Ask Shearman & Sterling Anything!

[Paul - Shearman & Sterling]

Hi Paul,

Thank you very much for your clarification.

I noticed on the Shearman & Sterling Legal Cheek profile that none of the current trainees have attended international universities.

Does the fact that I am not pursuing an undergraduate degree in the UK put me at a disadvantage? I am a final-year Sciences Po Paris student currently on exchange at the LSE for this academic year.

Thank you again for all your insights!

All the best,
Nour

Hi,

You're at no disadvantage if you are studying at a non-UK university.

Most of our trainees have studied their undergraduate degree in the UK, but that's not part of our recruitment criteria.

I hope that explains.

Thanks,

Paul

 

[Arthur Feitosa]

Hi Paul and Alexandra,

I am a Brazilian qualified lawyer, 25 yo, currently a candidate the LLM in International Business Law at Queen Mary University of London.

I completed my LLB and qualified as a lawyer in Brazil in 2018 and started the LLM in September/2019. I am currently trying to get into the UK legal market, but I cannot seem to find any information for people in my situation, even in law firms' events.

I am hoping you could help me sort this out:

My Visa is due in Jan/2021, and by now most law firms are only accepting training contract applications for 2022. Would I be able to apply and be sponsored a Tier 2 Visa from 2021 to 2022 in the event I got the contract?

Moreover, realistically what are the chances of being hired as a trainee having done my undergrad overseas (I graduated with a grade equivalent to first-class), already being a qualified lawyer and having worked 2,5 years in a law firm (2 years as an intern and 6 months as a trainee) and 1 year as an in-house lawyer?

Thanks for everything in advance

Kind regards,

Arthur Feitosa

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Paul and Alexandra,

I am a Brazilian qualified lawyer, 25 yo, currently a candidate the LLM in International Business Law at Queen Mary University of London.

I completed my LLB and qualified as a lawyer in Brazil in 2018 and started the LLM in September/2019. I am currently trying to get into the UK legal market, but I cannot seem to find any information for people in my situation, even in law firms' events.

I am hoping you could help me sort this out:

My Visa is due in Jan/2021, and by now most law firms are only accepting training contract applications for 2022. Would I be able to apply and be sponsored a Tier 2 Visa from 2021 to 2022 in the event I got the contract?

Moreover, realistically what are the chances of being hired as a trainee having done my undergrad overseas (I graduated with a grade equivalent to first-class), already being a qualified lawyer and having worked 2,5 years in a law firm (2 years as an intern and 6 months as a trainee) and 1 year as an in-house lawyer?

Thanks for everything in advance

Kind regards,

Arthur Feitosa

I’ll PM you about this to cover the non-Shearman and Sterling potential answers

 

[Paul - Shearman & Sterling]

Hi everyone,

Well, it's a pretty uncertain time right now. For anyone currently in the middle of the recruitment process, don't panic.

Although law firms won't have all the answers you want right now, recruitment will continue, just at a later time.

As most firms are recruiting well in advance, typically 2 years, a delay at this stage shouldn't affect you long term.

If you want a few tips on what you can do now, our trainee Alicia has written a good blog with some helpful advice: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/applying-vacation-schemes-training-contracts-during-covid-19-loh/

Happy to answer any questions.

Paul

 

[Maya B]

Hi everyone,

Well, it's a pretty uncertain time right now. For anyone currently in the middle of the recruitment process, don't panic.

Although law firms won't have all the answers you want right now, recruitment will continue, just at a later time.

As most firms are recruiting well in advance, typically 2 years, a delay at this stage shouldn't affect you long term.

If you want a few tips on what you can do now, our trainee Alicia has written a good blog with some helpful advice: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/applying-vacation-schemes-training-contracts-during-covid-19-loh/

Happy to answer any questions.

Paul

Hi Paul,

Thank you for taking the time to post here. This might be a silly question as I know things are uncertain, but is Shearman & Sterling planning to merge the Easter and Summer vacation scheme intakes? And if so, would this not make the process even more competitive when trying to stand out on the scheme?

Thank you so much for your time.

 

[Paul - Shearman & Sterling]

Hi,

Hi Paul,

Thank you for taking the time to post here. This might be a silly question as I know things are uncertain, but is Shearman & Sterling planning to merge the Easter and Summer vacation scheme intakes? And if so, would this not make the process even more competitive when trying to stand out on the scheme?

Thank you so much for your time.

Hi Maya,

I really don't think vacation schemes will merge. They will just be rescheduled.

 

[CL20]

Hi Paul and Alexandra,

I have another coronavirus-related question. I did one vac scheme last year and have two lined up for this summer. If the summer vac schemes this year are cancelled, would there be any point making direct training contract applications?

Thank you.

 

[Paul - Shearman & Sterling]

Hi Paul and Alexandra,

I have another coronavirus-related question. I did one vac scheme last year and have two lined up for this summer. If the summer vac schemes this year are cancelled, would there be any point making direct training contract applications?

Thank you.

Hello,

Good question. If you have already been offered a vacation scheme with two firms, there'll be no need to re-apply to them for a direct TC. Currently, vacation schemes aren't being cancelled, they are just postponed.

It will be difficult for law firms to give you definitive answers right now, as they are following government guidance, which, as we know, is changing day-by-day. But the law firms you have vacation schemes lined-up with will update you as soon as they know more.

Hope that helps.

Paul

 

[IntrepidL]

Hi Paul! Just asking because would love to hear your thoughts on this! I am asking on behalf of a family friend of mine, who's currently on the LPC, and was wondering whether this would affect his prospects of getting a TC.

He recently graduated from a good Russell Group University with first class and good extra-curricular activities. However, he took his LPC exams this year and passed all the core modules, except one which he failed by a mark, largely in part as he was focusing on applications this year as opposed to his exams on the LPC. He's worried that this would affect his chances of getting a TC moving forward as he's already had several interviews and a vacation scheme before the results came out. He's been wondering whether the mark would hinder his chances considering he needs to re-sit and the re-sit will appear on his transcript. Would really love to hear your thoughts on this. Thank you so much in advance!

 

[Paul - Shearman & Sterling]

Hi Paul! Just asking because would love to hear your thoughts on this! I am asking on behalf of a family friend of mine, who's currently on the LPC, and was wondering whether this would affect his prospects of getting a TC.

He recently graduated from a good Russell Group University with first class and good extra-curricular activities. However, he took his LPC exams this year and passed all the core modules, except one which he failed by a mark, largely in part as he was focusing on applications this year as opposed to his exams on the LPC. He's worried that this would affect his chances of getting a TC moving forward as he's already had several interviews and a vacation scheme before the results came out. He's been wondering whether the mark would hinder his chances considering he needs to re-sit and the re-sit will appear on his transcript. Would really love to hear your thoughts on this. Thank you so much in advance!

Hi - thanks for the question.

It's difficult to answer as recruiters don't look at things in the same way as candidates. A recruiter will look at the whole application and make a decision.

However, as you would expect, failing a compulsory module on the LPC isn't going to help an application. He'll need to find out what the policy is for the law firms he is applying to.

Thanks,

Paul

 

[Paul - Shearman & Sterling]

Hi everyone,

As you know, we like to provide you with as much application advice as possible.

We've recently written an article focusing on interviews - 99 Training Contract Interview Tips

You can read it here: https://ukgraduates.shearman.com/20...&utm_medium=TCLA&utm_campaign=General 2019/20

I hope you find it useful.

Paul

 

[Laura Keane]

Hi Guys!

I am trying to think of how best to answer the following application question but not sure where to start:
'Give an example of a recent legal decision that is relevant to XXX business which you strongly agree or disagree with. Why?'

Shall I choose a practice area that I am interested in and look at some recent developments around it and try to apply to the firm or should I have a look at the firms LinkedIn etc?

Are there any resources you think I should look at in general?

Thank you

 

[Juls]

Hi,

Following the dual-LLB and Master 1 in English Law and French Law between King's College London and Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne University in France, I will be undertaking an LLM, because I genuinely enjoy studying law, because I want to develop expertise in arbitration, and because where I'm from, master's study is expected and normalised. I have offers at UChicago, NYU, Cornell, and Georgetown in the US and UCL in the UK and am having a hard time deciding which country I want to continue studying in. On the one hand, while the US is expensive it would be an enriching experience and I can take the NY bar, on the other hand, the UK is ultimately where I want to work.

I know the LLM is less important than my LLB, but does it make a difference to law firms where I do my LLM? Will they appreciate the experience of having studied in the US and the skills studying a different legal system can teach you, or will it make no difference to them because it is irrelevant to the work they do under English law?

Thanks so much in advance!
Julie

 

[Paul - Shearman & Sterling]

Hi,

Following the dual-LLB and Master 1 in English Law and French Law between King's College London and Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne University in France, I will be undertaking an LLM, because I genuinely enjoy studying law, because I want to develop expertise in arbitration, and because where I'm from, master's study is expected and normalised. I have offers at UChicago, NYU, Cornell, and Georgetown in the US and UCL in the UK and am having a hard time deciding which country I want to continue studying in. On the one hand, while the US is expensive it would be an enriching experience and I can take the NY bar, on the other hand, the UK is ultimately where I want to work.

I know the LLM is less important than my LLB, but does it make a difference to law firms where I do my LLM? Will they appreciate the experience of having studied in the US and the skills studying a different legal system can teach you, or will it make no difference to them because it is irrelevant to the work they do under English law?

Thanks so much in advance!
Julie

Hi Julie,

Thanks for your excellent question. If you intend to start your legal career in the UK, it wouldn't really matter which of those universities you study a LLM at - all great universities.

I think you should choose the course that you think you'd enjoy the most.

Thanks,

Paul

p.s. it is common for people specialising in International Arbitration to have a LLM.

 

[Alice G]

Hi Guys!

I am trying to think of how best to answer the following application question but not sure where to start:
'Give an example of a recent legal decision that is relevant to XXX business which you strongly agree or disagree with. Why?'

Shall I choose a practice area that I am interested in and look at some recent developments around it and try to apply to the firm or should I have a look at the firms LinkedIn etc?

Are there any resources you think I should look at in general?

Thank you

I would try to pick a practice area which you are interested in and which is also a major strength of the firm so that you can better tailor your response.

 

[Lorenzo Pizarro]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for taking so much time to answer questions today.

I was wondering if from the firm perspective it is preferred non-law students to have completed the GDL or the MA Law (they both qualify you for the LPC).

Thanks in advance,

Best,
Lorenzo.

 

[Paul - Shearman & Sterling]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for taking so much time to answer questions today.

I was wondering if from the firm perspective it is preferred non-law students to have completed the GDL or the MA Law (they both qualify you for the LPC).

Thanks in advance,

Best,
Lorenzo.

Hi @Lorenzo Pizarro

It doesn't really matter. We certainly wouldn't prefer a non-law candidate simply because they have studied a GDL or MA.

If we met a great non-law candidate we would simply send them to law school to study the GDL (and then the LPC).

I hope that answers your question.

Thanks,

Paul

 

[Paralegal178]

Hi Paul

I was wondering if you could give us an insight into graduate recruitment discussions following the economic repercussions of Covid19.

Do you think it’s likely that firms will be reducing the number of trainees they take on and potentially rescinding TC offers or start dates?

I appreciate that’s it’s a little early to tell but would be grateful for any insight!

Thanks

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Paul

I was wondering if you could give us an insight into graduate recruitment discussions following the economic repercussions of Covid19.

Do you think it’s likely that firms will be reducing the number of trainees they take on and potentially rescinding TC offers or start dates?

I appreciate that’s it’s a little early to tell but would be grateful for any insight!

Thanks

I’m not Paul, but can shed some light on this based on conversations I have had within the industry so far.

Most firms are recruiting 2022/2023 trainee intakes currently - this means that it’s likely the economy will be in a state of recovery/growth by then even if this drags on for some time. It means their approach to recruitment is very different to other industries that are recruiting their 2020/21 graduate intakes - they have to think much longer term by default.

This is also against a backdrop of the qualification system changing and ultimately qualification rates undoubtedly being much lower than they are currently (as its suspected many more will fail the SQE than pass the LPC currently). There is a sense that more people will need to start their training, because more people will fail the exams. If you take the large accountancy firms as an example, their graduate intakes are about 20-25% larger because people don’t pass their ACA exams.

Even if numbers are cut, when compared to other sectors I suspect law will be one of the most stable industries and see a fairly moderate cut compared to other industries. You only need to look at how historical figures have changed for the Top 100 Employers to give you an idea of how much more stable law is to other industries (see figures and percentage changes below, particularly the 2008 figures and negative percentage changes).

 

[ibs97]

Hi Paul!

I just came across the Virtual Training contract application workshop through the forum but it's sold out on Eventbrite already and I was just wondering if you'll be holding similar virtual events in the future?