General Discussion Thread 2020-21

[CallumJR]

Has anyone completed a VI for Eversheds and is willing to give an insight into the questions?

Any help is much appreciated!

 

[TTD20]

@Jessica Booker I have an interview coming up and I was wondering how I should approach answering questions about the firm's place in the market. Should I talk about its ranking and practice areas it is strong in, or should I focus more on how it differs to its competitors (although I have prepared for this as a separate question).

I was also wondering if anyone has completed a group negotiation exercise and if so how you found it/ if you have any tips? Thanks !

 

[LuNo]

Hope everyone is well. Does anyone have any tips/advice for a telephone interview with Morgan Lewis? Any thought is much appreciated. Thank you

Hi! I would be grateful if anyone could share any tips with me too! Thanks in advance

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

@Jessica Booker I have an interview coming up and I was wondering how I should approach answering questions about the firm's place in the market. Should I talk about its ranking and practice areas it is strong in, or should I focus more on how it differs to its competitors (although I have prepared for this as a separate question).

I was also wondering if anyone has completed a group negotiation exercise and if so how you found it/ if you have any tips? Thanks !

you’ll need to listen to the specifics of the question. I wouldn’t suspect a vague question like “what’s our position in the market”, I would expect it to be more tailored to either cover one of the two things you have mentioned, or potentially other more specific things too.

My tips for a negotiation exercise:

- remember that both sides have got to walk away from the negotiation thinking it works for them.

- you are going to have to concede somethings, otherwise there wouldn’t be a negotiation

- Make sure you record what is being agreed while you go through the exercise. Lost count how many groups get to the end and when they go through what has been agreed, each side thinks something different.

- think about how credible you will be if you come in with ridiculous demands/suggestions. Starting a price negotiation with a claim that something is 100% (or even 50% more) than what it is, isn’t going to be realistic.

- try to make sure you agree how you will work with your team. Negotiation exercises can often be “led” by someone from each team. This is a fine tactic to take, but you have to ensure you are vocal in such an exercise, therefore would it make sense for different team members to lead on the negotiation of certain points (eg someone focuses on real estate, someone focuses on employment, someone focuses on IP).

Try to think about creative solutions - especially if you aren’t able to agree on something by moving on it in a linear way.

Feel free to take a brief “recess” and regroup with your team, or at least ask before the exercise starts as to whether you can do this (just don’t take too long if you do this).

 

[O]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I have a VI with BM soon and this is my first time doing a VI. I would really appreciate any tips on how to prepare for it, if possible.

If anyone can help or have any insight that would also be great!

Thanks!

 

[Nikhilrai]

Has anyone heard back from Eversheds for their Middle East TC app?

 

[FutureCity]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I have a VI with BM soon and this is my first time doing a VI. I would really appreciate any tips on how to prepare for it, if possible.

If anyone can help or have any insight that would also be great!

Thanks!

There are quite a few posts on the forum for Baker McKenzie, assuming that’s what you mean by BM.

There is also a lot of general advice for VIs.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I have a VI with BM soon and this is my first time doing a VI. I would really appreciate any tips on how to prepare for it, if possible.

If anyone can help or have any insight that would also be great!

Thanks!

as well as the specific advice about Baker McKenzie someone mentioned, here is some general advice (attached)

 

[LegalNim]

Can anyone tell me if I'm being unreasonable to be really put off a firm because of their graduate recruitment? Is it something that will represent the culture of the whole firm or would it be silly to be put off a firm by it?
Basically, I absolutely adored a firm and got a vacation scheme with them. Because of coronavirus they cancelled the vacation scheme and filled their TC from the direct TC applications. They filled their direct TCs months before telling us they were cancelling the VS. They said to reapply next year for the TC and that they would be running online workshops, careers guidance, one to one sessions etc with us over the next few months. They said that at the beginning of May. The only thing I've heard from them since is them getting me to sign a declaration to say that I don't hold them responsible for pulling out of the vacation scheme. I really feel let down by the firm because of this. They knew that they'd filled their TC spots but didn't tell us for months, they completely cancelled their VS (no virtual VS or anything like other firms), they said they'd run workshops and sessions but never did... It's made me really question whether I want to work for a firm that clearly just doesn't care - but it's just GradRec, I have no idea if that's representative of the firm as a whole. I'm especially put off because the firm really represents itself as a firm that cares about its lawyers and is personable and friendly...
Am I being unfair to feel this way?

 

[Annalise2.0]

Hi guys, has anyone got any advice for the Morgan Lewis telephone interview, I would really appreciate it. Thanks

 

[Law_Grad1]

I got an email from them shortly after submitting my application that they were putting me on hold and would get back to me after the deadline. This was a few weeks ago.

When did you submit your application?

Hi - hope you're well! I got the same email a few weeks ago - have you heard anything from S&C post-deadline?

 

[NCLaw]

Hi! would you mind sharing details of the interview and their questions? Thanks so much!

Hiya, have you heard back from Boodle after applying for a direct TC??

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Can anyone tell me if I'm being unreasonable to be really put off a firm because of their graduate recruitment? Is it something that will represent the culture of the whole firm or would it be silly to be put off a firm by it?
Basically, I absolutely adored a firm and got a vacation scheme with them. Because of coronavirus they cancelled the vacation scheme and filled their TC from the direct TC applications. They filled their direct TCs months before telling us they were cancelling the VS. They said to reapply next year for the TC and that they would be running online workshops, careers guidance, one to one sessions etc with us over the next few months. They said that at the beginning of May. The only thing I've heard from them since is them getting me to sign a declaration to say that I don't hold them responsible for pulling out of the vacation scheme. I really feel let down by the firm because of this. They knew that they'd filled their TC spots but didn't tell us for months, they completely cancelled their VS (no virtual VS or anything like other firms), they said they'd run workshops and sessions but never did... It's made me really question whether I want to work for a firm that clearly just doesn't care - but it's just GradRec, I have no idea if that's representative of the firm as a whole. I'm especially put off because the firm really represents itself as a firm that cares about its lawyers and is personable and friendly...
Am I being unfair to feel this way?

It’s unfair to think that it is graduate recruitment that made the above decisions. Some or all of the team could easily be furloughed, and that’s why things may have been quiet or things haven’t been delivered as first suggested.

Graduate Recruitment don’t control how many people are hired or if they have to make cost savings/adaptations to deal with Covid-19. Everything you have mentioned to me could have completely reasonable explanations given the severity of Covid-19 and the other priorities that have to happen right now.

Being put off by a firm/employer is a personal decision and typically a gut feeling. It’s something that has happened with me with interactions with previous companies I wanted to work for and I still hold them to this day. You are allowed to have them no matter how rational or irrational the basis of the feeling is.

 

[Deleted member 5185]

@Jessica Booker

Hi Jessica,

I recently received a certificate from a law firm in light of completing a virtual work experience programme. I would like to let graduate recruitment know, but at the same time do not want to disturb them. There is no way to attach this certificate to the existing application, so should I just leave it?

Thank you

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

@Jessica Booker

Hi Jessica,

I recently received a certificate from a law firm in light of completing a virtual work experience programme. I would like to let graduate recruitment know, but at the same time do not want to disturb them. There is no way to attach this certificate to the existing application, so should I just leave it?

Thank you

I’d just leave it - if you cannot update your application yourself, then unfortunately it’s just one of those things. Always something to bring up if you get invited to a video interview or face to face assessment though

 

[Deleted member 5185]

I’d just leave it - if you cannot update your application yourself, then unfortunately it’s just one of those things. Always something to bring up if you get invited to a video interview or face to face assessment though

Thank you

 

[Pallatablelawyer]

Rejection from Pinsent Masons. Another application I spent time on. My motivations were probably not clear enough or something.

 

[acceleratedlaw]

Hey anyone heard from RPC this week following vacation scheme ?

 

[Ar2016]

Guys does someone have any tips or a rough format for written case studies. I have practiced the ones available on TCLA, however other than following the vague advice on providing pros and cons and being organised/concise, I am still not sure I have grasped the correct format. I guess what Im trying to ask is:

1. does the report/email have to be one page only? (assuming there is no limit stated anywhere)
2. How would you juggle giving advice on 2 decisions that need to be made ( in TCLA exercise you only had to advise on one decision but I have heard some firms asking for decisions/advice to be given on 2 things)-- how should you apply the pros and cons technique without essentially making a mess of the format and keeping under time?

Any other specific advice would be great!

 

[Deleted member 5185]

Rejection from Pinsent Masons. Another application I spent time on. My motivations were probably not clear enough or something.

There is something better out there for you. Believe me, I know how this feels.