General Discussion Thread 2020-21

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker If I'm referring to a firm receiving a tier 1 ranking from The Legal 500 in a cover letter is it:

Tier 1
tier 1
Tier One
tier one

I noted in one of TCLA's sessions it was mentioned numbers under ten should be typed but obviously this is an award and I can't find it type out as one anywhere

Go by how it is written by the ranking company or on the firms website. Something like this is slightly different to saying “I worked in a team of ten”

 

[Jessica Booker]

How in depth do your reasons for being interested in a commercial story have to be? I have recently become really interested in the regulation of BigTech (in particular Google/Amazon's antitrust allegations), and took part in a virtual internship which had a section on competition which I enjoyed due to its emphasis on black letter law. I feel I could link this to the firm I would be talking to this about, as they have a good competition and technology practice. But do I need more to show why I particularly am interested in this?

sounds perfectly fine to me - far more specific and detailed than a lot of applications we review

 

[Samantha]

Has anyone heard back from A&O after the SJT for the summer vac scheme?

Nope. Thought I submitted it wrong. Its been over a 2 months.

 

[lawyermeup]

Has anyone heard back from A&O after the SJT for the summer vac scheme?

I've also applied for the A&O summer vac scheme, but have a feeling we won't hear back yet! I assume that they've just sorted out the Winter Vac Scheme ACs... probably won't host these ACs until January earliest!

 

[TC2020]

Can anyone recommend a book or website, with practice case study questions and answers, for anything other than Mergers and Acquisitions please?

 

[SLKEJRWOI97]

Can anyone recommend a book or website, with practice case study questions and answers, for anything other than Mergers and Acquisitions please?

Hey! Do you have a link to the Mergers and Acquisitions book you're talking about above?

 

[Rene]

Hey just to get a general idea, what firms recruit from direct TC applications? I assume the majority of US firms don’t?

 

[TC2020]

Hey! Do you have a link to the Mergers and Acquisitions book you're talking about above?

Hey, I use TCLA Premium for practice questions and answers, as well as general prep for Mergers and Acquisition case studies. I highly recommend! The Commercial Law Handbook by Jake Schogger is also a great read and has a fantastic section on M&A transactions

 

[Aspiring.lawyer.to.be]

Hi Guys,
I know HSF spring vac scheme app doesn't close until 4th dec. I was wondering if the verbal test also closes on 4th dec. Does anyone know how long we get to complete the online test?
Thank you guys.

 

[NikkiT]

Has anybody else had an email from NRF inviting them to apply for a 2023 training contract? My application for a 2022 TC was not reviewed because of the disruption surrounding second-semester grades & covid.
Has anybody been successful in their application to NRF and have any tips? I am in the process of rewriting my cover letter as I feel like it definitely needs improvement!

I received this email too as my application wasn't reviewed because I am a graduate and it was only for penultimate year students I think!

 

[WannabeSolicitor24]

Hi Guys,
I know HSF spring vac scheme app doesn't close until 4th dec. I was wondering if the verbal test also closes on 4th dec. Does anyone know how long we get to complete the online test?
Thank you guys.

It's 7 days from when you receive the test link but I am not sure if it is different when the 7th day is after the deadline. Maybe worth an email to Grad Rec?

 

[Nat000]

Hey just to get a general idea, what firms recruit from direct TC applications? I assume the majority of US firms don’t?

Did a post here you might find useful: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/forum/threads/where-firms-recruit-from-direct-tc-vs.2723/

 

[Fran]

Go by how it is written by the ranking company or on the firms website. Something like this is slightly different to saying “I worked in a team of ten”

Hi @Jessica Booker, I remember you saying in the TCLA event that numbers below ten are written as a number. But I am worried that 'I worked in a team of 8 on a project...' looks a bit sloppy? Could just be me though

 

[tractor12]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I remember you saying in the TCLA event that numbers below ten are written as a number. But I am worried that 'I worked in a team of 8 on a project...' looks a bit sloppy? Could just be me though

I think it’s the opposite - any number over 10 is written as a number

 

[Fran]

I think it’s the opposite - any number over 10 is written as a number

ahhh that makes sense, confused myself there sorry (stupid I know)

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I remember you saying in the TCLA event that numbers below ten are written as a number. But I am worried that 'I worked in a team of 8 on a project...' looks a bit sloppy? Could just be me though

Numbers ten and under are written in word format, so eight would be appropriate here.

Numbers over ten are written as 11, 12, 13 etc

 

[Fran]

Numbers ten and under are written in word format, so eight would be appropriate here.

Numbers over ten are written as 11, 12, 13 etc

Thank you for clarifying!

 

[E.A]

Did grad recruitment give you your score through email?

Yes

 

[Velikilawyer123]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I've been thinking about what you mentioned at the event today - that law firms spend a significant amount of money on training / hiring lawyers, and that they generally don't start making their money back until the lawyer is around 3 PQE. That's quite the investment and it totally makes sense that firms would want to hire only the brightest and most motivated candidates.

But I'm wondering, do you have any information / statistics on whether it all pays off, in the end? Do lawyers have a lower rate of leaving their law firm than professionals in other sectors have of leaving their employers?

I've heard before that 2-3 PQE is peak time for lawyers exiting firms, typically going either to competitors or in-house in a corporation, but I don't have any data on how many former trainees actually stay with the firm long-term, perhaps even making partner.

And kind of in the same vein as this, do you think it's truly the best / most long-term motivated candidates that are successful in securing TCs, or just the ones who have learnt to play the application / interview game the best? We hear constantly, on TCLA and other places, that the application process is a skill you can learn. But if it's something you can learn, how do we know an applicant's story is genuine, and not just "learnt" to be presented in a way most attractive to the interviewer?

Apologies if this seems like a bit of an odd take, but what you said just got me thinking about whether this whole complex recruiting process really produces the best candidates for firms.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I've been thinking about what you mentioned at the event today - that law firms spend a significant amount of money on training / hiring lawyers, and that they generally don't start making their money back until the lawyer is around 3 PQE. That's quite the investment and it totally makes sense that firms would want to hire only the brightest and most motivated candidates.

But I'm wondering, do you have any information / statistics on whether it all pays off, in the end? Do lawyers have a lower rate of leaving their law firm than professionals in other sectors have of leaving their employers?

I've heard before that 2-3 PQE is peak time for lawyers exiting firms, typically going either to competitors or in-house in a corporation, but I don't have any data on how many former trainees actually stay with the firm long-term, perhaps even making partner.

And kind of in the same vein as this, do you think it's truly the best / most long-term motivated candidates that are successful in securing TCs, or just the ones who have learnt to play the application / interview game the best? We hear constantly, on TCLA and other places, that the application process is a skill you can learn. But if it's something you can learn, how do we know an applicant's story is genuine, and not just "learnt" to be presented in a way most attractive to the interviewer?

Apologies if this seems like a bit of an odd take, but what you said just got me thinking about whether this whole complex recruiting process really produces the best candidates for firms.

No stats as such, but it ultimately pays off through several different ways. You need trainees to do a job, you train your own up which helps to retain culture better, and there can be additional costs of trying to hire people at a qualified level anyway.

The average graduate spends less than 15 months in their first job, so clearly firms do manage to keep trainees longer than average anyway, albeit because of the qualification system.

I think recruitment systems are sophisticated enough these days to get the vast majority of people who “learn” the system out of the process. I do think there are some candidates who genuinely think it is right for them and are successful because of that belief, but then quickly realise it isn’t. Jaysen could be one of those! I think there are also a lot of people who by “learning” the process, realise it isn’t the career for them.