Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica,

I have just heard back from a law firm regarding the next stage of their vac scheme. It is set to include a mark-up and timeline of events exercise and will be 90 mins. I was just wondering whether you had any advice on how to best prepare for these type of exercises or any good resources?
Thank you!

Have responded in the other thread - but you can see my response here:

Mark up exercise

 

[IntrepidL]

Hi Jessica, I was wondering if you might have any tips on how to prepare for Freshfields' case study interview? I read somewhere on the site that consultancy case studies might help.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica, I was wondering if you might have any tips on how to prepare for Freshfields' case study interview? I read somewhere on the site that consultancy case studies might help.

If the Freshfields' case study is the same as when I was there (eg. article from the FT/Economist) I am not convinced a consultancy case study would be helpful.

@Alice G - did you have an "article interview" or has the format changed?

Edit - have just checked their website and it seems it is still the format. Let me drag out some old posts as think I have answered this before.

Advice I have given elsewhere:

Article interview

• Read the instructions carefully.
• Prepare a summary of the article (and that summary should not be more than 2-3 sentences).
• Use specific evidence from the article to back up what you are saying. Also use any external knowledge/opinions.
• Don’t be afraid of giving an answer a go even if you aren’t sure. As long as you are clear you are not sure but you are trying to work it out/giving it a go, this will be better than saying “I don’t know”.
• Think about whether the companies/organisations mentioned in the article would be asking for advice on if they were clients of Freshfields.
• Check the date of the article. If it’s more than 6 months old, think about what might have changed since then

 

[IntrepidL]

Thank you, @Jessica Booker - really helpful! I was wondering whether the consultancy case studies might be useful for the written exercise, particularly if it is a mergers and acquisitions exercise?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you, @Jessica Booker - really helpful! I was wondering whether the consultancy case studies might be useful for the written exercise, particularly if it is a mergers and acquisitions exercise?

I don’t think the written exercise is a mergers and acquisitions exercise...

Even if it was, you are not being assessed on your knowledge of the topic, you are being assessed on your written skills (attention to detail/drafting etc). So again, I don’t think a consultancy case study would be useful.

As they say on their own website:

Written exercise
A lot of our work for clients is in writing so we want to see how you organise what you write, and how well you can spot key concepts and convey them to the reader.

 

[ZA]

Hi Jessica

I have an interview coming up which is competency based with some technical questions. The firm is best known for its health, real estate and insurance work. I've never had an interview with technical questions before. I'm going to go through the work experience I mentioned on my app and anything specific I've referred to and prepare for potential questions on it. I have done a law degree and the LPC this year and I'm a bit worried that they may ask anything at all when I can't remember every detail of my courses. How would you suggest that I prepare for this, and is there anywhere I could find a list of common technical questions for example?

Many thanks!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica

I have an interview coming up which is competency based with some technical questions. The firm is best known for its health, real estate and insurance work. I've never had an interview with technical questions before. I'm going to go through the work experience I mentioned on my app and anything specific I've referred to and prepare for potential questions on it. I have done a law degree and the LPC this year and I'm a bit worried that they may ask anything at all when I can't remember every detail of my courses. How would you suggest that I prepare for this, and is there anywhere I could find a list of common technical questions for example?

Many thanks!

Unfortunately there isn’t really a list of common technical questions - this could literally be anything.

You are taking a good approach of thinking of your experiences though and trying to anticipate the type of questions that may assess your legal knowledge related to your experiences, especially if there are any similarities to the type of work the law firm might do.

I very much doubt you are going to get asked technical questions about your degree or LPC though - it’s not like lawyers/recruiters keep up to date with modules and what’s being taught, and to be frank so very little of it applies to law on practice (particularly your degree).

There may be more firm specific advice on this forum or on sites like glassdoor though.

 

[dosblancos7]

This was common even before covid. Apply before the deadline with the information you have, explain what dates you will have your results on your application and if you have any predicted grades, provide them (not your predicted grades/expectations, but your university's).

Send your results via email when you have them if you cannot amend/update your application after submission.

Very reassuring, thank you!

 

[ZA]

Unfortunately there isn’t really a list of common technical questions - this could literally be anything.

You are taking a good approach of thinking of your experiences though and trying to anticipate the type of questions that may assess your legal knowledge related to your experiences, especially if there are any similarities to the type of work the law firm might do.

I very much doubt you are going to get asked technical questions about your degree or LPC though - it’s not like lawyers/recruiters keep up to date with modules and what’s being taught, and to be frank so very little of it applies to law on practice (particularly your degree).

There may be more firm specific advice on this forum or on sites like glassdoor though.

Thank you!

 

[Alice G]

If the Freshfields' case study is the same as when I was there (eg. article from the FT/Economist) I am not convinced a consultancy case study would be helpful.

@Alice G - did you have an "article interview" or has the format changed?

Edit - have just checked their website and it seems it is still the format. Let me drag out some old posts as think I have answered this before.

Advice I have given elsewhere:

Article interview

• Read the instructions carefully.
• Prepare a summary of the article (and that summary should not be more than 2-3 sentences).
• Use specific evidence from the article to back up what you are saying. Also use any external knowledge/opinions.
• Don’t be afraid of giving an answer a go even if you aren’t sure. As long as you are clear you are not sure but you are trying to work it out/giving it a go, this will be better than saying “I don’t know”.
• Think about whether the companies/organisations mentioned in the article would be asking for advice on if they were clients of Freshfields.
• Check the date of the article. If it’s more than 6 months old, think about what might have changed since then

Sorry I’ve only just seen this! Yes, can confirm it was an article still for me this year

 

[Mo M]

Hi

I was wondering if you could give me some advice.

I am currently a full-time paralegal on furlough. I will be completing my LPC this year, I have studied it part time alongside my job. I was offered a training contract with my firm to start in November but it is incredibly niche and not an area I am interested in at all after 2 years of practice. I took the job initially to get legal experience and help fund my LPC. I have always had an interest in commercial law, have run my own businesses alongside my current paralegal role and took heavily commercial based modules in my LPC and undergrad.

I applied to firms in second and third year undergrad and got final interviews for Walker Morris, Howes Percival, video interview to Mischon and a couple of other places. However, looking back I think I was too young and didn't fully understand or quite grasp commercial awareness. Whilst working and LPC, I was too occupied to apply for other firms but now I wish I had.

I am in a predicament, I do not know whether to leave my role and focus full time this year on vac scheme applications to firms as I feel like I am a much stronger applicant now and further understand why I want to focus on commercial firms. This would mean leaving a TC. However, I feel as if my A Levels -ABC hinder my ability to apply. Realistically how much of a chance would firms like BCLP, RPC and other big commercials look at my application. I know I can't apply for Clifford Chance etc as they want AAB only, but would I be wasting my time looking at firms like Freshfields, BCLP who say they have no minimum requirements? I do not know how much of a hinderance my A levels are, obviously leaving my TC will be a risk and I am trying to weigh up my options. I got a 2.1 from a russell group and given I pass my last 2 exams, I will get a distinction in my LPC

Thank you so much

 

[Jen E C]

Sorry in advance if it's been asked about endlessly, but has the post on virtual vac schemes been released yet? Just in case I missed it

 

[Jessica Booker]

Sorry in advance if it's been asked about endlessly, but has the post on virtual vac schemes been released yet? Just in case I missed it

not yet! Need some patience on this as have been kept busy on other things, and particularly posts and PMs on here.

Hope to have it with you later today/tomorrow, but it will DEFINITELY be done ahead of Monday when I know several schemes start.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi

I was wondering if you could give me some advice.

I am currently a full-time paralegal on furlough. I will be completing my LPC this year, I have studied it part time alongside my job. I was offered a training contract with my firm to start in November but it is incredibly niche and not an area I am interested in at all after 2 years of practice. I took the job initially to get legal experience and help fund my LPC. I have always had an interest in commercial law, have run my own businesses alongside my current paralegal role and took heavily commercial based modules in my LPC and undergrad.

I applied to firms in second and third year undergrad and got final interviews for Walker Morris, Howes Percival, video interview to Mischon and a couple of other places. However, looking back I think I was too young and didn't fully understand or quite grasp commercial awareness. Whilst working and LPC, I was too occupied to apply for other firms but now I wish I had.

I am in a predicament, I do not know whether to leave my role and focus full time this year on vac scheme applications to firms as I feel like I am a much stronger applicant now and further understand why I want to focus on commercial firms. This would mean leaving a TC. However, I feel as if my A Levels -ABC hinder my ability to apply. Realistically how much of a chance would firms like BCLP, RPC and other big commercials look at my application. I know I can't apply for Clifford Chance etc as they want AAB only, but would I be wasting my time looking at firms like Freshfields, BCLP who say they have no minimum requirements? I do not know how much of a hinderance my A levels are, obviously leaving my TC will be a risk and I am trying to weigh up my options. I got a 2.1 from a russell group and given I pass my last 2 exams, I will get a distinction in my LPC

Thank you so much

Unfortunately I don’t know if BCLP/RPC have A-level requirements or not. If they do, your chances with them will be just the same as a Clifford Chance.

For firms who don’t have A-level requirements, it depends on the strength of your other academics and the rest of your application. A 2.1 is a pretty broad spectrum of results, which could also include fails in modules. Therefore it depends what your individual module look like. If they are strong and consistent, then firms with no A-level requirement will look at those far more closely than your A-level grades.

One big issue will be why are you willing to wait 2-3 years to even start a TC when you could qualify in that time? You will need strong logic and reason for doing so.

 

[Mo M]

Unfortunately I don’t know if BCLP/RPC have A-level requirements or not. If they do, your chances with them will be just the same as a Clifford Chance.

For firms who don’t have A-level requirements, it depends on the strength of your other academics and the rest of your application. A 2.1 is a pretty broad spectrum of results, which could also include fails in modules. Therefore it depends what your individual module look like. If they are strong and consistent, then firms with no A-level requirement will look at those far more closely than your A-level grades.

One big issue will be why are you willing to wait 2-3 years to even start a TC when you could qualify in that time? You will need strong logic and reason for doing so.

My current firm is just incredibly niche and only does defendant RTA work, for my TC I will be doing exactly what I do as a paralegal and qualify in 18 months as my experience cuts my TC short. I am afraid this will pigeon hole me completely as I will not even experience any single other seat and I don't particularly enjoy the area of law of they specialise in. So I've started to just explore my options again.

Thank you for your help Jess

 

[CL-BD]

Hi,

What are partners/grad recruit looking for in candidates who deliver pre-prepared presentations at ACs?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi,

What are partners/grad recruit looking for in candidates who deliver pre-prepared presentations at ACs?

what’s the subject?

 

[Jessica Booker]

My current firm is just incredibly niche and only does defendant RTA work, for my TC I will be doing exactly what I do as a paralegal and qualify in 18 months as my experience cuts my TC short. I am afraid this will pigeon hole me completely as I will not even experience any single other seat and I don't particularly enjoy the area of law of they specialise in. So I've started to just explore my options again.

Thank you for your help Jess

then consider turning down your TC. You can only qualify once.

You may want to track down other people who have worked for your current firm and see if any of them have been able to transition to the type of work you are looking for.

 

[CL-BD]

what’s the subject?

An issue affecting the legal sector and firm. I've opted for legal technology.

 

[Jen E C]

not yet! Need some patience on this as have been kept busy on other things, and particularly posts and PMs on here.

Hope to have it with you later today/tomorrow, but it will DEFINITELY be done ahead of Monday when I know several schemes start.

Really appreciate it!