Ask Jaysen (TCLA's Founder) Anything!

[Jaysen]

Hi Jeysen,

I hope you are well, and thank you for taking the time answer questions!
I came across a question on a TC application recently and it threw me off. It asked something along the lines of 'Give an example of a time when you have broken the rules, and explain why'. I'm not really sure if it's a bit of a trick question or how to go about answering it.

It would also be great to hear your insight as to how Covid-19 might impact law firms overall.

Thank you!

I'd interpret challenging competency questions like these fairly broadly; it's not easy to think of a time when you broke a specific written rule, but you might be able to think of a situation where you disobeyed what you should have done. If it helps, you might want to think of situations where you had to do something different to what you 'should' have done (and then retrospectively, try to work out what the rule was).

For example, one that comes to mind for me was during my first vacation scheme, when we were supposed to attend a lunch with partners from different departments. I had already promised an associate I would submit some work, so when an associate told me to leave the work and go to the lunch, I stood by my decision that I couldn't. I would class this as 'breaking the rules'. It's hard to know how strictly recruiters will lenient recruiters are with these questions, but I'd like to think they'd be flexible to answers to this kind of challenging question.

I'll come back to your question on Covid-19 in the future. It's so uncertain right now that I can't really give a well-informed opinion on this!

 

[Jaysen]

to jump in on this one....

something is never too old. It might become less relevant or important though to you, as you may feel that you have more recent experiences that super-seed it. I have seen relevant experiences that are over 10 years old on applications and it was right/appropriate to include them.

I was about to pass this on to you, so thank you!

 

[Angiee]

That's an unusual question! So with questions like this, I'd start from scratch, rather than thinking about how you'd answer a similar question (like 'what skills do you have that will make you a good trainee?'). Otherwise your answer is likely to be less focused.

As a starting point, I'd try to think about the different ways a trainee could add to a 'firm's growth'. This is quite broad; it could be anything from supporting associates/partners in a deal to language skills. When tying these in to a firm's growth, try to consider what causes a firm to grow (e.g. securing new clients/increasing work from existing clients/improving a firm's reputation/expanding into new markets etc.).

You can then think about what specific skills you have that could aid a firm's growth. Think about what your USPs are here: Are you innovative? What specific communication skills do you have and how would this help a firm?

Finally, it's important not to forget that we want to use this as an opportunity to show off our knowledge of Reed Smith. So, to inform your answer, we want to think about what kind of firm Reed Smith is and what it tends to invest in at the moment. This can then ensure your answers are specifically tailored to the firm.

Thank you Jaysen, I really appreciate it

 

[Angiee]

Hi, Jaysen to ask you a further question if I may!

Are the questions 'What inspires you most about X firms work' and 'Why do you want to undertake the work X firm does' essentially the same question and would have similar approaches? I am increasingly aware that law firms have high standards so I really do not wish to misinterpret questions.

For why do you want to undertake the work X firm does:
- I know to talk about things such as specific clients/ multijurisdictional nature/ if the firm has niche practices/ range of work
But would I include say Pro Bono work in this or would this be more for 'what inspires you' question?

I hope this makes sense and I am not over thinking!

Thank you!

 

[atrumregina]

Hi Jaysen,

Thank you for this great opportunity! I have 3 questions:

1. How do you become a stand-out candidate? I often find myself being labelled good but not great so what would be the top tips to improve skills and stand out and how to sell them?

2. How do you structure the question "what story have you been following on the press and how does it impact the legal profession/world"? I understand that reading the news helps but I struggle connecting stories to the legal world and the legal profession in general.

3. How would someone find what a recruiter in a firm is looking for? Most of them just want good academic background and entrepreneurial spirit - how can someone be entrepreneurial and how to find the other qualities required by each firm?

Thank you for all the great work so far and I am looking forward to the answers.

 

[Jaysen]

Thanks guys, will be back in a bit to respond to the latest questions!

 

[YasminSE]

Hi Jaysen!

First of all, thank you for creating this thread, it's very insightful.

I have an upcoming assessment centre (for a solicitor apprentice position but the application process isn't much different from TC applications), if you could give any tips on partner interviews, group and written exercises I'd be very grateful.

In addition to this, how can I stand out amongst other shortlisted candidates during the assessment centre, I really want the position!

I also feel I somewhat struggle with connecting commercial awareness with the legal industry, so if you have any advice with that to help me excel, I'd very much appreciate it.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Giulia]

Hi Jaysen, thank you for making time to respond to us.

My question is: what are the key challenges for in-house legal teams compared with private practice law firms, and more specifically, do you think that the COVID-19 situation is further accentuating such differences?

Looking forward to reading your response,
Giulia x

 

[Jaysen]

Hi Jaysen,

What are some of the ways you can demonstrate that you are 'globally minded' in a cover letter?

Thank you.

I'd first ask why you are looking to demonstrate this in your cover letter?

 

[Jaysen]

Hi Jaysen! First off, I just wanted to thank you for creating this wonderful site. It helped me invaluably in securing an MC vac scheme for the first time ever in three rounds of applications.

I’ve read your guide on how to convert a VS to that all-important training contract, and have also read much of the other advice about doing so on other websites/in Jake Schogger’s book.

Since this VS looks overwhelmingly likely to be taking place online/virtually thanks to Covid, I was wondering if you had extra advice/ideas on how to approach a virtual/online internship and successfully convert it - advice that is only really specific to online vac schemes? Thank you so much!

Great question!

This is tricky as I'm not too sure how exactly law firms are structuring their virtual vacation schemes. If you have an upcoming vacation scheme and they've provided an idea of what to expect, let me know and I can better tailor my advice.

In the meantime, I would say the bulk of my existing advice on vacation schemes still apply: be enthusiastic, diligent in your work, exceptionally prepared and personable. Happy to expand on general vacation scheme advice if you'd like.

Based on the experiences @Alice G and I have had running our Virtual Training Programme, I would also consider a few things that are of note in a virtual environment (which you wouldn't necessarily consider normally):

• Be early to sessions (you can wait in the virtual waiting room if need be).
• Make sure your webcam/microphone is set up and tested in advance.
• If you've never used virtual meetings before, test something like Zoom out with friends/family so you're not using it for the first time during the scheme.
• Introduce yourself when you join the session (judge this by the event you're in, but we definitely remembered the candidates who did this).
• If in a group, refer to the other candidates by their names (it tends to be easier not to in a virtual environment).
• Consider your posture and webcam set-up (make sure you're set up so you're maintaining eye contact with the camera).
• Smile! Everyone feels very nervous on camera, but smiling can help to ease the tension.
• If in a group with other candidates, make sure you're 100% engaged throughout the session and make a point to ask questions/participate. It's easy to sit back when in virtual group sessions, so participation is an easy way to make sure you stand out.

@Alice G - you may also have additional points to add here?

Finally, @Jessica Booker is going to be sharing some thoughts on how to approach virtual assessment centres soon - will link it when it's ready!

 

[Jaysen]

Hi Jaysen

Thanks for this thread and all the good work you do on TCLA.

I am currently applying for a training contract at White & Case, and one of the things I want to mention as a reason for my interest is their growth strategy. I think they pursued organic growth under their 2020 vision which, despite resulting in a drop in their London revenue last year, is serving them quite well right now - they are one of the few firms that have not announced (not even internally - I heard from a friend there) any salary cuts or layoffs in response to the ongoing pandemic. However, I am cautious that I do not want to seem like I am just regurgitating information.

Do you have any tips on how to frame a firm's business strategy as a reason for your interest?

Thanks Eyo!

I like your thinking here, I'd just take some time to think honestly about why this is something that stood out to you: What does it mean to you that a firm has a clear and committed growth strategy? Why is it important to you that they are one of the few firms that aren't cutting salaries or announcing layoffs? What does this tell you about White & Case's financial position, confidence in its future growth and commitment to its employees?

The best answers to this are personal, which is why I often find it's better to prompt with questions than share my own thoughts.

 

[Jaysen]

Hi, Jaysen to ask you a further question if I may!

Are the questions 'What inspires you most about X firms work' and 'Why do you want to undertake the work X firm does' essentially the same question and would have similar approaches? I am increasingly aware that law firms have high standards so I really do not wish to misinterpret questions.

For why do you want to undertake the work X firm does:
- I know to talk about things such as specific clients/ multijurisdictional nature/ if the firm has niche practices/ range of work
But would I include say Pro Bono work in this or would this be more for 'what inspires you' question?

I hope this makes sense and I am not over thinking!

Thank you!

I'm assuming this is an interview question as I don't think I've seen an application question on this. If so, there's a fair amount of flexibility for you to take this question in the direction you want to. They could have similar approaches, or they could be different (e.g. you might interpret the first one to be a more general question about what's inspiring about a firm's work, whereas the second question might focus on why you find the specific type of work interesting). There isn't one 'right' answer here, so I wouldn't worry too much; if a firm wants you to clarify your answer, they'll just ask you a follow-up question.

Personally, for a question like 'why do you want to undertake the work X firm does', I'd try to understand what is the focus of their work and why you find that work interesting. For example, if it's a transactional-focused firm, you might think about why transactional work appeals to you.

As you mentioned, you can also go broader: I like the points about specific clients/international work/range of work. Pro bono could also be mentioned here, but I'd keep this as a minor, additional point.

 

[Jean]

to jump in on this one....

something is never too old. It might become less relevant or important though to you, as you may feel that you have more recent experiences that super-seed it. I have seen relevant experiences that are over 10 years old on applications and it was right/appropriate to include them.

Thanks Jessica!

 

[Jaysen]

Hi Jaysen, thank you for creating this great platform-it has been extremely helpful! I have a question around your student-life. It can be easy to get distracted by student-life within university itself-now more than ever. How did you increase productivity and make sure you were using your time wisely-without 'wasting your university years'?

No problem!

I think the 'wasting your university years' point is quite individual; it would depend on what's important to you to do at university and the number of things you're balancing your activities with. I'm not sure I have anything useful to say here, so @Alice G may have some better thoughts on this!

I have learned a fair few things about productivity/making the most of time since starting TCLA, mostly because there are a lot of things I could be doing and I've had to prioritise. One is that I used to measure how hard I had worked by the number of hours I had done. This isn't a great metric because I could spend 'hours' being unfocused/distracted. What I care about now is quality time; when I work, I often set a timer and for the duration of that time, I'm reminded to focus only on the work I'm trying to do, rather than trying to multitask or allowing myself to get distracted. By doing this, I often get far more done in a few hours than I used to over the course of a day. You might also find it helpful to work out when you're most productive (e.g. mornings) and dedicating that time to the most important work you need to do.

 

[Alice G]

Great question!

This is tricky as I'm not too sure how exactly law firms are structuring their virtual vacation schemes. If you have an upcoming vacation scheme and they've provided an idea of what to expect, let me know and I can better tailor my advice.

In the meantime, I would say the bulk of my existing advice on vacation schemes still apply: be enthusiastic, diligent in your work, exceptionally prepared and personable. Happy to expand on general vacation scheme advice if you'd like.

Based on the experiences @Alice G and I have had running our Virtual Training Programme, I would also consider a few things that are of note in a virtual environment (which you wouldn't necessarily consider normally):

• Be early to sessions (you can wait in the virtual waiting room if need be).
• Make sure your webcam/microphone is set up and tested in advance.
• If you've never used virtual meetings before, test something like Zoom out with friends/family so you're not using it for the first time during the scheme.
• Introduce yourself when you join the session (judge this by the event you're in, but we definitely remembered the candidates who did this).
• If in a group, refer to the other candidates by their names (it tends to be easier not to in a virtual environment).
• Consider your posture and webcam set-up (make sure you're set up so you're maintaining eye contact with the camera).
• Smile! Everyone feels very nervous on camera, but smiling can help to ease the tension.
• If in a group with other candidates, make sure you're 100% engaged throughout the session and make a point to ask questions/participate. It's easy to sit back when in virtual group sessions, so participation is an easy way to make sure you stand out.

@Alice G - you may also have additional points to add here?

Finally, @Jessica Booker is going to be sharing some thoughts on how to approach virtual assessment centres soon - will link it when it's ready!

Fantastic advice! only thing I can think to add is in a group, it can be really strong to say 'that was a really good point (insert name), just to build on that further'... because it can make you come across as a truly collaborative team player if you can congratulate a teammate on their point. And, if you are refuting a point, you might say 'I can absolutely appreciate where you are coming from, but I think there is the argument that...'. Basically just choose your words and phrases really carefully to show you are courteous and respectful as it can be easy to get caught up in a debate when things are moving quickly and when it can be hard to jump in with points.

 

[Alice G]

No problem!

I think the 'wasting your university years' point is quite individual; it would depend on what's important to you to do at university and the number of things you're balancing your activities with. I'm not sure I have anything useful to say here, so @Alice G may have some better thoughts on this!

I have learned a fair few things about productivity/making the most of time since starting TCLA, mostly because there are a lot of things I could be doing and I've had to prioritise. One is that I used to measure how hard I had worked by the number of hours I had done. This isn't a great metric because I could spend 'hours' being unfocused/distracted. What I care about now is quality time; when I work, I often set a timer and for the duration of that time, I'm reminded to focus only on the work I'm trying to do, rather than trying to multitask or allowing myself to get distracted. By doing this, I often get far more done in a few hours than I used to over the course of a day. You might also find it helpful to work out when you're most productive (e.g. mornings) and dedicating that time to the most important work you need to do.

This is an interesting question @Salma Asghar, would you be able to explain a little more about what you mean in wasting university years? Do you mean being able to balance extracurriculars, academics, work and friends?

 

[relentlesspursuit]

Thanks Eyo!

I like your thinking here, I'd just take some time to think honestly about why this is something that stood out to you: What does it mean to you that a firm has a clear and committed growth strategy? Why is it important to you that they are one of the few firms that aren't cutting salaries or announcing layoffs? What does this tell you about White & Case's financial position, confidence in its future growth and commitment to its employees?

The best answers to this are personal, which is why I often find it's better to prompt with questions than share my own thoughts.

This is useful. Thanks a lot, Jaysen.

 

[Jaysen]

Hi Jaysen,

Thank you for this great opportunity! I have 3 questions:

1. How do you become a stand-out candidate? I often find myself being labelled good but not great so what would be the top tips to improve skills and stand out and how to sell them?

2. How do you structure the question "what story have you been following on the press and how does it impact the legal profession/world"? I understand that reading the news helps but I struggle connecting stories to the legal world and the legal profession in general.

3. How would someone find what a recruiter in a firm is looking for? Most of them just want good academic background and entrepreneurial spirit - how can someone be entrepreneurial and how to find the other qualities required by each firm?

Thank you for all the great work so far and I am looking forward to the answers.

1.

During our sessions, the candidates that stand out to me come across as exceptionally prepared. Take commercial awareness for instance, I think most candidates learn what they need to know (e.g. they'll follow 2-3 stories and read up on M&A terms) and that'll be enough for some firms. The stand-out candidates (the ones I see who receive multiple training contract offers) have been building up their knowledge for some time because they have a genuine interest in this area and they've put the time in. In their answers to their questions, they show a fundamental understanding of how businesses work and can draw from a variety of examples to back up their points.

These candidates also come across as genuine in their motivations. When they answer questions in an interview setting, they're not focused on giving answers they imagine the interviewer wants to hear. They've really thought about what makes a firm different, why they want to work at a particular firm, and why they want to be a commercial lawyer. Because they've thought a lot about it, their answers come across as unique and tailored to their aspirations/background, rather than sounding like many other candidates.

They've also thought about what makes them unique and aren't afraid to discuss how hard they've worked when discussing their experiences. Often I find some of the most memorable candidates also draw upon the journey they've had to back up their strengths/answer competencies.

Finally, they come across as personable. Because these candidates are so well prepared, they come across as confident, but not arrogant, in their opinions. They're able to get out of 'interview mode' and make the interview feel more like a dialogue (although this is partly dependent on the interviewer).

These are just a few things that I'd say makes a candidate stand out during our mock interviews/virtual training programme. I'd also note that candidates never began as 'stand-out', some were naturally stronger in some areas than others, but often they became exceptional having been through the process for some time, faced rejection, and picked themselves back up.

There's also a huge element of luck involved which I haven't touched on here.

2.

It's completely up to you how you want to structure your answer, they key is to make sure you're communicating your story in a clear, concise and relevant way.

Connecting business news stories is definitely not that easy and something that takes time to understand. It really comes down to understanding what commercial law firms/lawyers do; if you understand that, you can connect almost any business news story to the legal profession (although some links will be more tenuous than others).

On a very basic level, just keep in mind that commercial lawyers are in the service business; clients pay lawyers to provide legal services/advice. The USP of commercial lawyers is that they know/interpret what the law says on a particular issue and can support clients (typically businesses) on how to respond accordingly. This can range from drafting and negotiating documents to best represent a client's interests, to advising a client on how it can protect itself from changes in the law.

As we get a bit deeper, you can see how certain stories might impact commercial law firms on a general level. If there's an event and businesses have to cut back on spending or put on hold projects, this might have a knock on effect on how busy certain legal departments are.

Ideally, you want to go even deeper than this, which depends on the news story you are discussing. You might think about how a story might impact the nature of the legal services commercial law firms must provide, or how law firms need to adapt to a situation in order to stay competitive. You can also zoom into the impact on a particular department or geography.

You might find it helpful to go through our monthly commercial write-ups here: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....-awareness-update-april-2020.2292/#post-27373 to see how our writers have connected stories to the impact on law firms.

3.

@Jessica Booker might be best placed to help on this one.

 

[labibah]

Hi Jaysen ,

1) how would you answer
As a legal advisor you will spend time reviewing documents. Describe a time when you’ve had to analyse information, data or details to provide recommendations or solutions. How did you go about the task, and what was the outcome?

2) can you give an example of when legal advisers do this?

 

[Raza]

Good Afterno Jaysen,

Please can you help understand this question and what are the 3 topics to cover?

In a competitive legal market, how do you think we as a law firm remains successful and attractive to clients without compromising on profitability?

There are many complex issues which may feed into this answer, but we would like you to focus on your top three priorities.

Thank you for your help