have you been invited yet?Does anyone know what to expect at Kirkland interview/ insight day? Please pm me. Cheers
How confident are you in your knowledge of the core LLB/PGDL subjects, including Contract, Tort, Trusts, Land, Criminal, and Public Law?
TCLA is teaming up with BPP for a free interactive event designed to refresh your fundamentals, especially for those interested in or planning to take the SQE. We'll practise multiple choice SQE questions, with prizes for the highest scoring participants!
Register Herehave you been invited yet?Does anyone know what to expect at Kirkland interview/ insight day? Please pm me. Cheers
Hey maybe check your spam. It may have just been lost in there somewhere.I didn't even receive a confirmation email from them wtf
How to best answer the question 'why this firm' in a structured manner in an interview? Any insights would be appreciated @Ram Sabaratnam @Amma Usman @Andrei Radu
No they don’t lead to TCs. Completely separate process as I understand. People asked this at open day.Do the Paul Hastings PHirst Steps placements lead to training contract offer? Or is it better to apply directly to TC? (I'm final year oxbridge non-law, good grades, w/ some impressive non-law work experience).
I remember @Andrei Radu (I believe) making a post on how prepare for SJTs, or what to look out for, etc. Would really appreciate any additional advice on how to do well in SJTs because I never seem to progress with firms that use them. Thank you x
Anyone know what Gateley is looking for in their application when they ask "Please provide relevant detail and information from your work experience to date."?
Given that there aren't any other questions apart from one about their Forage work ex, should the answer to this read like a cover letter? Like what I've done, what I've learned and how the skills apply to Gateley?
Hiya,Is anyone in the same position as me - I applied to Slaughters on 30/10 for their vac scheme but I am yet to hear back.
This despite the fact that others applied much later than me and have received invites/PFO's.
Should I assume PFO or write an email asking for updates? I felt as though my application was strong and have extensive history with the firm so I'm genuinely lost here 😭
Also Ropes lets us choose between 2026 and 2027 intake when applying but on the website says only 2027 - will I be disadvantaged if I pick 2026 or will they assume I would be fine with 2027 if no 2026 places?
Do the Paul Hastings PHirst Steps placements lead to training contract offer? Or is it better to apply directly to TC? (I'm final year oxbridge non-law, good grades, w/ some impressive non-law work experience).
does anyone have any advice in how to approach a tell me about yourself question at the start of an interview. especially when the interview is CV blind so this will lead the discussion. any potential structuring tips, or things to def include?
Hey @futuretcholder . First of all, congratulations on securing the AC. You have done very well to get to that step.
With negotiation exercices, I would say the first tip is being mindful of how one comes across. It’s a negotiation -you‘re trying to meet a middle ground, so ensuring that the discussion is fruitful and not argumentative is a key skill. This is quite difficult to master, but with the right tone, approach, and demeanor, you’ll do great on this area.
The next is acknowledging both sides of the argument. A lawyer needs to understand their client, but also the client on the other side. This makes you appear as a well-rounded candidate. Briefly throw in a few pointers which show that you acknowledge and understand the other side too.
Structure, structure, structure! I can’t emphasize the importance of this enough. You need a clear structure to appear as a candidate with well-organized thoughts. This does so many things. For example, it shows the interviewer that the set preparation time for delving into the facts was more than enough for you to come back in with a reasoned position.
Above all - confidence. The more confident you are in your position as a negotiator, the more confident your answers will come across. This aspect of an AC tests things beyond your commercial acumen - it tests those soft skills that are often unspoken about.
Hope this helps, and let us know if you have any more questions![]()
Hey @sjr22 , well done on getting the AC. In terms of preparations, I remember fishing out several articles when I had ACs coming up. After reading them, I’d make a summary of the main issues and their impacts on law firms and their clients. The reason this is a good starting point is because any written element will essentially require you to demonstrate an understanding of those two core elements, as well as an ability to summarise information adequately. You may not necessarily be asked about the legal and commercial implications in a written assessment, but this knowledge will serve you well one way or another.
So, practicing using random articles on the FT, for example, would aid your preparations. Hope this helps!
I also understand all the nerves, so take a moment before your assessment to recharge![]()
Yay! Great news! I’ve included a few tips below. It’s a mix of technical and soft tips, and I believe both are equally important for success;
- Relax the night before. I don’t recommend preparing hefty content the day before as it tends to stir one‘s nerves up before the assessment.
- Research on how to ace the key components of the AC. Usually, this tends to be motivational, competency, and situational interviews, as well as commercial awareness interviews (CA). CA should be weaved in at any of the other interview types I mentioned, as it‘s a skill that should be highlighted naturally. Law firms value this heavily, as you can imagine. Lawyers in the commercial world are business advisors as well as legal advisors. Notice how the commerce part comes first in the term ‘commercial lawyer’ ?
- As a transactional focused law firm, I suspect the case study to be a corporate one. I also know this has been the case at A&O in the past. However, I am not completely certain about this. On tips to prepare for corporate case studies, see the two links below;
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(NEW) Corporate Case Study Analysis
Hi everyone! I hope you’re all having a wonderful Sunday. As we get closer to more interviews and assessment centres (AC’s) I thought it would be helpful to include a new fictitious Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) case study analysis. Hope you enjoy the read, and feel free to pop any questions...www.thecorporatelawacademy.com
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Mock M&A Case Study: Analysis
Hello everyone! I hope you’re all having a fantastic day. We’re entering the season of assessment centres (ACs) at law firms, and a hot topic for many of these ACs is Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)! So, in this thread, I’ll be guiding you through a short fictitious M&A case study and highlighting...www.thecorporatelawacademy.com
- Confidence. I appreciate this may sound a bit flowery, but if you’re confident on your abilities to excel at the AC, it will reflect in the responses you give. You didn’t get the AC by chance, they saw potential in you. All that’s left to do now is to calm yourself and showcase those abilities.
- Know your motivations. When I was applying, I fell into the trap of only knowing what I put in my application form. As you can imagine, this is very bad as your motivations for why law, or why X firm, shouldn’t be solely contained in 300 words or less. I took time out to understand what was driving me and why. This solid understanding made communicating those passions at length in an interview very easy. So, understand these drivers of yours. On this, avoid talking about personal experiences too much. By personal, I mean attributing your passion for Big Law to rather generic things like a person, or the international reach, etc. Focus on being specific to your experiences. For example, started a business or worked in one? Done legal work experience? Why the business side of law, and not family or immigration? Literally differentiating between the various forms of law in the interview to say ‘I liked this cause.. I didn’t like this cause..’, helps craft a solid answer. Basically.. show your journey. Nobody woke up one day and decided to go into the profession - there would be drivers. Some will be more specific and professional than others, so focus on those.
- Presentation. This is a given, but coming in professionally dressed in a smart suit goes a long way. At the end of the day, it’s a clientele role.
Again, very well done on getting to this stage. I’m sure you’ll ace it!
Hi, congratulations again on your first virtual AC invite!
For the group exercise, focus on presenting your views in a way that’s both respectful and collaborative. Express your ideas confidently, but also engage with and encourage others’ contributions to showcase your ability to work effectively as part of a team.
Since this is for an in-house role, it's essential to understand how the advisory scope differs from private practice. In-house lawyers are typically specialists in the specific industry they serve, providing expert advice tailored to the business's needs. However, when matters require niche expertise or go beyond their scope, they may seek support from private law firms. I have usually been asked about this difference in past ACs I’ve been to, so it’s helpful having some points under your belt on the advisory-related differences.
To prepare, familiarise yourself with the industry the company operates in and think about how their legal team might approach commercial and operational challenges. During case studies or group discussions, focus on offering practical, solution-oriented advice that balances legal compliance with business priorities.
Best of luck, you’re going to do great!![]()
Hey @suhana ,
I have linked a couple of helpful resources by the team below;
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A complete guide for competency interview preparation
This is a guide for the purposes of preparing for competency interviews, be they in a VI, another intermediary step or an AC/final stage interview. The advice here is based on my personal approach, as I received VS offers from top US/MC firms 4/4 times I implemented it. This will include: A...www.thecorporatelawacademy.com
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A Guide to Building a Winning Application Strategy
Introduction This post is meant to serve you as a definitive guide to crafting your optimal application strategy. As it is quite lengthy, I have divided it into five subsections for you to navigate according to your interests: Why do you need an application strategy? How many law firms should...www.thecorporatelawacademy.com
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Mock M&A Case Study: Analysis
Hello everyone! I hope you’re all having a fantastic day. We’re entering the season of assessment centres (ACs) at law firms, and a hot topic for many of these ACs is Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)! So, in this thread, I’ll be guiding you through a short fictitious M&A case study and highlighting...www.thecorporatelawacademy.com
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Private Equity Case Study - OPEN ENGAGEMENT ENCOURAGED ;)
Hey TCLA Community! We’re back again with the mock case studies ;) This time around, I decided to take a different approach. I’ve included the case study below, and will leave the floor open for a couple of days so you can all provide your thoughts and ideas on the commercial and legal issues...www.thecorporatelawacademy.com
Best of luck! You’ll do amazing!
Super excited—I just got invited to an assessment centre at HSF! 🎉 If anyone has tips or advice, please drop them below or DM me. Would really appreciate it! 😊
Ropes has no work experience section wtf???? Surely in that case we need to relate the 3 characteristics question back to ourselves? Strangest application ever
Hiya, I presume this should be available on amazon.Hi, does anyone know how to access the Commercial Law handbook online? PDF version or Ebook
Hi there,
Hey, I don't know the answer to the question, but I have the first-stage interview on Monday with Gibson Dunn! Would you please be able to give me any advice? how was yours, etc..How long after the second-stage interview are successful candidates typically notified by Gibson Dunn?
I’m in the similar position as well but I applied for TC 😭😭Is anyone in the same position as me - I applied to Slaughters on 30/10 for their vac scheme but I am yet to hear back.
This despite the fact that others applied much later than me and have received invites/PFO's.
Should I assume PFO or write an email asking for updates? I felt as though my application was strong and have extensive history with the firm so I'm genuinely lost here 😭