Ask TCLA's New Community Managers Anything!

[Jessica Booker]

For Q1, the only thing that I can think of is an M&A deal where the corporate department coordinates the transaction and stays in touch with every other practice area and ultimately submits the DD report to the client by compiling the inputs of different teams.

For Q2, I would say (1) multi-jurisdictional work and (2) secondment opportunities, but these are the only two things that come to my mind. These things help you learn about how the work culture and how business practices differ in the workplace across the world and this will aid my self-development.

With question one, I’d try to think more broadly. It isn’t about a type of deal, it is about the mechanisms of the work and also the benefit of team working. So think of things like:

- Size/scale of the deal - it’s unlikely you’ll be able to work on it on your own

- International elements - need to work with lawyers qualified in other jurisdictions. You won’t be qualified to advise on Chinese law or matters that cross into an Australian jurisdiction

- Time pressures for completions

- Benefit of team working - different perspectives, different abilities/strengths, ability to check ideas/work with other people (and then think about the benefit of thto the client).

- Learning and development: how you learn in a team vs self-learning.

With question 2, try to dig deeper. What is the benefit of multi jurisdictional matters and secondments?

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

With question one, I’d try to think more broadly. It isn’t about a type of deal, it is about the mechanisms of the work and also the benefit of team working. So think of things like:

- Size/scale of the deal - it’s unlikely you’ll be able to work on it on your own

- International elements - need to work with lawyers qualified in other jurisdictions. You won’t be qualified to advise on Chinese law or matters that cross into an Australian jurisdiction

- Time pressures for completions

- Benefit of team working - different perspectives, different abilities/strengths, ability to check ideas/work with other people (and then think about the benefit of thto the client).

- Learning and development: how you learn in a team vs self-learning.

With question 2, try to dig deeper. What is the benefit of multi jurisdictional matters and secondments?

Thank you so much for your answer.

 

[Jaysen]

Thanks for your response @Putt5353 . The problem that I'm facing is that I'm just clueless about how I should approach these questions but once I figure out all the possible answers to this, I will definitely keep your point in mind and choose a unique way to approach it.

I promise it will become much easier over time.

I would just be careful that you aren't spending too much time building a big bank of possible answers to questions. It's one of those traps that applicants can get into because sourcing information to possible questions feels productive. The danger is this often doesn't translate well to interviews - you will have the information stored, but it'll be hard to apply them to varying questions or to relay them in your own words, under pressure. There are also much better ways to spend your time to get you closer to your goals.

I would instead recommend working on the skill of thinking up your own answers to these questions. You can develop that skill by regularly practising answers to mock interview questions. I would do this aloud and imagine as if you were responding to real interview questions - it won't be easy, but you will get better the more you do it (especially if you can reflect on your answers).

Don't worry too much about trying to find a unique approach or trying to impress, but try to work out what matters to you when answering these questions.

For example, the question on the advantages of working at an international firm - I am sure you have many other reasons than the ones you have given above, but I imagine you are stuck because you are focusing on answers that 'sound good'.

You can ask yourself questions here to dive deeper into the question: Why does multi-jurisdictional work matter to you? Why does a secondment matter to you? How do they relate to your experiences? What experiences have you had so far that show you international work matter to you?

If you think deeply about your reasoning, your answers will be better than any answers provided by other people because these will be your unique reasons and they will stand up to scrutiny.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

I promise it will become much easier over time.

I would just be careful that you aren't spending too much time building a big bank of possible answers to questions. It's one of those traps that applicants can get into because sourcing information to possible questions feels productive. The danger is this often doesn't translate well to interviews - you will have the information stored, but it'll be hard to apply them to varying questions or to relay them in your own words, under pressure. There are also much better ways to spend your time to get you closer to your goals.

I would instead recommend working on the skill of thinking up your own answers to these questions. You can develop that skill by regularly practising answers to mock interview questions. I would do this aloud and imagine as if you were responding to real interview questions - it won't be easy, but you will get better the more you do it (especially if you can reflect on your answers).

Don't worry too much about trying to find a unique approach or trying to impress, but try to work out what matters to you when answering these questions.

For example, the question on the advantages of working at an international firm - I am sure you have many other reasons than the ones you have given above, but I imagine you are stuck because you are focusing on answers that 'sound good'.

You can ask yourself questions here to dive deeper into the question: Why does multi-jurisdictional work matter to you? Why does a secondment matter to you? How do they relate to your experiences? What experiences have you had so far that show you international work matter to you?

If you think deeply about your reasoning, your answers will be better than any answers provided by other people because these will be your unique reasons and they will stand up to scrutiny.

Will definitely keep this in mind, Jaysen. Thank you for being this descriptive.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Hello guys, hope you are doing well. Could you please tell me how I can express my interest more clearly when it comes to the B&F department? I'm particularly interested in Equity Cap Markets and DCM work since it involves the issuance of securities to the public at large and I will feel a sense of responsibility in that (since the public at large is going to invest their hard-earned money). As you can tell, I was not able to articulate it really well, so could you please tell me what's missing in this answer. Do I need to back it up with an internship experience where I worked in the Cap markets dept of a law firm or is it something else?

Thanks.

 

[AvniD]

Hello guys, hope you are doing well. Could you please tell me how I can express my interest more clearly when it comes to the B&F department? I'm particularly interested in Equity Cap Markets and DCM work since it involves the issuance of securities to the public at large and I will feel a sense of responsibility in that (since the public at large is going to invest their hard-earned money). As you can tell, I was not able to articulate it really well, so could you please tell me what's missing in this answer. Do I need to back it up with an internship experience where I worked in the Cap markets dept of a law firm or is it something else?

Thanks.

The best way to demonstrate an interest in any practice area is by stating the practice area ➡️ stating what you like about it (this has to be genuine and not what you think will look best to the firm) ➡️ demonstrating how you know you like this area (what sparked your interest + how you explored it further- examples could include an article you read or an event or webinar you attended) ➡️ linking your interest back to your career goals and how your strengths/experiences/abilities may get utilised in this practice area.

It's easy to get tied up in thinking that only an internship or a flashy work experience can demonstrate true interest in a practice area, when this really is not the case at all. If you take the initiative to read up on this area, watch interviews with lawyers working in it etc. to fill the gaps in your understanding of how B&F works, then that too will suffice.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

The best way to demonstrate an interest in any practice area is by stating the practice area ➡️ stating what you like about it (this has to be genuine and not what you think will look best to the firm) ➡️ demonstrating how you know you like this area (what sparked your interest + how you explored it further- examples could include an article you read or an event or webinar you attended) ➡️ linking your interest back to your career goals and how your strengths/experiences/abilities may get utilised in this practice area.

It's easy to get tied up in thinking that only an internship or a flashy work experience can demonstrate true interest in a practice area, when this really is not the case at all. If you take the initiative to read up on this area, watch interviews with lawyers working in it etc. to fill the gaps in your understanding of how B&F works, then that too will suffice.

Thank you so much for your answer, Avni.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Hello, guys. Sorry for pestering but I had two more questions:
1: While showcasing my interest in M&A, I have planned to talk about the webinars that I've attended. The only catch here is that I've attended far too many, some were hosted by the firm and others were hosted by other firms and people like Jake Schogger. If I'm already talking about having attended the milkround sessions in other answers , should I not talk about them while demonstrating my interest in M&A and instead talk about workshops conducted by other firms and people like Jake? Or should I talk as much as possible about the milkround events that I attended that were hosted by the firm?

2: Secondly, while answering "why commercial law", should we also support our claims and motivations by saying... "this will come in handy as a trainee solicitor because this will form the bulk of the day job." or is it fairly obvious?

Thanks.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hello, guys. Sorry for pestering but I had two more questions:
1: While showcasing my interest in M&A, I have planned to talk about the webinars that I've attended. The only catch here is that I've attended far too many, some were hosted by the firm and others were hosted by other firms and people like Jake Schogger. If I'm already talking about having attended the milkround sessions in other answers , should I not talk about them while demonstrating my interest in M&A and instead talk about workshops conducted by other firms and people like Jake? Or should I talk as much as possible about the milkround events that I attended that were hosted by the firm?

2: Secondly, while answering "why commercial law", should we also support our claims and motivations by saying... "this will come in handy as a trainee solicitor because this will form the bulk of the day job." or is it fairly obvious?

Thanks.

1) it really doesn’t matter what the event is - you don’t even really need to reference who hosted the event. It’s more what you took/learnt from the event(s)

2) No, that isn’t necessary. Your motivation and your skills are two very different questions. Focus on your motivations, not why you are capable of doing the job. You’ll be asked questions that will assess your capabilities. You are also telling the person something that they already know (what the job consists of) so there is no need to do this. Just focus on why these things are attractive to you.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

1) it really doesn’t matter what the event is - you don’t even really need to reference who hosted the event. It’s more what you took/learnt from the event(s)

2) No, that isn’t necessary. Your motivation and your skills are two very different questions. Focus on your motivations, not why you are capable of doing the job. You’ll be asked questions that will assess your capabilities. You are also telling the person something that they already know (what the job consists of) so there is no need to do this. Just focus on why these things are attractive to you.

Thank you so much.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Hello, guys. Hope you are doing well. I was having a go at "What do you think are the advantages of an international law firm" and I was wondering if we can make the assumption that international law firms have an excess budget to incorporate legal tech initiatives. I can then say that this is an advantage because it is beneficial to both, the clients and the employees.

Secondly, I genuinely feel that one very clear advantage is the prestige that comes with these firms so even if some other firm can produce similar work, they'll never be preferred by the client over an international firm, but I was wondering if this is too candid?

Thanks.

 

[IRO]

Hello, guys. Hope you are doing well. I was having a go at "What do you think are the advantages of an international law firm" and I was wondering if we can make the assumption that international law firms have an excess budget to incorporate legal tech initiatives. I can then say that this is an advantage because it is beneficial to both, the clients and the employees.

Secondly, I genuinely feel that one very clear advantage is the prestige that comes with these firms so even if some other firm can produce similar work, they'll never be preferred by the client over an international firm, but I was wondering if this is too candid?

Thanks.

I think this is a tricky one to answer. I was talking to a Senior Partner who pointed out that his firm was more able to invest in legal tech than other, bigger, more international firms because it was more profitable, so I’m not sure your first assumption is on the surest footing. I would instead look at metrics like PEP to assess whether a firm is likely to have enough profit to invest in new initiatives.
Also, a lot of city firms have prestige, not just the large international firms so the assumption doesn’t really hold true. If it was firms with best friend networks wouldn’t exist. And being blunt, they are preferred over international firms in some circumstances.
I think to answer this question you’re better off focussing on what benefits the international structure of a law firm has, including how different international offices work together.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

I think this is a tricky one to answer. I was talking to a Senior Partner who pointed out that his firm was more able to invest in legal tech than other, bigger, more international firms because it was more profitable, so I’m not sure your first assumption is on the surest footing. I would instead look at metrics like PEP to assess whether a firm is likely to have enough profit to invest in new initiatives.
Also, a lot of city firms have prestige, not just the large international firms so the assumption doesn’t really hold true. If it was firms with best friend networks wouldn’t exist. And being blunt, they are preferred over international firms in some circumstances.
I think to answer this question you’re better off focussing on what benefits the international structure of a law firm has, including how different international offices work together.

Thanks for your answer. I did consider the multi-jurisdictional aspect and other things related but I sidelined them thinking I have to do something out of the box. Guess sometimes it's ok to stick to the basics.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Hello, guys. Wish you all a Merry Christmas and I completely understand that it's the holiday season so you can take this question whenever you get the time (just posting because I might forget otherwise). Could you please tell me, how should we approach the question "What kind of a lawyer do I see myself as?". If I've interpreted it correctly, this has nothing to do with the type of work or the practice area that we want to work in. So, I feel this is targeted more towards whether we like working on unprecedented stuff or do we like routine work, whether we like learning on the job or are we more suited to training programs that are more structured and are taught before we get into the actual role.

Could you please explain what this question is really asking for?

Thanks.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hello, guys. Wish you all a Merry Christmas and I completely understand that it's the holiday season so you can take this question whenever you get the time (just posting because I might forget otherwise). Could you please tell me, how should we approach the question "What kind of a lawyer do I see myself as?". If I've interpreted it correctly, this has nothing to do with the type of work or the practice area that we want to work in. So, I feel this is targeted more towards whether we like working on unprecedented stuff or do we like routine work, whether we like learning on the job or are we more suited to training programs that are more structured and are taught before we get into the actual role.

Could you please explain what this question is really asking for?

Thanks.

It is an open question that means it can be interpreted in many different ways. To some people stating practice areas or the type of work will be an appropriate answer, while for others it is not, and could be taken in the direction you have stated instead.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

It is an open question that means it can be interpreted in many different ways. To some people stating practice areas or the type of work will be an appropriate answer, while for others it is not, and could be taken in the direction you have stated instead.

Thank you so much for your help.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Hello guys. Hope you all are doing well. Could you please tell me what I should do if there is actually not a single news story that I'm deeply interested in? This is not to say that I'm not interested in the commercial world but what I mean is that I am not deeply in love with any particular news piece and I'm worried about "Tell me about a news story that you like?" Is there any general advice that you'd like to give me? I don't want to fake an interest in something that sounds impressive because I'm sure that the recruiters can sense it but I do have a few stories that I like (Travis Scott's Astroworld legal battle) but I think there isn't a lot that I can say about it.

Thanks for your time.

 

[James Carrabino]

Hello guys. Hope you all are doing well. Could you please tell me what I should do if there is actually not a single news story that I'm deeply interested in? This is not to say that I'm not interested in the commercial world but what I mean is that I am not deeply in love with any particular news piece and I'm worried about "Tell me about a news story that you like?" Is there any general advice that you'd like to give me? I don't want to fake an interest in something that sounds impressive because I'm sure that the recruiters can sense it but I do have a few stories that I like (Travis Scott's Astroworld legal battle) but I think there isn't a lot that I can say about it.

Thanks for your time.

Honestly not many people are overwhelmingly passionate about a news story. Just think about the kinds of industries you are interested in as well as the practice areas that could be involved and find a news story that fits into those criteria so that you feel you are able to talk about it

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Honestly not many people are overwhelmingly passionate about a news story. Just think about the kinds of industries you are interested in as well as the practice areas that could be involved and find a news story that fits into those criteria so that you feel you are able to talk about it

wow, this is so reassuring, thanks a lot James.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hello guys. Hope you all are doing well. Could you please tell me what I should do if there is actually not a single news story that I'm deeply interested in? This is not to say that I'm not interested in the commercial world but what I mean is that I am not deeply in love with any particular news piece and I'm worried about "Tell me about a news story that you like?" Is there any general advice that you'd like to give me? I don't want to fake an interest in something that sounds impressive because I'm sure that the recruiters can sense it but I do have a few stories that I like (Travis Scott's Astroworld legal battle) but I think there isn't a lot that I can say about it.

Thanks for your time.

I'd find it hard to believe anyone is "deeply in love" with a news piece. I'd be a bit worried if they were.

The legal world is a broad spectrum that covers a range of topics or matters. You just have to find the topics that you naturally gravitate to - you are never going to be able to read everything even within a niche of law, so this is just a case of finding the things you are more interested in and so you choose over all the other topics you could potentially be drawn to.

If it's the Astroworld example, then you then to think carefully about the link to the firm. Do they work on these matters/with these types of clients? How could the story impact the firm or its clients? There needs to be some form of connection for it to be relevant to your application. Why is the topic relevant to you and to the firm? This is the part most candidates completely forget about - they just choose something to try and impress, but they aren't really thinking about the relevance to the broader document or conversation.

If you are really struggling, then it sounds really brutal, but you have to question whether this is the right career for you. And I come from that as someone who is not interested in these topics at all. Even if you can fake your interest in an application or interview, you are going to have a pretty miserable career feigning this interest for the next 40 years.