TCLA General Discussion Thread #2 (2021)

[S87]

Does anyone have any advice on natural hair in professional settings? I have very curly hair but I always straighten it before I attend firm events or interviews because I'm worried it looks unprofessional and messy. Does it actually matter?

I literally show up to my work meetings with my afro hair..This is my hair like it or not!

 

[law89]

I have just been offered a training contract at a local high street firm. They have suggested starting in November but I was hoping to do a bit of travelling for a couple of months after my LPC which finishes in October.
I am however worried that asking to start a few months later might make it seem like I’m not eager to start? Also, would they view it as strange that I would ask for a delayed start for this reason when travelling may not be entirely possible in the winter due to Covid anyway? (In which case I would just travel wherever possible, even domestically for a month or two- in short I just want a slightly longer break before I’m tied down for a few years).

 

[Jessica Booker]

I have just been offered a training contract at a local high street firm. They have suggested starting in November but I was hoping to do a bit of travelling for a couple of months after my LPC which finishes in October.
I am however worried that asking to start a few months later might make it seem like I’m not eager to start? Also, would they view it as strange that I would ask for a delayed start for this reason when travelling may not be entirely possible in the winter due to Covid anyway? (In which case I would just travel wherever possible, even domestically for a month or two- in short I just want a slightly longer break before I’m tied down for a few years).

The only issue will be if they have a need for you to start in November.

There is no harm in asking if there is any flexibility though, explaining you’d like time off after your LPC that finishes in October (you don’t have to reference the travelling or you can say you would take the opportunity to travel if you can).

The worst they can say is no and ask you to start in November as currently planned.

 

[law89]

The only issue will be if they have a need for you to start in November.

There is no harm in asking if there is any flexibility though, explaining you’d like time off after your LPC that finishes in October (you don’t have to reference the travelling or you can say you would take the opportunity to travel if you can).

The worst they can say is no and ask you to start in November as currently planned.

Thank you Jessica

 

[Deleted member 8227]

I don’t think curly hair is an issue. People can have straight hair and it can look unprofessional/messy too.

You definitely don’t need to straighten it though. As long as it’s washed fairly regularly, and styled in a way that is “tidy” that is the main thing really.

For instance, my hair is pretty much the polar opposite to yours. But I have to make sure it is cut regularly (as it otherwise looks really straggly) and in my old age I now ensure I dye it regularly too. I never wear my hair up, but that can be a good way to ensure your hair looks “neat”, whether it’s fully or partly put up, or pinned back with something.

Hey! I have curly hair and I completely understand where this is coming from - I tend to think my hair looks unprofessional/messy too. When attending events/interviews, I always just tied it into a high ponytail. I deal with any frizz or shorter baby hair I have up front by using the some hair spray. Usually just spritzing a bit on a brush and then combing the frizzy areas back. Throughout the day my hair will get frizzy again, so sometimes I'd carry the hairspray and the brush with me to fix it up but even when I didn't do that it was never really an issue. During an in-person VS, I even went in a couple of days with my hair down (and this was when my hair was super long) with a hairband and some clips to keep it away from my face - again it was never an issue. I'm not a fan of straightening my hair because any heat/colour I've ever used has always just dried my curls out and made it look an absolute mess. Unless you really want to, don't feel the need to do it! A ponytail/updo will do just fine.

I literally show up to my work meetings with my afro hair..This is my hair like it or not!

Thank you all, this is really reassuring. I'll stop worrying about it and just make sure it's neat!

 

[Jony]

Thought I'd give a hello, it's been awhile since I've been here! Miss everybody and it certainly seems alot emptier when vac scheme season is over

I recently was on the Skadden scheme and would love to give anyone advice on it if you're thinking of applying for it for the next cycle. I'll also be heading into Ashurst's vac scheme soon so DM me if you need help!

Interestingly enough, I've realised that corporate law may not be the only path that I can take. I've spent the past few months trading the cryptocurrency market up and down and it's turned out to be far more rewarding than I've thought and am also in the process of applying for NGOs. I'll likely be taking a sabbatical for the next year, who knows! (this is a deviant post on TCLA haha)

Take care everyone!

 

[Jacob Miller]

I have just been offered a training contract at a local high street firm. They have suggested starting in November but I was hoping to do a bit of travelling for a couple of months after my LPC which finishes in October.
I am however worried that asking to start a few months later might make it seem like I’m not eager to start? Also, would they view it as strange that I would ask for a delayed start for this reason when travelling may not be entirely possible in the winter due to Covid anyway? (In which case I would just travel wherever possible, even domestically for a month or two- in short I just want a slightly longer break before I’m tied down for a few years).

Congratulations on your TC offer! I agree with Jess' advice here that asking is generally harmless; in some cases a smaller firm may actually have more flexibility than larger firms who have set annual or biannual intakes.

 

[law89]

Congratulations on your TC offer! I agree with Jess' advice here that asking is generally harmless; in some cases a smaller firm may actually have more flexibility than larger firms who have set annual or biannual intakes.

Thank you Jacob!

 

[Jaysen]

Thought I'd give a hello, it's been awhile since I've been here! Miss everybody and it certainly seems alot emptier when vac scheme season is over

I recently was on the Skadden scheme and would love to give anyone advice on it if you're thinking of applying for it for the next cycle. I'll also be heading into Ashurst's vac scheme soon so DM me if you need help!

Interestingly enough, I've realised that corporate law may not be the only path that I can take. I've spent the past few months trading the cryptocurrency market up and down and it's turned out to be far more rewarding than I've thought and am also in the process of applying for NGOs. I'll likely be taking a sabbatical for the next year, who knows! (this is a deviant post on TCLA haha)

Take care everyone!

Welcome back @Jony. Fun fact: This post of yours remains one of our most bookmarked posts this year.

Nothing wrong with posting about alternative career paths/taking time out, it's great to see. Also brave of you to be trading cryptocurrency!

 

[Jacob Miller]

Hey all!

I've just posted a short guide on buying and wearing men's formalwear (suits etc) for vac schemes, interviews etc with law firms after a really interesting discussion over the last couple of weeks surrounding female clothing options led by @AspiringSol

As much as I've joked about men's formalwear being dead easy in the past, it can actually be a bit of a minefield and also can get super expensive so I've collated my experiences of buying at different price points and also constructing formal outfits. Hope some of you find it helpful!

Dress to impress: men's clothing for vacation schemes and law firm events

Introduction After a great recent discussion about women’s clothes options for vacation schemes, I was reminded of some of the challenges I had when I was first building up a wardrobe of formalwear, both in terms of finding clothing options at an accessible price and actually putting together...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

 

[Selggib16]

Hi guys, does anybody have any insight into the case study that Clifford Chance used this year? I am trying to expand my knowledge in this area and practice as much areas as possible. I know that last years was on the Thomas Cook collapse and insolvency etc but wondered if they change it every year in relation to current events. I always fall down on case studies and was looking for some more detail. Thanks so much.

 

[JoeGabbott]

Hi guys! I have an upcoming AC and I have to prepare a case study related to picking a non-FTSE business that's interested me. It says I have to produce an executive summary covering the story, what interests me and potential impact the story will have on the company in the future. Does anyone have any idea to how I should approach this for the AC?

 

[Jacob Miller]

Hi guys! I have an upcoming AC and I have to prepare a case study related to picking a non-FTSE business that's interested me. It says I have to produce an executive summary covering the story, what interests me and potential impact the story will have on the company in the future. Does anyone have any idea to how I should approach this for the AC?

So an executive summary is simply bullet point headers for each of the key points you address and conclusions you come to in the substantive piece.

Keep it really short, not a single word more than necessary, and make sure everything in there serves a purpose of conveying the most important information.

 

[CSmith]

Does anyone have any tips on how to complete prioritisation tasks? Never done one before!

 

[Jessica Booker]

A great tweet thread here on effective writing:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1402061441583259649

my favourite part:

 

[Andrew M]

 

[Deleted member 2707]

Hi! After a much-needed break from applications, I'm gearing up and jumping right back into the summer cycle. I decided to go back to step 1 and re-evaluate the 'Why (Commercial) Law' question as I realised that my answers were too generic. I've narrowed them down to 3 points but it is more topical/characteristics of commercial law that draw me rather than in a narrative of how I ventured into commercial law. I was wondering if it was okay to pursue this style (maybe a more persuasive/uni-writing style) than the typical narrative? I'm not sure how to go about the narrative style as my journey to commercial law involved a lot of long-term reflection/practical experience rather than a few sparks of inspiration.

 

[Dheepa]

Hi! After a much-needed break from applications, I'm gearing up and jumping right back into the summer cycle. I decided to go back to step 1 and re-evaluate the 'Why (Commercial) Law' question as I realised that my answers were too generic. I've narrowed them down to 3 points but it is more topical/characteristics of commercial law that draw me rather than in a narrative of how I ventured into commercial law. I was wondering if it was okay to pursue this style (maybe a more persuasive/uni-writing style) than the typical narrative? I'm not sure how to go about the narrative style as my journey to commercial law involved a lot of long-term reflection/practical experience rather than a few sparks of inspiration.

Hi there, nice to have you back again! ☺️ Highlighting the characteristics of commercial law is perfectly fine but you'd ideally still want to link to to the practical experience you mentioned, really explain the details of each experience and how they led you to the decision to pursue the career.

 

[W]

Anyone heard back from Faegre Drinker yet?

 

[Lumree]

Does anyone have any tips for handling the time constraints on one way video interviews? I have a tendency to rush through my answer because of the fear of being cut off!

I have 2.5 minutes to answer, which is more than others I have seen, but when practising I still run close to the time. Should I use fewer examples to better focus on my delivery? This is in relation to practising my ‘why X firm’ question where I give 3 reasons and my motivations for them.