Not Gemma, but thought I would add that travelling is such an amazing experience that offers a lot of value when it comes to interviews. I have taken a gap year and in almost every interview I have had - it ended up someway talking about the countries I had travelled to, why I visited them and what I got up to. For my successful interviews, some of the feedback was that the assessors loved the varied experience and really showed my personality in interviews which they liked! So absolutely value the time you have taken travelling - and who knows - your assessor might have something in common (in one of mine, I ended up travelling to a very remote town in France which turned out to be the place one of my interviewers was born...). Have a great time travelling!
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- Thread starter Jaysen
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Hi Gemma,
I hope this message finds you in the best of health and spirits.
I wanted to inquire if I can still submit an application to be considered for a Training Contract at Willkie Farr & Gallagher.
Thanks,
JN
I hope this message finds you in the best of health and spirits.
I wanted to inquire if I can still submit an application to be considered for a Training Contract at Willkie Farr & Gallagher.
Thanks,
JN
Hi @Giovani
With regards to trainee roles, from 1 September 2024, we will be recruiting for training contracts commencing September 2027, via our 2025 vacation schemes only. Applications will close at 11.59 am on 20 December 2024. The deadline for our 2024 vacation schemes was on 20 December 2023. Outside of our formal vacation scheme and training contracts, I’m afraid we do not have other opportunities available in our London office. Please see here for more information as to our graduate recruitment process.
Thanks
Gemma
Hi Gemma
I was wondering whether the firm recruits for its vacation scheme on a rolling basis? I want to attend the insight event at Willkie to get a better understanding of the firm, but don't want this to delay my application for the vacation scheme if applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks
I was wondering whether the firm recruits for its vacation scheme on a rolling basis? I want to attend the insight event at Willkie to get a better understanding of the firm, but don't want this to delay my application for the vacation scheme if applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Any info would be appreciated.
Thanks
Hi @Tsitsipas10S
Thanks for your email. From our website: "
Do you recruit on a rolling basis?
Yes and no. We review applications and video interviews as they arrive, meaning you will hear from us within ten to fifteen working days as to the outcome of your application. However, two of our application stages will not take place until after the deadline, meaning we won't make any offers at all until after the deadline and will not fill up places before the deadline.
It is our strong recommendation that you only submit your application when you feel it is ready rather than submitting it as early as possible. "
Many thanks
Gemma
Thanks for your email. From our website: "
Do you recruit on a rolling basis?
Yes and no. We review applications and video interviews as they arrive, meaning you will hear from us within ten to fifteen working days as to the outcome of your application. However, two of our application stages will not take place until after the deadline, meaning we won't make any offers at all until after the deadline and will not fill up places before the deadline.
It is our strong recommendation that you only submit your application when you feel it is ready rather than submitting it as early as possible. "
Many thanks
Gemma
Hi @WillkieGemma
I would be very grateful for your view:
I am an English qualified solicitor at a trainee level as I need to gain local litigation knowledge.
I qualified in England thru the QLTS for which I did not have to undertake QWE (work experience). I am now seeking that. Most firms don’t offer training contracts (TC) to English qualified.
Q: Should I reveal my qualification before applying for a TC and check my eligibility or just apply and not mention it?
Don’t want to hide but don’t want to create a confusion that I am at NQ level. I am mainly targeting 2025 TCs. Only 1-10 are open. Concerned that if I reveal, there will be barely any TCs to apply to - that’s my main route to the London market.
Thank you!
I would be very grateful for your view:
I am an English qualified solicitor at a trainee level as I need to gain local litigation knowledge.
I qualified in England thru the QLTS for which I did not have to undertake QWE (work experience). I am now seeking that. Most firms don’t offer training contracts (TC) to English qualified.
Q: Should I reveal my qualification before applying for a TC and check my eligibility or just apply and not mention it?
Don’t want to hide but don’t want to create a confusion that I am at NQ level. I am mainly targeting 2025 TCs. Only 1-10 are open. Concerned that if I reveal, there will be barely any TCs to apply to - that’s my main route to the London market.
Thank you!
Hi @Sim96
Many thanks - I'm afraid you cannot apply for training contracts anywhere, as you are a fully qualified English & Welsh solicitor, therefore you cannot apply via the TC route. You cannot omit to mention it and retain your integrity - it is a key and relevant piece of information. I would suggest working as a paralegal to gain the experience, and then perhaps the firm will promote you to associate. Additionally, if you completed the QLTS, this would suggest you are qualified in another jurisdiction. If this is the case, did you practice there? Have you built up experience in another jurisdiction? Can you apply as an NQ on that basis? I am not responsible for lateral recruitment, so I am not your best source of advice as to how to do this etc, so perhaps this is another route you can explore.
Many thanks
Gemma
Many thanks - I'm afraid you cannot apply for training contracts anywhere, as you are a fully qualified English & Welsh solicitor, therefore you cannot apply via the TC route. You cannot omit to mention it and retain your integrity - it is a key and relevant piece of information. I would suggest working as a paralegal to gain the experience, and then perhaps the firm will promote you to associate. Additionally, if you completed the QLTS, this would suggest you are qualified in another jurisdiction. If this is the case, did you practice there? Have you built up experience in another jurisdiction? Can you apply as an NQ on that basis? I am not responsible for lateral recruitment, so I am not your best source of advice as to how to do this etc, so perhaps this is another route you can explore.
Many thanks
Gemma
Hi @WillkieGemma , I hope you're doing well!
I had a quick question:
I completed an internship at a Tier 1 law firm in India. When discussing this in my "Why Law" or "Why Willkie" answers, do I need to specifically mention the name of the firm and provide details about them, or is it sufficient to refer to it more generally as "a leading law firm in India" or "an internship with a commercial law firm in India"?
Thanks in advance for your advice!
I had a quick question:
I completed an internship at a Tier 1 law firm in India. When discussing this in my "Why Law" or "Why Willkie" answers, do I need to specifically mention the name of the firm and provide details about them, or is it sufficient to refer to it more generally as "a leading law firm in India" or "an internship with a commercial law firm in India"?
Thanks in advance for your advice!
hi @legally.brown it is very much up to you, but assuming you are including the firm in your employment/work history section, I don't understand why you would not mention it by name in other areas of the same form.
They’re semi rolling. They review and process to VI. After the deadline those who have successfully passed the VI will move to written exercise. No offers are given before the deadline. If I’m correct.
Yes, that is exactly right! It is my STRONG recommendation to only ever submit an application when it's ready. The last two stages of our process (written exercise and partner iv) are after the application deadline, for all candidates so we can't offer before then.
Hello @WillkieGemma
I had a question regarding your open day. Those who have secured a place on your open day. Are they chosen on the basis of their potential to work at Willkie. I have secured a place on the open day but I think I’m having imposter syndrome and maybe it was given to most who applied.
I had a question regarding your open day. Those who have secured a place on your open day. Are they chosen on the basis of their potential to work at Willkie. I have secured a place on the open day but I think I’m having imposter syndrome and maybe it was given to most who applied.
Hi @IneedaTCASAP - I did say in the email you received that we had seven more times applications than spaces, so the vast majority did not receive a space. It was extremely competitive, and my decision was based on the quality of the answer re Why would you like to attend the open day.
My bad I missed that part. Thank you for clarifying.
Good afternoon @WillkieGemma
Whilst I of course understand you can't give out much information regarding the written exercise so that its fair amongst candidates, I was wondering if you had any general advice for success? Or maybe some information on what are the most common mistakes that applicants tend to make? Secondly, as the for the logistics of it, is it timed and to be sent it via word document? Also, is it video recorded or is only the written work looked at?
Thank you so much in advance!
Whilst I of course understand you can't give out much information regarding the written exercise so that its fair amongst candidates, I was wondering if you had any general advice for success? Or maybe some information on what are the most common mistakes that applicants tend to make? Secondly, as the for the logistics of it, is it timed and to be sent it via word document? Also, is it video recorded or is only the written work looked at?
Thank you so much in advance!
Hi @AI212121 the written exercise is completed on an external platform. It is not video recorded. All the docs are uploaded to the platform and you write up the answer on there, and it is automatically submitted at the end of the window. The exercise has been completely rewritten for this year, so the marking has also changed. My advice would be to make sure you answer all the questions.
Good morning,
Thank you so much for the clarification. I was also wondering if we would be allowed to write up the answer in a separate document, and then paste into the window? I typically type in a specific font and various other settings (font size, line-spacing, etc) that make it easier for me to see and read the information and my answers.
Well, you can of course do anything you would like, but in the three years we've been running the exercise, I've had at least one person per year who has done this and not submitted in time and missed the cut off.......
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