2020-21 Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion

[Celestie]

Please give details of your interests and activities, positions of responsibility, skills and achievements. Please also include any other information relevant to your application. (250 words max)*

Hope this helps

Was this the only Q? If so, you're a hero and thank you!

 

[Evelina]

Hi guys!

I have done a few application cycles and I am just not being able to sell myself. I find myself especially stuck on the, "why do you want to be a solicitor" question. I've tried listing all the reasons I do plus the skills and experiences that go with it, yet I can't help but think something is missing, maybe I need more commercial insight or I don't know really. Is there any structure or advice anyone thinks really worked for them? Would be super grateful for any guidance!

Thanks for the help

hey message me if you want i can give you some tips on how i approach the Q

 

[Poppyx12]

Anyone heard back from the HSF Summer Vacation scheme post testing?

Also waiting to hear back from HSF! I applied for the summer vs

 

[Georgina Evans]

Was this the only Q? If so, you're a hero and thank you!

Yeah I just checked and that was the only Q

 

[mia99]

hi! can anyone share how long it took for them to be invited for the next stage following a successful SJT for the A&O VS application?
my application has been under review for about a month...

 

[bethbristol]

Hi Jacob,

It is Willkie Farr, but as this is their first-ever recruitment cycle, I doubt anyone will have any insight into the firm specifically.

I have had a written exercise before at a different firm that involved reading a few articles and then writing a client memo, and another similar one which involved a client issue and then a partner memo regarding the relevant law so definitely read up on how to structure these and the sorts of things you would want to take into account (e.g. for a client you want to limit the amount of 'legalese'). I also spent quite a bit of time on the Financial Times beforehand to get myself into the right headspace (as these articles are notoriously a bit harder to read than others!) using my university's free subscription for students so definitely check that out too.

 

[Sekani Wraith]

I have had a written exercise before at a different firm that involved reading a few articles and then writing a client memo, and another similar one which involved a client issue and then a partner memo regarding the relevant law so definitely read up on how to structure these and the sorts of things you would want to take into account (e.g. for a client you want to limit the amount of 'legalese'). I also spent quite a bit of time on the Financial Times beforehand to get myself into the right headspace (as these articles are notoriously a bit harder to read than others!) using my university's free subscription for students so definitely check that out too.

Thank you very much!

 

[Deleted member 2707]

Watson Glaser invite from Weil!

This one has really been stressing me out and causing serious anxiety as I saw several people had applied a few weeks after me and already been invited. For those still waiting, hang in there!

For reference, I applied on 3/12/2020.

Congratulations! This helped me feel a little more at ease as I applied around then as well! Is this for Spring or Summer?

 

[Jaysen]

Hi @Jaysen would you have any advice/insight for the written exercises that ask you to summarise lengthy articles? Is there a format/key points to include that law firms look out for?

I haven't actually seen a written exercise like this before, but my advice with all of the written exercises is to stick to the fundamentals. I would generally advise against going into the exercise with a particular set of key points/format in mind. You want to be able to adapt to the particular exercise you are given.

Instead, the key for me would be to focus on the clarity and quality of your writing. If you're being asked to summarise a lengthy article, it's likely that the firm wants to see whether you can interpret large quantities of information and distill the most important points in a clear manner. I would have the confidence to discard anything you don't deem to be necessary and take the time to think about the best way to structure your answer to aid the clarity of your summary (e.g. sub-headings, one paragraph per point etc.).

I'd also use simple language and short sentences, capitalise words appropriately, avoid excessive punctuation, and leave time at the end to proof your writing.

 

[Jaysen]

Watson Glaser invite from Weil!

This one has really been stressing me out and causing serious anxiety as I saw several people had applied a few weeks after me and already been invited. For those still waiting, hang in there!

For reference, I applied on 3/12/2020.

Well done Ricky!

 

[SecretSantaxx]

Guys - an important reminder that for anyone submitting to Freshfields, there is a template document you need to download when you are in the application portal which you copy and paste your personal statement into before uploading. Good luck to everyone submitting!

Does anyone know where I can find this template document? I can't seem to find it on the application portal. Thanks!

 

[lawyermeup]

Does anyone know where I can find this template document? I can't seem to find it on the application portal. Thanks!

I posted it on the previous page!

 

[Sophie R]

I generally structure my answer by divided into 'why law' and 'why commercial law'. I initially start by talking about how history, work experience and the positions of responsibility I held at school led me to become interested in law. I then talk about what specially I did that sparked my interest in commercial law. I then progress my answer by talking about what subsequent things I did to cement my interest in commercial law (stuff at university, work experience etc.).

Thank you Kola!

 

[Sophie R]

It sounds to me like you do have good reasons but that you're just second guessing if they're good reasons! I think that especially if you have experiences that co-relate to the work done in commercial law and the skills needed to be a commercial lawyer, they are most definitely going to be strong reasons for applying.

On the commercial insight point, you don't necessarily need something that demonstrates that but it could be beneficial. This doesn't mean you need something like work experience at a bank or at a huge company, but it can just be smaller things. Maybe you worked in retail and enjoyed learning the different strategies that business use to generate revenue/make up for losses. Or maybe you attended a presentation at a firm on a specific deal and enjoyed hearing about the different commercial considerations that went into it. The reality of applying for a graduate job straight out of uni is that many people don't actually know for sure what it takes, and if they have the experience for what it takes. The best thing that you can do is be authentic about your reasons so that they come across as convincing as possible in your application. As long as you're really explaining why those experiences and skills make commercial law the best career for you instead of just using generic words like "interesting", "exciting" etc. you're more than fine.

The only other general bit of advice I have is that when I was attending a series of workshops with Dentons as part of the AS programme, something grad rec said is make sure that when writing apps to strike a balance between an interest in the legal of side of things and and interest in the commercial side of things. So I generally structured my answers to explain why I enjoyed the skills involved with working with both black letter law and commercial/business issues.

Thanks so much Dheepa, this is super helpful!

 

[Ricky]

Congratulations! This helped me feel a little more at ease as I applied around then as well! Is this for Spring or Summer?

Glad to hear it. This is for Spring.

Well done Ricky!

Thank you

 

[Kelly_]

Hi! I attended the Shearman open day yesterday and I found out they are very strict on the contract law mark. As this was the first exam I ever took at university and being an international student with little experience writing essays I received a 50%. In my second year I took another contract related module (remedies) for which I gained a 2:1 and I graduated in 2020 with a first overall. However, I'm still a bit worried and was really looking forward to applying for their VS, for which I had already started my application. I was wondering if it was still worth applying and if anyone had any thoughts on what I should do.

 

[WannabeSolicitor24]

Hi! I attended the Shearman open day yesterday and I found out they are very strict on the contract law mark. As this was the first exam I ever took at university and being an international student with little experience writing essays I received a 50%. In my second year I took another contract related module (remedies) for which I gained a 2:1 and I graduated in 2020 with a first overall. However, I'm still a bit worried and was really looking forward to applying for their VS, for which I had already started my application. I was wondering if it was still worth applying and if anyone had any thoughts on what I should do.

I can't answer your specific question but there is a thread on here, https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/ask-shearman-sterling-anything.1825/ , that Paul checks which you could pop the question in?

 

[SecretSantaxx]

Hope this helps!

Thanks so much! Where did you manage to find this?

 

[lawyermeup]

Thanks so much! Where did you manage to find this?

I got it from the application form but can't remember exactly where it is hidden on there

 

[NadineBusty]

Watson Glaser invite from Weil!

This one has really been stressing me out and causing serious anxiety as I saw several people had applied a few weeks after me and already been invited. For those still waiting, hang in there!

For reference, I applied on 3/12/2020.

Well done Ricky!