2020-21 Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion

[S87]

I have known Laura for at least the last 12-13 years. She is also completely passionate about all strands of diversity and has been a real trailblazer in transforming the graduate recruitment industry, both within law but also the recruitment sector more widely. She is literally one of the best and most dynamic people in the graduate recruitment sector. It’s why I am confident they have their reasons for this policy because it works for some reason, even if none of us can really understand why.

This not new to me, I have great personal admiration for her. I know that their policy is not discriminatory because there is not place for discrimination within the firm, why? Because Laura is there!

 

[Jaysen]

All the support on this thread is so fantastic, I have been reading through the forum and its so nice to see people do well! I had never felt so depressed yesterday after my rejection from NRF after my WG assessment, but seeing everybody keep on going has pushed me to wake up early today and smash out a new application!! So nice to be part of a supportive community!! Lol just had to get this off my chest

Love this - wishing you the best of luck!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Yes, I agree, I am just surprised as based on my knowledge FF reviews your application before inviting you to the WG test, which makes me think why would they not invite someone to an AC if an applicant has already passed the written application stage and scored high on the WG test? Or is there a higher benchmark for passing the written application stage once it is looked at jointly with the WG score? Same goes to you xx

Because it is more than likely the case that they will do a second review post WG. Otherwise it is pretty difficult to know how many people you could be interviewingz.

 

[Legal_rawn]

I am in the exact same boat as you!

I think we must be relatively similar as I also have grad offers from non-law related jobs but have decided to still desperately pursue that TC!

 

[Celestie]

Yes, I agree, I am just surprised as based on my knowledge FF reviews your application before inviting you to the WG test, which makes me think why would they not invite someone to an AC if an applicant has already passed the written application stage and scored high on the WG test? Or is there a higher benchmark for passing the written application stage once it is looked at jointly with the WG score? Same goes to you xx

I spoke to FF and there simply isn't a benchmark. They said the higher you score the better, but at a open day they said a strong application would trump a WG score in the end. Hope that makes sense? X

 

[summer207]

Has anyone heard from Simmons or Taylor Wessing recently for ACs (both summer vs)?

I didn’t apply to Simmons but for TW, someone who attended an AC last week said that grad rec is still sending out invites and will be running ACs till mid-March, I’m also waiting to hear post-GBA so hopefully we hear good news soon😊

 

[rose63]

Just received an AC invite from Eversheds for the Cardiff office! (Completed VI 26/01)

 

[Sebastian Clark]

This is not true - I have zero law experience, this is my first cycle as as a Non-Law student, and I had no idea about this process until August. I secured a VS about a month ago.

Though the trend of number of applicants is increasing, it is still super doable! Plus, law firms have more character imo than most IB banks, so you can choose places that fit you etc.

Jesus I must be doing something fundamentally wrong. This is my 4th cycle, Non-Law, completed GDL and have about 16 months of legal/professional experience - I haven’t even had a sniff of an AC let alone a Vac Scheme.

 

[Celestie]

I didn’t apply to Simmons but for TW, someone who attended an AC last week said that grad rec is still sending out invites and will be running ACs till mid-March, I’m also waiting to hear post-GBA so hopefully we hear good news soon😊

Thank you so much for this!!! Had a heart attack thinking I missed out on TW

 

[Celestie]

Jesus I must be doing something fundamentally wrong. This is my 4th cycle, Non-Law, completed GDL and have about 16 months of legal/professional experience - I haven’t even had a sniff of an AC let alone a Vac Scheme.

I am sure you are amazing.
If you wanna DM me and see how I structure my answers? Happy to help!

 

[Oxdart]

To weigh in on this debate again....

Age is a protected characteristic like race or gender.

CC will have gone through a process of getting legal advice on whether the policy is deemed discriminatory or not (from a legal perspective). Firms don’t just rush into policies that could them at a massive risk of many employment tribunals. They will have also weighed up the PR risk too.

Firms all have their ways of cutting down application numbers to get to a manageable number of candidates. I suspect that CC have done their data analysis and found this is the best way for them, instead of chucking people out for one spelling mistake or because they haven’t got more than three As at A-level (all of which can heavily impact other forms of diversity). People might not like it, but it might be the most robust way for them to recruit 🤷🏻‍♀️.

And before anyone jumps on me for this, I personally don’t agree with the policy either, I just know what goes into making a decision like this and that’s usually a lot of considered thought and evidence.

This is helpful thank you! I just wonder if this does not in any way mean the policy is any less morally (and potentially legally) discriminatory.

First, just because they must have thought through it does not mean they did that well right? Take Freshfields which has paid a huge financial and legal cost for giving what was later deemed illegal advice on taxes in Germany. I am sure they thought through it but it turns out they were wrong. To look at a non-legal example McKinsey is paying a huge financial and PR cost for giving bad advice on opioids in the US. So, just because it is a big firm and it must have thought through it does not mean they came to the right decision.

On the point of whether they found it a useful way of picking candidates, again this is no excuse. Say you run an analysis and find that BAME applicants get along less well with what is still a predominantly white c-suite executive group (Note: this is just a hypothetical example to make the point and a real analysis would probably disprove this given things are, thankfully, changing) and use that as an excuse for hiring fewer BAME candidates, would this be OK even if the impact is better PEP? Actually finding random typos IS a better way because that is some sort of measure of attention for detail but age is not.

Again, I do appreciate where you are coming from but I really think saying ahh they are a big firm and must have thought of it does not mean they might not have got it wrong and it being potentially useful to discriminate does not make it OK.

 

[I.Like.UFOs.Not.PFOs]

Hi! I was wondering if anyone has had any experience/ information to share about Accutrainee? Their concept & structure looks quite interesting

 

[Emily K]

Simmons rejection post VI - not surprised in the slightest after all those tests haha!

 

[Ophelia K]

Has anyone heard from Forsters?

 

[summer207]

Thank you so much for this!!! Had a heart attack thinking I missed out on TW

Completely understand as I quite like the firm and have had numerous interactions with them but I’ll just have to wait in hope🤞🏽

 

[whisperingrock]

This not new to me, I have great personal admiration for her. I know that their policy is not discriminatory because there is not place for discrimination within the firm, why? Because Laura is there!

Some of the most discriminatory places I have worked are places that champion a cause or charities against discrimination. Acting like a place could never have age discrimination because one person has worked to address certain other forms of discrimination is dangerous as it serves to insulate an organisation from scrutiny.

 

[rosie.l]

Simmons rejection post VI - not surprised in the slightest after all those tests haha!

Sorry to hear this! Would you mind saying when you submitted the VI

 

[Oxdart]

I have known Laura for at least the last 12-13 years. She is also completely passionate about all strands of diversity and has been a real trailblazer in transforming the graduate recruitment industry, both within law but also the recruitment sector more widely. She is literally one of the best and most dynamic people in the graduate recruitment sector. It’s why I am confident they have their reasons for this policy because it works for some reason, even if none of us can really understand why.

Again sorry but the policy working does not make it less discriminatory.

Also, I don't know Laura and I am sure she is a great person but we cannot defend institutional policies by saying you know the person making them? I mean she might care deeply about these things AND come to the wrong conclusion right? I think we should focus on the policy itself instead of saying because X made it or Y firm has it, it cannot be wrong. Again, this is such an important issue that its worth thinking through as a community.

 

[Cantab_95]

what are people's thoughts on the new SQE system versus the current route? Weighing up whether to opt in for the LPC or do the new system which seems to be what providers/firms are pushing

 

[Emily K]

Sorry to hear this! Would you mind saying when you submitted the VI

I think I submitted it some time around 23rd-25th January 🙂