answers (unlike University career services which I have found give vague responses) and he gave clear guidance on how to improve. I also feel significantly more confident for my upcoming interview based on the experience.
JS
Really well conducted and definitely worth the time and money investment as it increased my confidence. The feedback has been really useful for me to improve upon.
IG
Mahesh was very kind and considerate but also very realistic and pragmatic. I liked the way he delivered feedback, but also really listened to what I was saying and was interested in making my answers as strong as possible.
TA
I have had 3 sessions with Mahesh over the past week, and each of them have been invaluable in giving me the confidence and structure to ace my assessment centre. I am grateful to Mahesh for his amazing feedback, guidance and attention. Really top notch.
JE
How Mock Interviews work
Our virtual Mock Interviews take place over Zoom and are run by TCLA instructors with a track record of success from interviews at the world’s most demanding commercial law firms.
They will tailor your Mock Interview to the firm you are applying to and the specific interview you can expect to have. For many firms, we have information about the kinds of interview questions that candidates have been asked in recent cycles.
Our Mock Interviews are designed to be challenging. We may pick up on the points you mention, highlight any discrepancies in your application and press you on commercial issues. Our approach will help you to answer challenging questions so you’re well-prepared during the real thing. However if you’re new to the process, be assured that we will listen, encourage and support you, and tailor the difficulty to your experience and current capabilities.
You will receive direct feedback on your performance throughout the interview. At the end, we will also provide you with a summary and clear next steps for you to work on. If appropriate, we will help you to reformulate your answers to make them even stronger.
Standard Mock Interviews
We will tailor your 1-hour interview to the specific firm you are applying to. We’ll begin with a discussion about your background, strengths and weaknesses, and your prior interview experiences, and then practise a combination of firm-specific, competency, scenario-based and commercial questions. This format of interview
This format of interview will test:
- Your motivations for becoming a commercial lawyer and your reasons for applying to a particular firm
- Your ability to sell yourself and convey your suitability for a firm through a variety of competency, situational judgement and scenario questions
- Your composure, confidence and communication skills
Case Study Inteviews
We will simulate a case study interview by giving you one of our mock case studies to read 30 minutes before your interview. These case studies are based on real law firm assessments at the leading commercial law firms, and will test your ability to think on your feet, stay composed and answer challenging commercial questions under timed conditions. Ultimately, the goal is to fast-track your commercial awareness and teach you how to hold your ground in the challenging partner interviews.
Book a Mock Interview
If you would like to book a Mock Interview, please follow the booking instructions to the right of this page. Once you select the type of interview you would like, you will be able to see the availability of the mock interviewers.
We will also ask you for information about your needs and give you the chance to upload any relevant documentation.
After you have completed your booking, we will send you a confirmation email containing a Zoom link.
If you have any questions about the mock interview service, please contact [email protected]. If you have questions about your booked mock interview, please contact Chloe at [email protected], or Mahesh at [email protected].
