Help with TC assessments

[Deleted member 21]

Do you have any advice on how to do well for the following assessments for TC?

- research and drafting task;
- business simulation group exercise;
- partners interview involving preprepared presentation;

I really want to be as prepared as possible and your insight would really help!

 

[Jaysen]

I have my vacation scheme in a week and I was wondering - do you have any advice on how to do well for the following assessments for TC During a vac scheme?

- research and drafting task;
- business simulation group exercise;
- partners interview involving preprepared presentation;

The VS is at White & Case so if anyone has any specific advice for the firm`s VS, again much appreciated!

I really want to be as prepared as possible and your insight would really help!

Hey Denisa,

I didn’t do White & Case, but I can share what I learned at a few vac schemes with similar tasks:

Research and drafting task

• Assessors will be looking to see how well you can research what’s relevant and how well you can articulate that in your draft.
• Read the client’s or lawyer’s instructions carefully – this will make sure you stay relevant and also outline what you should be writing about, how you should structure it and who you should address it to.
• Planning is very important and should take a fair amount of time. Here you can organise your thoughts, form an outline and determine how you will structure the draft. You can also flag up important parts of your research and record in brief what the parties have agreed.
• A good draft uses unambiguous language. Try to make sure every word is there for a reason and use clear language.
• It should also be easy to read, think about a numbering system and relevant headings/sub-headings. The key is to be consistent with your language and structure.

Business simulation group exercise

• Assessors are looking to see how you act in a group dynamic and whether you can think commercially.
• It can help to keep these fundamentals in mind throughout the task especially if you find your team discussing irrelevant points i.e. how does the business make a profit, who are its customers or clients, how can it mitigate risks.
• It’s difficult to advise without knowing the type of task, but generally speaking, the same principles of a group exercise applies – Do you work well with the others? Do you listen? Do you speak up-enough or conversely, too much? How relevant are your submissions? Are you looking to advance the group towards the goal? How do you articulate your thoughts? Are you speaking to just speak, or do you offer thoughtful opinions? Do you delegate?

Partners interview with pre-prepared presentation

• If you’re using PowerPoint, keep the slides short. The slides aren’t meant to detract away from what you’re saying. They should be used to signpost the key points.
• Prepare to over-run on time and plan accordingly. It often helps to add a few minutes to the rehearsal time - running over time can damage an otherwise good presentation.
• Steer the questions. You’ll be asked questions after the presentation and so it’s a given that you should know what you’re presenting well. But often you can also guide the questions you do get asked. For example, you could mention a topic or something about the law firm – something that you know well – during your presentation. If you emphasise the point but don’t flesh out the detail too much, it can encourage the partner to ask the question after the presentation, and then you’ll be well prepared.
• Stick to a few points per slide and don’t script. These two go hand in hand – it’s dangerous to memorise a script because you risk forgetting the speech and losing the flow. It’s often easier to think of a few points per slide with the use of ‘trigger words’ – that remind you what the slide is about.
• Think about your body language. It’s important to remember that the way you present and deliver plays a big role in how the presentation is perceived. Think about where you want to stand, whether you want to move, where you’ll position your hands and how you’ll gesture. If you’re sitting, think about your posture and how you’ll organise your notes on the table.

 

[Jaysen]

I just received my presentation task -after I work out an answer could I send it to you to get your opinions on it? It is pretty much like an application form and to be honest I never did this task during assessment and I am quite nervous - it would really help! thank you, let me know

Hey, sure drop me an email at [email protected] when you're ready. I'm afraid I can't give assessment-specific advice if it's a task sent by the firm, but I'd be happy to answer questions or provide some general pointers for your speech or slides.

 

[Deleted member 21]

Hey, sure drop me an email at [email protected] when you're ready. I'm afraid I can't give assessment-specific advice if it's a task sent by the firm, but I'd be happy to answer questions or provide some general pointers for your speech or slides.

I sent you an e-mail on this address - not related to my task though, as we are not supposed to present with any materials thanks!

 

[Jaysen]

I sent you an e-mail on this address - not related to my task though, as we are not supposed to present with any materials thanks!

I've given you access to the (private) vac scheme forums here. If you have any urgent queries/difficult work situations/confusing tasks you're welcome to post there; we put it on high priority so you will receive an answer quickly

 

[Deleted member 21]

I've given you access to the (private) vac scheme forums here. If you have any urgent queries/difficult work situations/confusing tasks you're welcome to post there; we put it on high priority so you will receive an answer quickly

Thank you! Have you managed to grant me access already? On my end, it says I don`t have permission to view those forums

 

[Jaysen]

Thank you! Have you managed to grant me access already? On my end, it says I don`t have permission to view those forums

Done.

 

[Deleted member 21]

Done.

Sorry for this, but it tells me I still don`t have privileges to either view or post - tried logging in and out and restarting the webpage but still nothing.

 

[Jaysen]

Sorry for this, but it tells me I still don`t have privileges to either view or post - tried logging in and out and restarting the webpage but still nothing.

My mistake, does it work now?

 

[tosin4774]

hi if I am asked why would I like to attend a two day insight day at a specific law firm. how should I go about answering the question @Jaysen

 

[Amma Usman]

hi if I am asked why would I like to attend a two day insight day at a specific law firm. how should I go about answering the question @Jaysen

Hey @tosin4774 , thanks for your question. Ideally, you should cover two things in the answer. When I was applying for insight schemes, the word count was typically 300 words and less. This means you’ll need to be really concise in your answer.

1. Why Commercial Law: This requires strong demonstrated interest. Often times, candidates fall into the trap of including generic answers like cross-border work or highly stimulating deals. As you can imagine, this is generic because alot of professions offer this. For more information on this, I have made a thread on Friday which I have linked HERE. It relates to finding your WHY which I feel is super important for the process - and life generally!

2. Why the Specific Firm: Again, this is another point which requires strong, non-generic points. Agreed, this is not an easy question to answer, as a lot of firms feel similar from the outset. They all do the same kinds of work and work on similar deals. However, dig deep and you will find differences in their internal strategy, differences in their practice area specializations, and so on. How do you find this out? A good deep dive on the website will help. However, speaking to people at the firm or future trainees is recommended. They are able to tell you about projects and procedures beyond the surface of a web page!

Bonus points: If the word count permits, you could also touch on any skills, experiences, or achievements which make you a stellar candidate for the scheme.

 

[tosin4774]

Thank you
Also, I am currently applying to Gibson Dunn insight day and would like to learn more about the training and development opportunities offered by the firm @Amma Usman

 

[AlarmedBookkeeper448]

Thank you
Also, I am currently applying to Gibson Dunn insight day and would like to learn more about the training and development opportunities offered by the firm @Amma Usman

Samesies

 

[Amma Usman]

Hey @tosin4774 and @AlarmedBookkeeper448 , thanks for both your questions.

GDC offers a small trainee intake. This was one thing that drew me to the firm as I knew I’d get high responsibilities early on in my career. Inevitably, I’d be able to build more skills and I could build on them quickly. From this one point alone, you can see that high training and development is guaranteed. Another thing I liked were the secondement opportunities, where I could learn more about new practices, within a new region.

Overall, I decided to train in london not for the reasons people typically would. People like London because of the socialsing aspects, and indeed this also initially drew me to working there. However, I largely like the London legal market because it’s good for business.

For more information on the training and development opportunities offered at GDC, I have attached the graduate recruitment brochure HERE.

 

[tosin4774]

Hey @tosin4774 and @AlarmedBookkeeper448 , thanks for both your questions.

GDC offers a small trainee intake. This was one thing that drew me to the firm as I knew I’d get high responsibilities early on in my career. Inevitably, I’d be able to build more skills and I could build on them quickly. From this one point alone, you can see that high training and development is guaranteed. Another thing I liked were the secondement opportunities, where I could learn more about new practices, within a new region.

Overall, I decided to train in london not for the reasons people typically would. People like London because of the socialsing aspects, and indeed this also initially drew me to working there. However, I largely like the London legal market because it’s good for business.

For more information on the training and development opportunities offered at GDC, I have attached the graduate recruitment brochure HERE.

Thank you.
Also if I want to practice more m&a case studies. Do you know of any websites where I can practice that @Amma Usman?

 

[Andrei Radu]

Thank you.
Also if I want to practice more m&a case studies. Do you know of any websites where I can practice that @Amma Usman?

@Amma Usman will know a lot more about this, but just to jump in, what was particularly helpful for me was the course offered by TCLA on the matter (which you can find here). It includes a number of mock PE and M&A case studies, recordings of two hour long sessions explaining how to think through written/interview style M&A case studies, and a number of questions that are analyzed in depth by the TCLA team. Besides that, some freely-available resources on TCLA include:

• An amazing guide for M&A case studies by @Jacob Miller, which includes both a mock case study and a model answer with detailed explanations of how you should think through the materials (which you can find here).
• A mock written case study offered by TCLA here.
• An excellent article written by @Jaysen Sutton, which explains the process, types, structures, and general terms of an M&A transaction (which you can find here).
• A glossary of M&A terms by @Amma Usman here.

 

[tosin4774]

I am researching a firm and found out that it firm remains competitive through acquiring talent from its competitor. How can I build more on that @Amma Usman @Andrei Radu

 

[Andrei Radu]

I am researching a firm and found out that it firm remains competitive through acquiring talent from its competitor. How can I build more on that @Amma Usman @Andrei Radu

So there's a couple of ways you could explore this point further:

• What specific talent is the firm acquiring from competitors? Are they targeting particular practice areas/sectors that they have identified in their growth plans? If so, assuming you have an interest in the relevant practice area/sector, this could be an USP for you. This is because significant lateral hiring sprees in one area shows both (i) that this is a growing team in the firm, which increases your chances of getting a seat/qualifying there; and (ii) that the firm is looking to increase its market share and position in the given area, which increases chances of the firm getting to work on top of the market mandates.
• Is this a general policy of the firm's in terms of preferring to poach talent from rivals rather than grow it internally? Traditionally candidate tend to mention more a commitments to internal talent development as an USP rather than a lateral hiring strategy, but this can potentially still be attractive to you. If the firm recruits lawyers who have trained and worked at various other competitors, it will benefit from more diverse perspectives and work styles. Moreover, instead of having to run the risk of hiring unproven applicants, the firm can get to pick and choose the better performing lawyers of its rivals. This could be beneficial for you in that by working in a team with more diverse and consistently high-performing practitioners, you get to learn more than you would have otherwise and thus develop into a better lawyer yourself.
• Is the firm poaching talent from rivals of a similar caliber? Or are they hiring star partners/associates? If so, the fact these lawyers would choose to move there suggests that your firm is in a position of market strength. This can be attractive to you as it can mean the firm is better placed to win advisory roles on high-value and complex mandates.

 

[tosin4774]

Hey @tosin4774 , thanks for your question. Ideally, you should cover two things in the answer. When I was applying for insight schemes, the word count was typically 300 words and less. This means you’ll need to be really concise in your answer.

1. Why Commercial Law: This requires strong demonstrated interest. Often times, candidates fall into the trap of including generic answers like cross-border work or highly stimulating deals. As you can imagine, this is generic because alot of professions offer this. For more information on this, I have made a thread on Friday which I have linked HERE. It relates to finding your WHY which I feel is super important for the process - and life generally!

2. Why the Specific Firm: Again, this is another point which requires strong, non-generic points. Agreed, this is not an easy question to answer, as a lot of firms feel similar from the outset. They all do the same kinds of work and work on similar deals. However, dig deep and you will find differences in their internal strategy, differences in their practice area specializations, and so on. How do you find this out? A good deep dive on the website will help. However, speaking to people at the firm or future trainees is recommended. They are able to tell you about projects and procedures beyond the surface of a web page!

Bonus points: If the word count permits, you could also touch on any skills, experiences, or achievements which make you a stellar candidate for the scheme.

Can these structure be used to answer why i would like to attend a firms open day?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Can these structure be used to answer why i would like to attend a firms open day?

With an open day application, you should focus a little more on what you want to gain knowledge wise from attending the open day rather than just showing what you already know. Depending on the open day application question, you typically don’t have to cover why commercial law too. It really depends on what you are being asked to provide though.