Ask 4 future trainees ANYTHING! *New TCLA Team Members*

[Amma Usman]

@Ram Sabaratnam @Amma Usman @Andrei Radu
I am curious to know your thoughts on a question I am currently trying to write up an answer to. The question is asking me to describe a recent setback I faced. I am currently choosing between two situations I can write about:

1) Throughout university I always wanted a journal publication - on my first two attempts I got rejected - but then on my third attempt I chose a more topical theme, improved my research and analysis methods and then managed to secure publication - i was also quoted by a very prominent legal organisation

2) While social media officer for an event committee, I was not meeting my event registration targets - In response, I analysed our marketing stats, started making more personalised and tailored social media posts, conducted in-person marketing as well as online marketing, and encouraged my team members to come with me on campuses to do group marketing - In the end, the campaign achieved record LinkedIn engagement and the event had record attendance

I am struggling with picking which situation to talk about - I would be super grateful if you could let me know which situation you think is better to write about and demonstrates the most resilience

Hey @lawyersum , thanks for the question. Just before @Ram Sabaratnam and @Andrei Radu get back to you as well, I’ve included a few points below;

• Any situation you choose is fine. Ultimately, the weight and impact of your answer is dependent on your ability to appropriately describe the situation, your contributions to tackling the setback, and the result.
• Both examples are outstanding, but I would personally go with the first. The reason is because I believe the reason is more unique to your experiences and interests, whereas I‘ve reviewed quite a few applications with event management being a core discussion to answers on questions of this type.
• In answering the first question, explain why you were rejected twice - this demonstrates self-awareness and heightens the impact of your ability to overcome the setback. The HR team will ideally want more detail on the setback itself. Further, why did you want to write a journal publication? What led you to choosing a more topical theme? What were these research and analysis methods you used? How were they different to what you used last time? What was the publication on? Is it on law/business? How can you briefly relate it to the role of a trainee solicitor/and(or) your ability to succeed in the role. Which legal organisation was this? Include this and show off your achievements.
• The STAR analysis will help you provide a clean structure for this answer.

Goodluck!

 

[lawyersum]

Hey @lawyersum , thanks for the question. Just before @Ram Sabaratnam and @Andrei Radu get back to you as well, I’ve included a few points below;

• Any situation you choose is fine. Ultimately, the weight and impact of your answer is dependent on your ability to appropriately describe the situation, your contributions to tackling the setback, and the result.
• Both examples are outstanding, but I would personally go with the first. The reason is because I believe the reason is more unique to your experiences and interests, whereas I‘ve reviewed quite a few applications with event management being a core discussion to answers on questions of this type.
• In answering the first question, explain why you were rejected twice - this demonstrates self-awareness and heightens the impact of your ability to overcome the setback. The HR team will ideally want more detail on the setback itself. Further, why did you want to write a journal publication? What led you to choosing a more topical theme? What were these research and analysis methods you used? How were they different to what you used last time? What was the publication on? Is it on law/business? How can you briefly relate it to the role of a trainee solicitor/and(or) your ability to succeed in the role. Which legal organisation was this? Include this and show off your achievements.
• The STAR analysis will help you provide a clean structure for this answer.

Goodluck!

Thank you very much @Amma Usman for such a detailed explanation and breakdown - it's amazing. I will definitely be using this example now!

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

@Ram Sabaratnam @Amma Usman @Andrei Radu
I am curious to know your thoughts on a question I am currently trying to write up an answer to. The question is asking me to describe a recent setback I faced. I am currently choosing between two situations I can write about:

1) Throughout university I always wanted a journal publication - on my first two attempts I got rejected - but then on my third attempt I chose a more topical theme, improved my research and analysis methods and then managed to secure publication - i was also quoted by a very prominent legal organisation

2) While social media officer for an event committee, I was not meeting my event registration targets - In response, I analysed our marketing stats, started making more personalised and tailored social media posts, conducted in-person marketing as well as online marketing, and encouraged my team members to come with me on campuses to do group marketing - In the end, the campaign achieved record LinkedIn engagement and the event had record attendance

I am struggling with picking which situation to talk about - I would be super grateful if you could let me know which situation you think is better to write about and demonstrates the most resilience

Hiya @lawyersum

I completely agree with @Amma Usman here. Either of these approaches could work really well to answer the question and showcase your skills. That said, as Amma suggests, I’d also lean towards the first option. It’s such a unique and impressive achievement, and one that’s genuinely difficult to accomplish! Beyond highlighting the resilience it took to finally have your submission published, you can also use this opportunity to demonstrate how you improved your research and writing skills to achieve a publishable standard. I wanted to suggest some ideas that you might want to explore to help you shape your answer whilst addressing the question:

• Topic Formation: Publishing often requires making a meaningful contribution to the "existing literature" in a field. Compared to your earlier attempts, how did you approach selecting a topic this time? As you mentioned, you found a topic idea this time to write about, but how did you do this? Did you consult with anyone (e.g. a professor, a colleague) to pinpoint under-explored areas? Did you examine past issues of the journal to identify gaps or overlooked themes in their previous publications? Highlighting how your approach to topic formation evolved will help make this answer address the question.
  
  
• Research Strategies: Did you adopt any new methods for conducting research? For example, if the topic was law-related, did you deepen your engagement with case reasoning or secondary scholarship? Did you need to master any new skills, such as quantitative or qualitative analysis, or refine how you identified and distinguished credible sources? Share how you revamped your research process to elevate your work, as research often requires particular skills and this question lends itself well to demonstrating how you did this.
  
  
• Editing and Feedback: Finally, you might want to discuss how you improved your ability to edit and refine your writing to ensure it met a publishable standard. For instance, did you take a new approach to sharing drafts with others for feedback? How did you incorporate suggestions or address challenges raised by editors? If you worked with editors, did you adapt how you responded to their comments or tackled revisions?

Again, these are just a few angles to consider when drafting your answer and reflecting on how you persevered through initial rejections to eventually achieve the publication. Best of luck with your application! 😊

 

[lawyersum]

Hiya @lawyersum

I completely agree with @Amma Usman here. Either of these approaches could work really well to answer the question and showcase your skills. That said, as Amma suggests, I’d also lean towards the first option. It’s such a unique and impressive achievement, and one that’s genuinely difficult to accomplish! Beyond highlighting the resilience it took to finally have your submission published, you can also use this opportunity to demonstrate how you improved your research and writing skills to achieve a publishable standard. I wanted to suggest some ideas that you might want to explore to help you shape your answer whilst addressing the question:

• Topic Formation: Publishing often requires making a meaningful contribution to the "existing literature" in a field. Compared to your earlier attempts, how did you approach selecting a topic this time? As you mentioned, you found a topic idea this time to write about, but how did you do this? Did you consult with anyone (e.g. a professor, a colleague) to pinpoint under-explored areas? Did you examine past issues of the journal to identify gaps or overlooked themes in their previous publications? Highlighting how your approach to topic formation evolved will help make this answer address the question.
  
  
• Research Strategies: Did you adopt any new methods for conducting research? For example, if the topic was law-related, did you deepen your engagement with case reasoning or secondary scholarship? Did you need to master any new skills, such as quantitative or qualitative analysis, or refine how you identified and distinguished credible sources? Share how you revamped your research process to elevate your work, as research often requires particular skills and this question lends itself well to demonstrating how you did this.
  
  
• Editing and Feedback: Finally, you might want to discuss how you improved your ability to edit and refine your writing to ensure it met a publishable standard. For instance, did you take a new approach to sharing drafts with others for feedback? How did you incorporate suggestions or address challenges raised by editors? If you worked with editors, did you adapt how you responded to their comments or tackled revisions?

Again, these are just a few angles to consider when drafting your answer and reflecting on how you persevered through initial rejections to eventually achieve the publication. Best of luck with your application! 😊

Thank you @Ram Sabaratnam for this equally amazing advice and your kind words!! Your advice will also be super helpful for any competency question asking me to discuss how I have developed my research/analysis skills

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

@Ram Sabaratnam @Andrei Radu @Amma Usman @Jessica Booker

I have a VS coming up and one of the tasks is a pitch exercise - what sort of things are good to bear in mind and what should be included for a successful pitch? I believe we have to pitch a practice group to partners about a commercial issue that will affect a client, would it be a good idea to try and simulate a real pitch as much as possible (include stuff around the firm's pro bono, D&I etc, as clients care about that), or focus on the commercial aspects more. Thanks in advance!

Hiya @aspiringlawyer12

I just wanted to build on the already excellent advice you've received from @Jessica Booker. Jess is completely spot on about tailoring your pitch to the client rather than focusing on the firm.

One complicating factor here could be that the client you're expected to make the pitch to could be either real or hypothetical. At some firms, I was asked to come up with a pitch for a business that had been a longstanding client of the firm. At other firms, I was given purely hypothetical clients, none of whom were real but who (on the facts that were supplied to us) clearly had a profile that was similar to some of the firm's own client base. In both situations, it helped that I had done prior research and tried to get a sense of the types of issues faced by standard clients of the firm (usually by researching clients in similar industries and the key challenges they were facing at the time). The key is to show some understanding of their industry, challenges, and priorities. I'd suggest looking into recent news, sector trends, or regulatory pressures they might face, as well as having a think about the type of work the firm might have previously done for similar clients in the past.

In terms of structuring the pitch, I'd suggest beginning by introducing the issue and explaining why it’s significant to the client. Then, analyse its commercial or legal implications, highlighting the risks and opportunities it presents. You essentially want to propose a solution that is practical and focused on addressing the client’s priorities effectively. The remainder of the pitch could end by explaining why the firm is uniquely suited to help, referencing any relevant experience.

The last thing I want to say is about the point @Jessica Booker made about working with your team to ensure the presentation feels 'seamless'. I've had experiences at ACs in the past where different team members were responsible for different aspects of the pitch such that, when it all come together, it could sound too disjointed. When this happened, it was obvious to our interviewers that there hadn't been adequate collaboration and little reflection on things like transitions between speakers and ensuring everyone was confident in their role during the pitch. You'll want to avoid this as much as possible, so get talking to one another!

Hope this helps! Best of luck with the pitch! 😊

 

[Hghasvision]

Hi there, can I ask how long it takes for membership to get approved so we can see past applications. Bought bronze a while ago, with no access

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi there, can I ask how long it takes for membership to get approved so we can see past applications. Bought bronze a while ago, with no access

If you send me a private message with proof of purchase, I can get this access sorted for you.

 

[lawyersum]

Hey guys, just wondering how you would go about giving examples of when you demonstrated organisation & time management skills? I'm tempted to write something like I made a to-do list but I feel like that is just really simple and turns kind of waffly when I try to write out an answer. Thank you!!

 

[Amma Usman]

Hey guys, just wondering how you would go about giving examples of when you demonstrated organisation & time management skills? I'm tempted to write something like I made a to-do list but I feel like that is just really simple and turns kind of waffly when I try to write out an answer. Thank you!!

Hey @lawyersum ,

This is a really good question, actually. And I totally agree with your point that adding a to-do list may appear rather straightforward and generic. The truth is, you can include that, but the way in which it won’t appear generic depends on the surrounding explanations/facts you provide. For example, a to-do list can be great as it allows you to stay accountable to your duties and responsibilities, ensuring that you meet deadlines or even deliver earlier than expected. It also allows you to focus on tasks based on priorities. For example, with easier tasks that you’ve already built skills for, you can complete them first, allowing for speedy assimilation and execution.

This question came up an insane number of times during interviews and assessment centres I attended. So, take some time with it as it’s really frequently asked. To be honest, because I answered it so many times, I already knew what I was going to say whenever I was asked. I used the same example and the STAR format. However, take caution here, I was once asked to give another example. Luckily, I knew my competencies and past experiences well, so I could easily provide an alternative.

The point I’m trying to make is, for general questions like this, have an example prepared, but be ready to adapt when asked for additional examples or put in a different scenario. This is an example of a response similar to one I once submitted:

Completing an eight-week legal internship at an insurance company, and being the only intern, I was fortunate enough to be given a variety of tasks and responsibilities. In one instance, I found myself juggling multiple deadlines within a tight one-week window. For example, I had to prepare a presentation on the basics of competition law to be delivered as training to the employees of the company. At the same time, I was also responsible for reviewing four NDAs and preparing for a group project aimed at retaining young talent in the insurance industry.

To ensure I met deadlines, I created a comprehensive to-do list which included an amber signal, indicating which tasks were of high priority and which could be done later. I also spoke to my managers about which deadlines I should prioritise, based on which deliverables would ease their workloads if completed earlier. At the end of the day, I not only met the required deadlines but delivered earlier than expected. This led to positive feedback on my ability to stay organised in a corporate environment whilst considering the needs of the whole team.

So, you see, I’ve included an example and added the use of to-do lists but was still able to produce a strong answer.

Hope this helps! I’m sure @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu and @Ram Sabaratnam

 

[lawyersum]

Hey @lawyersum ,

This is a really good question, actually. And I totally agree with your point that adding a to-do list may appear rather straightforward and generic. The truth is, you can include that, but the way in which it won’t appear generic depends on the surrounding explanations/facts you provide. For example, a to-do list can be great as it allows you to stay accountable to your duties and responsibilities, ensuring that you meet deadlines or even deliver earlier than expected. It also allows you to focus on tasks based on priorities. For example, with easier tasks that you’ve already built skills for, you can complete them first, allowing for speedy assimilation and execution.

This question came up an insane number of times during interviews and assessment centres I attended. So, take some time with it as it’s really frequently asked. To be honest, because I answered it so many times, I already knew what I was going to say whenever I was asked. I used the same example and the STAR format. However, take caution here, I was once asked to give another example. Luckily, I knew my competencies and past experiences well, so I could easily provide an alternative.

The point I’m trying to make is, for general questions like this, have an example prepared, but be ready to adapt when asked for additional examples or put in a different scenario. This is an example of a response similar to one I once submitted:

Completing an eight-week legal internship at an insurance company, and being the only intern, I was fortunate enough to be given a variety of tasks and responsibilities. In one instance, I found myself juggling multiple deadlines within a tight one-week window. For example, I had to prepare a presentation on the basics of competition law to be delivered as training to the employees of the company. At the same time, I was also responsible for reviewing four NDAs and preparing for a group project aimed at retaining young talent in the insurance industry.

To ensure I met deadlines, I created a comprehensive to-do list which included an amber signal, indicating which tasks were of high priority and which could be done later. I also spoke to my managers about which deadlines I should prioritise, based on which deliverables would ease their workloads if completed earlier. At the end of the day, I not only met the required deadlines but delivered earlier than expected. This led to positive feedback on my ability to stay organised in a corporate environment whilst considering the needs of the whole team.

So, you see, I’ve included an example and added the use of to-do lists but was still able to produce a strong answer.

Hope this helps! I’m sure @Jessica Booker @Andrei Radu and @Ram Sabaratnam

Thanks Amma, it makes a lot more sense now

 

[Amma Usman]

Thanks Amma, it makes a lot more sense now

Amazing! Glad its helpful

 

[Amma Usman]

Hey everyone,

I had recently posted a Private Equity case study. I’ve left the floor open for discussions, so feel free to share your thoughts. I’ll be posting my thoughts on it by next Friday. Hope you find it useful…

Private Equity Case Study - OPEN ENGAGEMENT ENCOURAGED ;)

Hey TCLA Community! We’re back again with the mock case studies ;) This time around, I decided to take a different approach. I’ve included the case study below, and will leave the floor open for a couple of days so you can all provide your thoughts and ideas on the commercial and legal issues...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

 

[vr36]

Hi! Could someone grant me access to the premium database please! I purchased the gold membership on the 28th of November. Thanks in advance!

 

[Aadilah Khan]

If you send me a private message with proof of purchase, I can get this access sorted for you.

Dear Jessica,

I have purchased a premium membership yesterday and would be grateful if i am granted access to it.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Dear Jessica,

I have purchased a premium membership yesterday and would be grateful if i am granted access to it.

Hi there - please can you send me a private message with proof of purchase and I will action this for you at the earliest opportunity.

 

[bsh]

@Jaysen @Ram Sabaratnam @Jessica Booker, I wasn't sure if my private message was better suited here. I have signed up to Gold and am unable to book an onboarding call and don't yet have access to all resources. Do I need to do anything in particular to gain access / book calls? Please let me know!

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jaysen @Ram Sabaratnam @Jessica Booker, I wasn't sure if my private message was better suited here. I have signed up to Gold and am unable to book an onboarding call and don't yet have access to all resources. Do I need to do anything in particular to gain access / book calls? Please let me know!

I am just checking with the team regarding availability for onboarding calls and will come back to you as soon as possible with an update.

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

@Jaysen @Ram Sabaratnam @Jessica Booker, I wasn't sure if my private message was better suited here. I have signed up to Gold and am unable to book an onboarding call and don't yet have access to all resources. Do I need to do anything in particular to gain access / book calls? Please let me know!

Hi @bsh I've just DM'd you about this. Hope you're able to book that onboarding call!

 

[bsh]

I am just checking with the team regarding availability for onboarding calls and will come back to you as soon as possible with an update.

Thank you! Yes, please let me know.

 

[lawyersum]

hey guys, a firm i am applying to has 6 boxes in the work experience section, a further 750 word space for 'additional work experience' and then 5 boxes in the activities & achievements section. I certainly have many experiences to write about, but not enough to fill every box in every section. Just wanted thoughts on how it would look to the recruiter if every section's boxes were not fully used up (if that makes sense lol). Thank youuuuu