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TCLA Vacation Scheme Applications Discussion Thread 2024-25
- Thread starter Jessica Booker
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Has anyone braved the Bristows VI yet? Just curious how many questions there are to answer and the timings as there’s been no details whatsoever! Happy to share insights into CMS, Reed Smith and AG 😊
Can anyone who has done DACB's critical thinking test mind sharing what that actually means?
guys how do you stop yourselves from checking email every 10 minutes. I got used to getting lots of responses from firms in december and now I'm getting withdrawal symptoms.
I've learnt to embrace it... I swear I refresh mail and spam every 5 minutes 😭
Set up an email specifically and only for job applications and turn on push notifications on your phone. This way you only have job updates coming through the notis.
- Sep 7, 2024
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Hiya @AnAnonymousDuck
It can be tricky to answer these at interview, but I typically tried to take the following approach:
- Acknowledge how you are defining competition: I always tried to pre-empt what I was saying by acknowledging that competition can be defined or measured in different ways. A firm's competitors could be defined by a range of factors, including practice area strengths, sectoral capabilities, international reach, client base, or their firm structure (e.g. traditional partnership vs swiss verein). Stating this upfront shows your interviewer that you’re aware of the different angles the answer could be taken.
- Name a few (2-3): After setting out the above parameters briefly, I'd then say "taking this all into account, I think firms X, Y, and Z really stand out as key competitors to the firm."
- Make it relevant: I'd then try to explain why these firms are competitors specifically to the one you’re interviewing for. Again you can make reference to the factors you initially set out/mention in step 1 of making this answer.
Hope this helps! Good luck with any upcoming interviews!
I do this and I also check for missed calls too. 😅
This should be part of TCLA's core curriculum
Does anyone have any insight into Burges Salmon AC? First AC so anything is helpful!
- Sep 7, 2024
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Hiya @OliverTwist
Completely agree with @Jessica Booker here, and this is basically the approach I adopted when applying to Orrick. I tried to use the cover letter to discuss/address “why me” and use examples/points that didn't fit neatly into my "why Orrick"/ "why commercial law" answers. As Jess mentioned, the cover letter is a great place to highlight what interests you about Orrick’s culture or any experiences you might have had meeting people at the firm.
To avoid overlapping with the “why Orrick” question, I tried to focus my answer to that question on the firm's practice area strengths and sectoral expertise. Orrick's quite unusual combination of not only tech expertise, but also energy and finance expertise made it stand out to me compared to other firms that I'd applied to, including Cooley and Vinson & Elkins. They'd also worked on really interesting EC/VC matters that allowed me to distinguish them from the other US-headquartered firms in London whose client bases typically encompass key private equity firms and their portfolio companies.
By dedicating the cover letter to address why you and what it is about the culture/training at the firm that interests you, I think you can avoid repetition when answering the "why Orrick" question. You'll also be using the “why Orrick” question to focus directly on specific areas where the firm excels, like their strengths in technology, energy, or venture capital, etc.
Hope this helps and good luck with the application!
I was the same - until 3 rejections came in within one hour, have PTSD now
I did a Burges Salmon AC a while back and i was SO underprepared (my first AC), not sure if its the same but you had to do watson glaser, interview, written task, and group case study all within one day, its pretty long:
- in my opinion - it felt like they placed the most importance on the interview then the group case study.
The interview goes on for an hour so make it conversational and as enjoyable as you can, they aren't trying to catch you out, if anything they are gonna ask questions to try and best let you pass, expect the normal questions (why firm, etc) and if you say something genuinely interesting (like a niche hobby or interest) they will prob ask more questions about it, so just sell yourself and your knowledge on the firm.
When did you get your email! And what office? I’m still waiting should I assume PFO?
Congrats! I also got invited to the Burges Salmon AC ☺️
I applied for Bristol spring/summer VS and got the email half an hour ago. I'm not sure if they're sending out mass emails for each office- but I wish you the best of luck 🤞
You’re doing well lasting 10 minutes. If I go more than 3 I get nausea and the shakes 😂
I think I’ll assume PFO as the dates are first come first served, congratulations and good luck though!!!
bro how long does it take to send decisions? obviously, I am the best candidate so why take so long to make me a partner, smh
😒
(obviously this is a joke and ik how few hr staff there are and how high the number of applicants are)
😒
(obviously this is a joke and ik how few hr staff there are and how high the number of applicants are)
- Sep 7, 2024
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Hiya @KBanana
While tempting to do so, I think the focus of the answer should be on how the characteristics you've identified enable a Ropes & Gray lawyer to drive the firm’s business (rather than turning the question into a discussion about your own skills and experiences). This question is an opportunity to show your understanding of what makes a successful commercial lawyer and your awareness of the skills that matter most at Ropes & Gray’s London office.
I'm sure you've already thought about this, but you could discuss characteristics like client focus, technical excellence, adaptability, creativity, or commercial awareness. If you can, I'd encourage you to make the discussion of these traits more specific to Ropes & Gray. When making the link, you could consider how the traits you identify relate to the firm's strengths in areas such as private equity, high-yield finance, or in sectors such as the life sciences, and explain how they allow the firm's lawyers to contribute to the firm’s success in London and globally. This will demonstrate your thoughtfulness and commercial awareness while keeping the focus on the firm.
For instance, if you mention adaptability, why is this important to a firm such as Ropes, especially given its considerable private equity and leveraged finance focus? How does adaptability help clients in these areas when considering the specific market conditions they typically face? When drafting my answer to these type of questions, I also tried to incorporate research from certain publications about the specific sectors in question. Additionally, I'd also try to incorporate recent research about law firms themselves and what traits were particularly important for lawyers operating in big law. This allowed me to 'make the case' for why the specific trait was useful for lawyers operating in particular sectors or particular kinds of firms.
Hope this helps!
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