Hey there,
My
Linklaters interview was last cycle for a Spring VS. I understand they have changed the case study format this year, but hopefully you find some parts of my experience helpful anyway!
From what I can remember, the HR interview was not difficult. It was a standard competency interview - ‘why Law’, ‘what makes
Linklaters different from other Magic Circle firms’, ‘a time you missed a deadline’. Know your CV well and use STAR method, and I think you will be fine!
For the case study - I remember my
Linklaters AC invite described this part as an in-tray exercise, but it was more like a standard case study that I could type on a computer. It could be different this cycle though. The case study took the form of an M&A deal if I recall correctly. It had to do with a clothing company that was acquiring another clothes retailer, that had production arms in India and also I think there was an issue of a slight branding mismatch (independent niche v fast fashion). There were some competition issues involved in acquiring the company, also ongoing litigation, and I think general profitability issues.
Unfortunately I have never sat an actual e-tray exercise, I have only done mock e-tray exercises online. I know Eversheds does an e-tray as part of their AC (or at least they used to), so it may be worth checking if there is any feedback on that, either here on TCLA or elsewhere online. I think e-trays test your organisation and prioritisation skills, so you might want to take a note of who's your (fictitious) superior/subordinate in the workplace, and accept/delegate work accordingly.
All the very best
