Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[AnnieK]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I am an international student and I wanted to know if magic circle firms like Linklaters and A&O sponsor visas for international trainees.

I've been looking at the visa process and it seems exorbitantly expensive otherwise!

Thanks!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I am an international student and I wanted to know if magic circle firms like Linklaters and A&O sponsor visas for international trainees.

I've been looking at the visa process and it seems exorbitantly expensive otherwise!

Thanks!

Yes - a lot of larger commercial firms will sponsor visas for training contracts.

This article provides some details of firms who do sponsor (towards the bottom):

Next City Lawyer

Next City Lawyer's free resources to help you get a training contract

nextcitylawyer.com

It won’t be a comprehensive list but will give you an indication of who sponsors.

 

[djqb]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I'd really appreciate your thoughts on the NQ job market for firms that don't run training contracts. For example, lots of US firms in London that don't run TCs but do have particularly large offices and practices.

How competitive is it to join these firms immediately upon qualification after completing a TC at a well established MC, US, SC, or Int'l Elite law firm in London? Thank you!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I'd really appreciate your thoughts on the NQ job market for firms that don't run training contracts. For example, lots of US firms in London that don't run TCs but do have particularly large offices and practices.

How competitive is it to join these firms immediately upon qualification after completing a TC at a well established MC, US, SC, or Int'l Elite law firm in London? Thank you!

It will undoubtedly be competitive still. There will be hundreds of NQs qualifying each year across those firms, with a decent proportion looking to move firm and lured by the salaries US firms can offer.

How competitive you are as applicant is going to depend on the seats your undertook, the type of work you did as a trainee and the relevancy to the type of work you would be doing at the US firm. If the US firm has a PE focus, you’ll going to need PE experience; if the US firm has a focus on tech clients, you’ll need experience with tech clients etc. The firm you trained at may also have some weighting (either fairly or unfairly so).

Do some stalking on LinkedIn and see where their current associate pool in London came from and work out roughly how many years PQE they were when they moved. This is going to give you a far better indication than I will to be honest.

 

[djqb]

Thank you for the insight Jessica!

 

[Ailsa I]

Hi there @Jessica Booker

I just wanted to ask a quick question about contacting graduate recruitment for updates on an application (I apologise if this has been answered elsewhere as I'm quite new to the forum!) I applied for insight schemes with both Simmons and Simmons and DLA Piper (second year Scot's Law student) which both run on the same dates and was offered a place with DLA yesterday, however I haven't heard back from Simmons after the final stage of their application process which occurred a couple of weeks ago (video interview, online tests and a written exercise.) I would possibly have a preference for the latter scheme, but DLA need me to accept my place by Monday at 5pm. I understand I'm in a really fortunate position, but I wanted to know whether it would be acceptable to contact Simmons asking for an update/when they will make their decisions and if so, if I should mention the other scheme being the reason behind my asking?

Thank you and I hope all that made sense!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi there @Jessica Booker

I just wanted to ask a quick question about contacting graduate recruitment for updates on an application (I apologise if this has been answered elsewhere as I'm quite new to the forum!) I applied for insight schemes with both Simmons and Simmons and DLA Piper (second year Scot's Law student) which both run on the same dates and was offered a place with DLA yesterday, however I haven't heard back from Simmons after the final stage of their application process which occurred a couple of weeks ago (video interview, online tests and a written exercise.) I would possibly have a preference for the latter scheme, but DLA need me to accept my place by Monday at 5pm. I understand I'm in a really fortunate position, but I wanted to know whether it would be acceptable to contact Simmons asking for an update/when they will make their decisions and if so, if I should mention the other scheme being the reason behind my asking?

Thank you and I hope all that made sense!

Yes - ok for you to contact them asking for an update by explaining you need to accept another offer by Monday.

You could also accept and then renege the DLA place if you did secure the Simmons place.

 

[Ailsa I]

Yes - ok for you to contact them asking for an update by explaining you need to accept another offer by Monday.

You could also accept and then renege the DLA place if you did secure the Simmons place.

Thank you so much - I didn't want to come across as just impatient for an answer ahah

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica! Thank you for answering our questions. I was just wondering if you knew whether some firms use computer programs to access virtual interviews, or if that isn't a practice in the legal industry. Also, in case a program isn't used, do recruiters normally only watch a selection of applicants' answers, or all of them? Thanks!

I haven't heard of many firms using AI to review or assess video interviews. The vast majority are done by person.

The main platform with AI built in that’s regularly used is HireVue. Others like Launchpad or Sonru haven’t got AI capabilities as far as I am aware. Even for this that use HireVue, doesn’t mean they are using the AI functionality - think it is rare for law firms to do this. If the AI is used all it does really is prioritise videos to review first - if you were invited to the next stage, your video is still reviewed by someone.

Firms will tend to review all aspects of a video interview. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if a candidate said something that was particularly poor judged that would make the recruiter stop from reviewing the rest of their answers, if it was something you couldn’t recover from (eg if a motivational answer just wasn’t strong enough and that was revised first).

 

[c0808]

I haven't heard of many firms using AI to review or assess video interviews. The vast majority are done by person.

The main platform with AI built in that’s regularly used is HireVue. Others like Launchpad or Sonru haven’t got AI capabilities as far as I am aware. Even for this that use HireVue, doesn’t mean they are using the AI functionality - think it is rare for law firms to do this. If the AI is used all it does really is prioritise videos to review first - if you were invited to the next stage, your video is still reviewed by someone.

Firms will tend to review all aspects of a video interview. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if a candidate said something that was particularly poor judged that would make the recruiter stop from reviewing the rest of their answers, if it was something you couldn’t recover from (eg if a motivational answer just wasn’t strong enough and that was revised first).

Thank you so much for all this information. As always very helpful!

 

[Deleted member 8227]

Hi Jessica, i was wondering if I was to withdraw my application before a decision is made and then reapply at the firms next TC deadline, would this be allowed? or would it count as applying within the same recruitment cycle? I know my application is bad and there is a lot more I could do to improve it and reapply. Thanks!

 

[Judefarah]

Hi Jessica, I studied Law in the UK and then successfully took the New York and California Bar whilst working at an immigration law firm and now a civil litigation law firm in the US. Based on my background and my NY & CA admissions/licenses, am I correct in thinking that as a TC candidate I would be most attractive to US law firms in London? What is in your opinion the best way to leverage this work experience and licenses to succeed in TC apps? Thanks a lot.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica, i was wondering if I was to withdraw my application before a decision is made and then reapply at the firms next TC deadline, would this be allowed? or would it count as applying within the same recruitment cycle? I know my application is bad and there is a lot more I could do to improve it and reapply. Thanks!

You are applying for the same vacancy/intake?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica, I studied Law in the UK and then successfully took the New York and California Bar whilst working at an immigration law firm and now a civil litigation law firm in the US. Based on my background and my NY & CA admissions/licenses, am I correct in thinking that as a TC candidate I would be most attractive to US law firms in London? What is in your opinion the best way to leverage this work experience and licenses to succeed in TC apps? Thanks a lot.

How long have you been working in the Us for?

 

[Judefarah]

How long have you been working in the Us for?

Since November 2019. But only very recently (this month) I have moved from the immigration law firm (Based in LA) to another boutique civil litigation firm.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Since November 2019. But only very recently (this month) I have moved from the immigration law firm (Based in LA) to another boutique civil litigation firm.

Ok. The trouble will be that many law firms (whether US or not) will not be willing to take you on a training contract as you are qualified in another jurisdiction. Others may be concerned that your level of experience may make you not suitable for a training contract. Some will be much more open minded though - you just need to spend some time finding them.

This all gets muddled though with the SQE coming in though as the qualification process for foreign qualified lawyers will become the same as a non foreign qualified lawyer.

Basically I don’t think it is a simple as the US firms will be more interested in your profile compared to the non US firms.

 

[LegalNim]

@Jessica Booker I have an AC tomorrow - and haven't been sent anything to access it. I kind of assumed they'd send a link or something. A few hours ago, I was speaking to someone on here and they're attending the same AC and have been sent a link and things so they can join. I've checked all my spam and junk and everything - there's nothing from them (they've also been super chaotic on other things so I'm not surprised). I emailed them and haven't heard back (presumably because it's out of hours). What should I do? I feel like an idiot for not chasing up sooner but I've sent six chase up emails to them already in the course of this application and I don't want them to hate me.

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker I have an AC tomorrow - and haven't been sent anything to access it. I kind of assumed they'd send a link or something. A few hours ago, I was speaking to someone on here and they're attending the same AC and have been sent a link and things so they can join. I've checked all my spam and junk and everything - there's nothing from them (they've also been super chaotic on other things so I'm not surprised). I emailed them and haven't heard back (presumably because it's out of hours). What should I do? I feel like an idiot for not chasing up sooner but I've sent six chase up emails to them already in the course of this application and I don't want them to hate me.

What time is the AC due to start?

 

[LegalNim]

What time is the AC due to start?

9.30am

 

[Jessica Booker]

9.30am

Ok. Go to bed now try to get a good nights sleep. Prepare in the morning as you would do normally but try to call from 8.30am onwards.

If you haven’t email them asking for the links already, also do that now in case they are picking up emails super early tomorrow morning.