Ask me anything: Latham & Watkins trainee

[Jaysen]

Hey all - I'm happy to say we've got a bunch of trainees who've offered their time for this week!

Nicole Shroff will be joining shortly to answer your questions. She's a trainee at Latham & Watkins and has just started in her fourth seat (debt capital markets).

To kick us off, Nicole - can you tell us a bit about yourself and your path to Latham?

 

[Campbell44]

Awesome that you've got a Clifford Chance (future) trainee and a Latham & Watkins trainee! Hi Nicole - thanks very much for sharing your time. Can I ask - why did you choose a US firm over a magic circle (if it was a choice)?

 

[Sofia]

Hi Nicole. It's so good to have a Latham & Watkins trainee here, I went to your open day last year and loved it . I have a few friends at US firms and they said the learning is quite tough but really good for your growth. Was there a point as a trainee when things just clicked and it became easier, or does it mostly feel like an uphill battle? Thank you!

 

[EllenH]

Hi! I've been meaning to speak to a Latham & Watkins trainee for some time . What would you say makes Latham different to other corporate heavy US firms?

 

[Nicole Shroff]

Hi all.

Jaysen and I studied law together at LSE. I was fortunate enough to get my TC in my second year of university. From the outset, I didn't have a clear idea as to the type of work I wanted to do and consequently what firm was right for me. Applying for vac schemes at a number of different sized firms was useful in helping me decide.

Following completing the LPC, I began my TC in the Project Finance department and went on to complete seats in Corporate and Banking. I've now started my fourth seat in DCM. I did my level best to avoid Litigation as I seemed to like transactional seats (which may not have been the smartest idea as I'll need to begin prepping for the Litigation course).

Appreciate that's all quite dull! The work (as with most large city firms) can be quite demanding and didn't leave a lot of room over these past two years to be a well rounded person beyond the bubble of law. I'm looking forward to putting away the blackberry come quali leave this August!

 

[Nicole Shroff]

Awesome that you've got a CC (future) trainee and a Latham trainee! Hi Nicole - thanks very much for sharing your time. Can I ask - why did you choose a US firm over a magic circle (if it was a choice)?

Hi! I did a number of vac schemes during the summer, some at magical circle. I realised pretty fast that I didn't want to be a face in a sea of people with an intake so large. I liked that US firms offered a model for greater responsibility earlier on (which was facilitated by much smaller intakes), where you could really get stuck in to some meatier tasks. I think magic circle firms have a more formal training process in place however, their US counterparts like Latham & Watkins are now implementing a similar approach. I liked the idea of getting to know everyone in my intake, the job security of being in a smaller intake and the general opportunity to get my hands on some of the less menial trainee tasks.

 

[Nicole Shroff]

Hi Nicole. It's so good to have a Latham & Watkins trainee here, I went to your open day last year and loved it . I have a few friends at US firms and they said the learning is quite tough but really good for your growth. Was there a point as a trainee when things just clicked and it became easier, or does it mostly feel like an uphill battle? Thank you!

Hi Sofia. I think that's a generally fair observation. I too found the learning curb quite steap and now having entered a new department it does feel a lot like starting from scratch. I can only speak for myself but I think being a trainee becomes easier as you develop skill sets that you can apply to any seat (organisational, project management, drafting skills ect.) What doesn't change is the lack of industry specific / market knowledge that we as trainees generally lack when coming into a new seat. Latham & Watkins was great in throwing me into the deep end and whilst at the time it was daunting, I feel all the more competent for it now in my last rotation.

 

[Salma]

Hi Nicole!

Thank you for taking your time out answering questions.

I was fortunate to be invited for an AC at Lathams (first ever one so nerves were sky high). Unfortunately, I did not get a place on the spring vacation scheme and the feedback the HR team offered was very helpful, they also encouraged me to reapply! I was just wondering if you know of any trainee/future trainee who was rejected the first time they applied and subsequently obtained a TC? I am also worried because I do not know how to change my application answers for the next vacation scheme cycle (if I do not get a TC by then), thoughts on this?

Thanks,

Selma

 

[aaron22]

Hey Nicole, can I ask how are your hours?

 

[jess889]

Hi all.

Jaysen and I studied law together at LSE. I was fortunate enough to get my TC in my second year of university. From the outset, I didn't have a clear idea as to the type of work I wanted to do and consequently what firm was right for me. Applying for vac schemes at a number of different sized firms was useful in helping me decide.

Following completing the LPC, I began my TC in the Project Finance department and went on to complete seats in Corporate and Banking. I've now started my fourth seat in DCM. I did my level best to avoid Litigation as I seemed to like transactional seats (which may not have been the smartest idea as I'll need to begin prepping for the Litigation course).

Appreciate that's all quite dull! The work (as with most large city firms) can be quite demanding and didn't leave a lot of room over these past two years to be a well rounded person beyond the bubble of law. I'm looking forward to putting away the blackberry come quali leave this August!

Hey Nicole thanks for doing this and for your honesty! Do you mind if I ask what you mean about not getting a chance to be a well-rounded person? Sorry if that's too personal!

 

[Nicole Shroff]

Hi Nicole!

Thank you for taking your time out answering questions.

I was fortunate to be invited for an AC at Lathams (first ever one so nerves were sky high). Unfortunately, I did not get a place on the spring vacation scheme and the feedback the HR team offered was very helpful, they also encouraged me to reapply! I was just wondering if you know of any trainee/future trainee who was rejected the first time they applied and subsequently obtained a TC? I am also worried because I do not know how to change my application answers for the next vacation scheme cycle (if I do not get a TC by then), thoughts on this?

Thanks,

Selma

Hi Selma! I know many people in my intake and trainees at other firms who faced rejection in their first round of applications.I wouldn't let that dissuade you. I can't speak for graduate recruitment, but I think they would be looking to see how you have grown since your last application i.e. whether your opinions have evolved, whether your interests have changed and perhaps an application which has a better understanding of the market. I don't think your answers need to be radically different. That being said, I would advise you to change them sufficiently to demonstrate that you have thought about the application sufficiently and can bring something new to the table to stand out (easier said than done I know!). Sorry if that was a very wooly response!

 

[Nicole Shroff]

Hey Nicole, can I ask how are your hours?

Hi Aaron. The hours can be long as with most large city firms. It does depend on the department you choose and the time of year. The run-up to Christmas is always a busy time. Corporate and Banking are two departments where the hours tend to be longer as the deal timelines are much shorter. That being said, there are peaks and troughs and you get some downtime in between deals.

 

[aaron22]

Hi Aaron. The hours can be long as with most large city firms. It does depend on the department you choose and the time of year. The run-up to Christmas is always a busy time. Corporate and Banking are two departments where the hours tend to be longer as the deal timelines are much shorter. That being said, there are peaks and troughs and you get some downtime in between deals.

Hey thanks for getting back to me. What would you say are your typical hours at the moment?

 

[Salma]

Hi Selma! I know many people in my intake and trainees at other firms who faced rejection in their first round of applications.I wouldn't let that dissuade you. I can't speak for graduate recruitment, but I think they would be looking to see how you have grown since your last application i.e. whether your opinions have evolved, whether your interests have changed and perhaps an application which has a better understanding of the market. I don't think your answers need to be radically different. That being said, I would advise you to change them sufficiently to demonstrate that you have thought about the application sufficiently and can bring something new to the table to stand out (easier said than done I know!). Sorry if that was a very wooly response!

Hi Nicole,

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly and for your helpful advice, not a wooly response at all! Great, I think I will work on building upon my experience and other law firm applications.