TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2022-23

[Caroline1999]

I'd almost just follow what it says and take until the 16th to complete it. Tale a screenshot of the message/bookmark the email that tells you that you have until the 16th so that you can present this to grad rec should any problems occur with you submitting your WG.

Thank you! I think I’ll email Grad rec tomorrow

 

[WAL007]

When can we expect a PFO from HSF? I see others have been contacted and thought that we should have been rejected by now

 

[daisy_yawn]

Do Hogan Lovells wait until the deadline to send out interview invites even though they're rolling?

 

[Netta]

When can we expect a PFO from HSF? I see others have been contacted and thought that we should have been rejected by now

I got a PFO from them last week after applying the day applications opened if that's any help!

 

[confusedlawstudent]

I am applying for the Taylor Wessing Summer 2023 VS, and one of the questions is: We strive for excellence for our clients and people. What does success look like for you and where have you seen or experienced this. (250 words max) *

How should I structure my answer? What I am thinking right now is:
- How I define success at university (working hard to achieve my goals)
- How I define success at work (working hard with the team to achieve both our individual and collective goals)
- How I define success outside work and university (e.g. playing chess, working on outperforming myself, winning against a higher ranking player)
- Conclusion

I also dont really know what to put as an example for when I have experienced/seen success at university. Any thoughts?

Thank you!

 

[Maria d'Orey]

I am applying for the Taylor Wessing Summer 2023 VS, and one of the questions is: We strive for excellence for our clients and people. What does success look like for you and where have you seen or experienced this. (250 words max) *

How should I structure my answer? What I am thinking right now is:
- How I define success at university (working hard to achieve my goals)
- How I define success at work (working hard with the team to achieve both our individual and collective goals)
- How I define success outside work and university (e.g. playing chess, working on outperforming myself, winning against a higher ranking player)
- Conclusion

I also dont really know what to put as an example for when I have experienced/seen success at university. Any thoughts?

Thank you!

Hi @confusedlawstudent - I really like the ideas that you have so far!

In my opinion, your decision to define success in an academic, professional and personal sense sounds very reasonable as it will allow you to structure your answer more clearly! ☺️

When it comes to an example of success at university, this will depend of your own definition of success. So, bearing in mind what you have proposed (working hard to achieve your goals) I think that you could consider the following points:

- Have you ever struggled with a particular subject/assignment and had to take a step back to determine how you would approach this situation? What steps did you take to "recalibrate" (e.g. did you reach out to anyone specific or create a new study schedule that prioritised this material)? How did these steps help you achieve your goal?

- Did you have to balance many responsibilities at university (e.g. studies, part-time job, volunteer work, societies)? What were those and why were they important to you? How did you approach this challenge to achieve your goal?

- During your studies, was there a moment when you noticed that you needed to work on a particular skill of yours (e.g. presentation skills)? If so, did you take any initiative to work on this? What did this look like and how did it help you achieve your goal?

In general, I think that what all of these examples have in common is that they all mention 1) a challenge that you faced and 2) how you tackled this challenge. However, this explanation should not be very descriptive.

To ensure that your example addresses the issue of success, it is important that you prioritise reflecting on why this was something worth pursuing for you. Achievements/success can be quite subjective, but I think that as long as you clarify why you personally consider something to be an achievement/success, no example will be "wrong" here!

I hope this helps!! 😄

 

[confusedlawstudent]

Hi @confusedlawstudent - I really like the ideas that you have so far!

In my opinion, your decision to define success in an academic, professional and personal sense sounds very reasonable as it will allow you to structure your answer more clearly! ☺️

When it comes to an example of success at university, this will depend of your own definition of success. So, bearing in mind what you have proposed (working hard to achieve your goals) I think that you could consider the following points:

- Have you ever struggled with a particular subject/assignment and had to take a step back to determine how you would approach this situation? What steps did you take to "recalibrate" (e.g. did you reach out to anyone specific or create a new study schedule that prioritised this material)? How did these steps help you achieve your goal?

- Did you have to balance many responsibilities at university (e.g. studies, part-time job, volunteer work, societies)? What were those and why were they important to you? How did you approach this challenge to achieve your goal?

- During your studies, was there a moment when you noticed that you needed to work on a particular skill of yours (e.g. presentation skills)? If so, did you take any initiative to work on this? What did this look like and how did it help you achieve your goal?

In general, I think that what all of these examples have in common is that they all mention 1) a challenge that you faced and 2) how you tackled this challenge. However, this explanation should not be very descriptive.

To ensure that your example addresses the issue of success, it is important that you prioritise reflecting on why this was something worth pursuing for you. Achievements/success can be quite subjective, but I think that as long as you clarify why you personally consider something to be an achievement/success, no example will be "wrong" here!

I hope this helps!! 😄

That's so helpful. Thank you so much!

 

[Maria d'Orey]

If an application asks about any open days/events you have attended in the legal sector, does this mean you need to expand on why you attended, what you have learned from it etc.? Thank you

Hi @Dib312 - very good question! 😊

I think that the most important thing when talking about open days/events you've attended is to not be very descriptive. Instead, it is best to reflect on your experience. Open days, in particular, are generally pretty similar to one another, so I would say that there is really no need to explain what you've done there.

In my opinion, there is no harm in explaining why you've decided to join a specific open day/event, but please don't feel like you need to explain yourself too much here. Simply mentioning that you "decided to join [insert event] because you wanted to understand more about [insert topic]" should suffice!

Lastly, yes! I would 100% suggest reflecting on what you've learnt from these experiences. You can consider some of the following points:

- Did this event spark your interest in a particular practice area?
- Did this event made you interested in a specific topic that you then went on to research further?
- Did this event made you realise that your skills/personality would be better suited to a particular type of firm?
- If the open day that you're referring to was with the firm that you are now applying to, how did it help confirm that this was the right firm for you?

I hope this is helpful!

 

[kokothemagicdragon]

Anyone heard anything back from: A&O, DLA Piper, Skadden, White & Case, Cleary? I have not....

 

[captainhilts]

Would the current energy crisis be a "business story" for the purposes of interviews/apps? @Jessica Booker

 

[AvniD]

Would the current energy crisis be a "business story" for the purposes of interviews/apps? @Jessica Booker

Not Jessica, but it definitely could! I'd focus on what the main commercial issues are, how it may impact law firms' clients and what lawyers may need to mitigate the story's impact on both clients and law firms.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Would the current energy crisis be a "business story" for the purposes of interviews/apps? @Jessica Booker

I think this is too big a topic to do just in either an application of an interview. However, there are thousands of sub-stories within this topic - how it effects different industries, how different countries are responding, opinions on how such a crisis could be averted in the future. I would advise trying to focus on one of these smaller stories - it will be more unique (I'd think more than 1 in 5 candidates will choose the energy crisis more broadly) and it will allow you to show a deeper level of analysis because the topic is more specific.

 

[Username9999]

Jones Day interview invite

 

[mckelly]

Jones Day interview invite

Congrats! When did you apply?

 

[babylawyer]

Has anyone navigated through the Simmons online test - how would you recommend preparing for the interview bit?

 

[liam bint]

Hi, I just wanted to ask whether you thought an idea I had to this question was relevant please! Question is:
'As an independent UK firm what do you think are the main challenges and opportunities that Burges Salmon could face over the next five years?'

Im not sure if a law firm can comment/advise on a clients ESG policies, but I was thinking that throughout the pandemic and most probably now due to the economic situation, businesses (especially retail) engaged in a lot more human rights abuses (forced labour, lack of safety etc) partly in an attempt to save them money and because the workers were in increased economic hardship themselves. Would I be able to mention this as a challenge for the law firm? Im not sure what sort of advice firms give to clients on supply chains etc so not sure whether it is relevant. i have other ideas if not i just wanted someone elses opinion if thats okay!

Thanks a lot.

@Jessica Booker

 

[Username9999]

Congrats! When did you apply?

I applied on September 29th

 

[born&raised]

I missed out on the CC Impactful Applications workshop If anyone took notes or main pointers I'd be so grateful if you could share them!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi, I just wanted to ask whether you thought an idea I had to this question was relevant please! Question is:
'As an independent UK firm what do you think are the main challenges and opportunities that Burges Salmon could face over the next five years?'

Im not sure if a law firm can comment/advise on a clients ESG policies, but I was thinking that throughout the pandemic and most probably now due to the economic situation, businesses (especially retail) engaged in a lot more human rights abuses (forced labour, lack of safety etc) partly in an attempt to save them money and because the workers were in increased economic hardship themselves. Would I be able to mention this as a challenge for the law firm? Im not sure what sort of advice firms give to clients on supply chains etc so not sure whether it is relevant. i have other ideas if not i just wanted someone elses opinion if thats okay!

Thanks a lot.

@Jessica Booker

Unfortunately I am not really an expert on this topic of ESG, so it’s hard for me to advise on the suitability. What I would say, is be clear what is the exact challenge/opportunity within the theme of ESG (this is an exceptionally broad topic, and probably needs a bit more focus to ensure you explain the challenge well).

I’d also have a clear structure by making sure you are clear on the following:

What is the challenge/opportunity
Why is it a challenge/opportunity
How can the firm minimise the challenge/maximise the opportunity

 

[lawpersongirl123]

Jones Day interview invite

Jones Day interview invite

Congrats!! Very happy for you! When did they ask for your reference if you don’t mind me asking? And do you know the turnaround after it was sent to the interview invite? Thanks Good luck with your interview!