TCLA Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

[lawcurious]

Hey @lawcurious,

I am really sorry to hear this as I know how frustrating post-AC feedback can be.

Have you considered having a mock interview/assessment centre (either with friends, family, with a paid service or your university- for example I know BPP ran these for students when I was studying the PGDL)? Practice ahead of interviews (I found) was the silver bullet.

Something else to mention is that (I am told) sometimes firms will provide candidates with feedback that appears tangible, but really is a veil for more intangible reasoning (which are not really permissible as feedback). I know that @Jessica Booker has said this in the past on the forum elsewhere, but I think sometimes interviewers believe that a candidate has ticked all the boxes, but just doesn't 'feel' quite right (or something to that effect). Firm feedback can be extremely useful (and I think candidates should always ask for it whether they are successful or not!), but I think it is important not to take it too much to heart (as far as possible). On the day, it may just have been that your interviewers/assessors thought that you were not quite up to the mark for one reason or another. It might also be an indication that the firm felt that you were not quite right for them (but would be a fantastic trainee elsewhere).

This might seem unsatisfying (and a bit wishy-washy), but I wanted to mention it as sometimes these things are a little out of your control. That's not to say that you can't improve your chances (i.e., through practice!), but these processes are, to some extent, difficult to unpick and work out.

Please do reach out if you would like any further advice though @lawcurious. I fully believe that, given your success in applications and experience interviewing already, that things will turn out right.

Keep grinding, we are right there with you 🚀

Thanks very much! Ive been having similar thoughts and I think ill dial-up my interview prep to be as real as possible. I'd love to take a TCLA one but broke haha. I will try to get friends or other people I know help me with it.

Thanks again!

 

[BL]

If anyone is applying for the new Clyde TC 2022 application let me know! I can definitely send over some advice for the VI as a TC offer holder for the firm who passed 3 interviews with them ! I am overloaded with Clyde & Co information which will remain useless until August 2023 haha

Hello,

I have been invited to their assessment centre. What can I expect? in terms of interview questions, group exercise, and written exercise? It is my first assessment centre.

Thank you

 

[Miki3999]

Do you have any advice for the TI?

It's fairly straightforward. Prepare for: why commercial law, why dentons, why this office, what are dentons' competitive advantages, who are dentons' biggest rivals etc.

 

[George Maxwell]

Hello,

I have been invited to their assessment centre. What can I expect? in terms of interview questions, group exercise, and written exercise? It is my first assessment centre.

Thank you

Hey @BL,

Let me know if you would like me to link you some TCLA resources about ACs in general! We have a huge amount of content on the forum (some of which) is gold dust when preparing.

Best of luck either way and let me know how it goes! 🚀

 

[Sarai]

It's fairly straightforward. Prepare for: why commercial law, why dentons, why this office, what are dentons' competitive advantages, who are dentons' biggest rivals etc.

Thanks

 

[lawcurious]

This doc is definitely not law-focused/tailored to law firm interviews but I read it and found it useful for understanding interviews/why certain qs are asked in interviews better, and I do think the general advice given here is decent. I found it on someone's post on LinkedIn earlier and I thought I'd share it in case it helps anybody else as well: https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/do...t=YMt-UZmd7wOdGmD7uZqCWsFwjlJZGrvymA4wW-Hy77g

 

[BL]

Hey @BL,

Let me know if you would like me to link you some TCLA resources about ACs in general! We have a huge amount of content on the forum (some of which) is gold dust when preparing.

Best of luck either way and let me know how it goes! 🚀

Hey, thank you for your response. I would love those links !!!
Thank you again !

 

[Emma98]

Has anyone received a AS With Howard kennedy ?

No but I received an email a while ago saying they would get back before the end of May? I think the first ACs start on Monday so not sure what's going on

 

[Amanpreet Kaur]

Hiya, I'm just wondering if anyone knows when the slaughter and may TC deadline is?

 

[rightletsdothis]

Hello,

I have been invited to their assessment centre. What can I expect? in terms of interview questions, group exercise, and written exercise? It is my first assessment centre.

Thank you

ok so I can’t say what to prepare for in terms of the structure. I had an interview, case study and group exercise. The case study requires zero legal knowledge as they understand they are hiring non law grads also. The group exercise is focused on you being kind and well spoken more than you Racing to be the scribe or time keeper like so many do haha. Commercial awareness is what they want rather than legal knowledge so make sure you keep sliding it in. A group challenge about transporting aid? Make sure you discuss how transportation has struggled due to cyber attacks on ports, air space bans in Europe and covid work place shortages etc. just as an example! the interview is the key section at Clyde !


I would say prepare for the standard set of questions. Why Us? Why law? Why commercial law? News topic and how it relates to the firm etc. do not be generic. No “I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer”. Link something personal to yourself and give and example. In regards to the news story, make sure you know what Clyde is. It’s an insurance firm. If your story has nothing to do with that don’t use it. Talk about automated vehicals or drones. Maybe plane crashes or marine disasters etc.

also, know why Clyde stands out. I would say this is easy as Clyde is very unique. It’s an industry focused firm and not transactional (although it has small transactional wings in marine finance and aviation finance). I would avoid mentioning transactional topics like M&A or finance etc. go straight for disputes and insurance etc. also mention it’s a sector focused firm and not practice orientated. Maybe bring in their insane expansion (trebled in size in a decade etc) particularly in America! And maybe mention adoption of tech with data labs, Clyde & code smart contracts etc/ parametric insurance.

finally, prepare a ton of stories for your competency questions, and do not use all law answers. Don’t give all your examples from law societies or your law degree etc. use stories from your hobbies, sports, music etc. be yourself! Be fun. They don’t want boring people! Half of being a lawyer is being personable as you’re trapped in rooms with clients day in day out and they don’t want a social awkward person who only knows law and nothing else haha. And always link your answer back to the firm and how it would help/fit in!

finally, smile, look at the camera, use your hands! Talk up! Use a nice camera and get good lighting/mic. This is massively important. If you sound boring you have no shot. If your smiling face and look genuinely excited and happy that will go very far! Trust me, I know this from the feedback I got from partners during my TC interview. If you get to that part, it’s even more important!

so to summarise. Know that Clyde is unique! Don’t be boring, be yourself , smile and enjoy! And, EYE CONTACT. LOOK AT THE CAMERA.
Good luck!!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hiya, I'm just wondering if anyone knows when the slaughter and may TC deadline is?

This is from Lawcareers.net so is likely to be accurate.

 

[George Maxwell]

Hey, thank you for your response. I would love those links !!!
Thank you again !

Hey @BL,

You are absolutely welcome! 🏆. Please let me know if any of the links below don't work. Apologies too if any are repeated (or behind a paywall as some may be in the Premium-only forums, but the majority should be accessible for you!).

ACs in general

• My approach to preparing for ACs in general
• James' approach to preparation and managing pre-AC nerves
• Jess' insight into how ACs are assessed

Partner interviews

• Dheepa's tips for CV-based interviews and building rapport
• Neville's suggestions for questions to ask at the end of interviews
• Answering what is your biggest weakness
• The CAR structure
• Jess' tips on the length of interview answers

Written exercises

• A general structure to keep in mind
• Jess' tips and suggestions
• @SLKEJRWOI97's tips
• James' approach

I haven't included case study or presentation-specific advice in the above as I am unsure whether you will need it (let me know if your case study includes this and I will get back to you with some links!).

I hope that helps and let me know if you would like anything else 🚀

 

[George Maxwell]

Thanks very much! Ive been having similar thoughts and I think ill dial-up my interview prep to be as real as possible. I'd love to take a TCLA one but broke haha. I will try to get friends or other people I know help me with it.

Thanks again!

Hey @lawcurious,

That's absolutely fine, there's no pressure whatsoever to do it with TCLA (or any other paid service!). I do think that practice is what will push you over the line though, so I am really happy to hear that you think you have people you can turn to 💪.

Let me know if there is anything else I can help with! Always on hand to answer any questions you might have 🚀

 

[George Maxwell]

@George Maxwell @Jessica Booker I was wondering if you could help me on this. I’m researching on the following question:
Diversity & Inclusion: what are the key considerations for the legal sector in the MENA region?

I was wondering if I could get your views on this and any ideas you may have pls.

Hey @John Abram,

I just wanted to say that I aim to get back to your question this afternoon and have seen it

 

[Asil Ahmad]

View attachment 4122
This is from Lawcareers.net so is likely to be accurate.

They rolling by the way.

 

[George Maxwell]

Hii this is my second time applying to Freshfields, but first time for direct tc and I was wondering if I could get some advice on how to proceed with the 850-word letter. Whether I should make any changes to it as I had previously succeeded in the initial application stage for vac scheme.

Hey @app03,

I hope that this question is still live, as I know a few days have passed since you posted it.

My approach would depend on how much I have done in the interim. It is also particular to me (as I know that it works for me- but might not be for everyone!). When I got through to interview with a firm the year prior, but was reapplying, I essentially rewrote my application. I did this for a few reasons. Primarily, I wanted to add quite a few things that I had done since my first application. I know that personally, I write much better when I start over, rather than trying to add things in on a piecemeal basis. I also felt that, for me, adding things in/editing would take longer than re-writing it fully (it's partly just the way my brain works). However, I would likely reuse, if not marginally alter, the structure I implemented before. In my opinion, a strong structure can transform an average application into an exceptional one (and with 850 words it is easy to write a lot without remaining focused).

One practical way that I did use my previous applications was to separate out each sentence in a word document, rather than keeping my previous application as a block of text. I found that I could engage with it more effectively that way. I would then highlight the parts that I felt were particularly good/worthy of recycling.

That being said, if you feel that you can write a strong application without rewriting it fully, then feel free to add things in on a piecemeal basis. I know that for some people this will be preferable. I don't foresee there being an issue with reusing the substantive content of your application either. I would, however, encourage you to write the best application that you can, in light of your experiences in the interim, rather than relying on an application that previously succeeded in passing the initial application stage. I found this tempting but ineffective (as it just took me a lot longer than rewriting). Remember: there is no guarantee that the same application (or a very similar one) will pass the application stage twice in two different application cycles, so it is important to give it your all if you can.

@Jessica Booker and the rest of the team (@James Carrabino and @AvniD) might disagree with the above, so take this advice with a pinch of salt, as it is only my opinion.

I hope that helps though! Very happy to continue this discussion or help with another element of your application if you would like!

 

[George Maxwell]

@George Maxwell @Jessica Booker I was wondering if you could help me on this. I’m researching on the following question:
Diversity & Inclusion: what are the key considerations for the legal sector in the MENA region?

I was wondering if I could get your views on this and any ideas you may have pls.

Hey @John Abram,

I am not sure I am going to be very helpful with this question honestly. But would be happy to be a sounding board. What are your thoughts so far? I know that @LauraAlturaCoaching has a lot of experience doing D&I work, so perhaps she would be a good person to help (if she has the time to reply and sees this!).

For context, what is this an application for? And where is the job?

 

[app03]

Hey @app03,

I hope that this question is still live, as I know a few days have passed since you posted it.

My approach would depend on how much I have done in the interim. It is also particular to me (as I know that it works for me- but might not be for everyone!). When I got through to interview with a firm the year prior, but was reapplying, I essentially rewrote my application. I did this for a few reasons. Primarily, I wanted to add quite a few things that I had done since my first application. I know that personally, I write much better when I start over, rather than trying to add things in on a piecemeal basis. I also felt that, for me, adding things in/editing would take longer than re-writing it fully (it's partly just the way my brain works). However, I would likely reuse, if not marginally alter, the structure I implemented before. In my opinion, a strong structure can transform an average application into an exceptional one (and with 850 words it is easy to write a lot without remaining focused).

One practical way that I did use my previous applications was to separate out each sentence in a word document, rather than keeping my previous application as a block of text. I found that I could engage with it more effectively that way. I would then highlight the parts that I felt were particularly good/worthy of recycling.

That being said, if you feel that you can write a strong application without rewriting it fully, then feel free to add things in on a piecemeal basis. I know that for some people this will be preferable. I don't foresee there being an issue with reusing the substantive content of your application either. I would, however, encourage you to write the best application that you can, in light of your experiences in the interim, rather than relying on an application that previously succeeded in passing the initial application stage. I found this tempting but ineffective (as it just took me a lot longer than rewriting). Remember: there is no guarantee that the same application (or a very similar one) will pass the application stage twice in two different application cycles, so it is important to give it your all if you can.

@Jessica Booker and the rest of the team (@James Carrabino and @AvniD) might disagree with the above, so take this advice with a pinch of salt, as it is only my opinion.

I hope that helps though! Very happy to continue this discussion or help with another element of your application if you would like!

Thank you so much! I’ll keep that in mind.

 

[Jessica Booker]

@George Maxwell @Jessica Booker I was wondering if you could help me on this. I’m researching on the following question:
Diversity & Inclusion: what are the key considerations for the legal sector in the MENA region?

I was wondering if I could get your views on this and any ideas you may have pls.

I haven’t got the specific experience of diversity aspects in MENA to advise on what the themes are. However, I think this article might be a useful starting point:

Council Post: The Why And How For Diversity, Equity And Inclusion In The MENA Region

Driving long-term change in the MENA region through these proven DE&I methods isn't something that can be realized within a day.

www.forbes.com

With a question like this, I would make sure you think about all the relevant parties involved in a law firm’d business and the different ways that diversity and inclusion impacts them.

 

[Asil Ahmad]

Do you think you can talk about a firm's culture for a reason to why you are interested in that law firm if you have worked as a paralegal in that firm and you worked closely on a daily basis with a partner and associates and a tainee. As I know that you can't actually talk about a reason for it being its culture if you have not worked in that law firm before. So just wanted to know would it be a good example for instance in this situation.