The AC's were all end of March/start of April so I'm afraid you're assuming correctlyI’m currently assuming a PFO, but has anyone actually been rejected from Mischon post Summer Vac scheme VI yet?
They suggested they’d respond by the end of March, now it’s the end of April and I’ve heard nothing 🤔
Usually after the event, as sometimes this isn’t done just by email, but by forms sent to attendees, so they can confirm who attended the event. This is usually done by sending pictures of your travel tickets, bank statements, etc. However, there may also be flexibility to request earlier, if you contact the firm.If the firm have offered to reimburse travel costs is it normal to request this before or after the event?
Hey!Does anyone have tips on the final training contract interview (post-vacation scheme). I was wondering how you can use your vacation scheme experience to support your answer of Why do you want to work at this firm and why law. Thank you !
scared i might not convert my VS into TC. 6 offers went out on thursday from 15 of us. i dont think they have more.
I’m really sorry to hear that, but please remember this doesn’t take away from all the hard work you’ve put in. It’s okay to feel disappointed, and it’s completely valid to take a moment to process that. But don’t let this keep you down. Every person in this field has faced rejection at some point - it’s a shared experience that doesn’t reflect your worth or abilities. You’re doing all the right things, and this is just one part of your journey. Take the time you need to feel the emotions, and when you’re ready, pick yourself up and keep going. There are so many opportunities still ahead, and this doesn’t define your path or limit what you can achieve.Received a PFO from Paul,Weiss, as expected tbh, but pretty demoralising that they took this long to hand it to me.
Andrei, you are my hero.Hi @ashwright and huge congratulations, I'm so happy to hear the news 🥳🥳 ! First off, my advice is to take a moment to celebrate this before jumping into preparations; I remember the first time I got an AC invite, it was one of the most exciting moments in my life - probably even more than when I got a VS or TC offer! After dealing with a lot of insecurity because of my past rejections, this was the first time I remember think 'I can actually do this' and also fully believing it, so looking back I wish I had cherished the moment a bit more rather than jumping straight away to chase the next thing.
As for advice around identifying and articulating legal issues arising from a business proposal, I think you should essentially analyze the proposed dealing by constantly asking yourself questions such as:
Essentially, for any piece of information give, I think you need to ask yourself (i) is there any way this entails a risk, even if a remote one? is there anything here that could go wrong and cause some sort of harm to my client?; and if the answer is yes, then ask (ii) how is this connected to law and how can it be remedied? This mindset is partly why some people describe the job of commercial lawyers as that of a "risk-mitigator"
- What exactly is each party promising here? How do I make sure this is enforceable?
- What could go wrong with the transaction? What commercial risks does accepting this proposal imply? Is there any way such risks can be mitigated via legal instruments?
- Are there any potential legal liabilities resulting from this? Is there any way that the proposed transaction, or elements it entails, are contrary to law/regulations?
Now, what exactly those risks are will greatly depend on the specifics of the business proposal. However, I think you can improve your chances of spotting by learning about the following:
- General business risks and costs: by familiarizing yourself with the kind of things businesses need to be aware about in general, you increase your odds of identifying their particular instantiations in the exercise. I have linked here an introductory Investopedia article on the topic.
- Risks involved in contracts: since any business proposal, if accepted, is likely to take the form of a contract, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of the risks involved in transactions and how contractual provisions can address them. In particular, have a look for how to address liability exposure in case of breach, management of disputes, termination rights, force majeure clauses, reputational risks, and interpretation of ambiguous terms.
- M&A risks: M&A transactions are the most common type of business proposal encountered in ACs, so I think it is definitely useful to understand the basic terms that go into this type of deal and the types of harms they protect parties from. I would have a look in particular at NDAs, warranties, indemnities, disclosure schedules, change of control clauses, employee retention, IP ownership, and conditions precedent (which is where we would require, for instance, clearance from the competition law authorities) .
Not necessarily a bad sign at all. This has happened to me quite a few times, and I’ve still gotten offers. Sometimes it just means they’ve gone through the list of questions they were given by grad rec or tailored the conversation based on what they felt was relevant to the role or your background.If an interview ends in 30 mins but was booked in for hour is that a bad sign? They said they had no more questions… not sure what to think lmao
Mention preferred practice area if this is one of the firms strengths. Don't say capital markets if the firm only has a very small capital markets teamAlso, how much would you recommend mentioning preferred practice areas in applications/interview? If I said I was really interested in capital markets, for example, would that seem too closed off?
That's absolutely amazing to hear @ashwright 🥳 🥳🥳 huge congratulations!!! I am so happy I managed to help you along the way, stories like yours are why I love doing this job - so if you need any other advice in the future, just give a shout. But right now, my only remaining tip for you is to take a moment to let it sink in how far you've come and to celebrate this incredible achievementAndrei, you are my hero.
Guess who got offered the role?
Thank you, thank you, and thank you. You deserve a shower of gratitude which no combination of the 26 letters of the alphabet can convey. The most accurate statement of my feelings is simply: you are incredible.
Quite frankly, I am in disbelief - I did not think I would land the role. Yet, thanks to your knowledge and kindness, I was able to do so. You are a miracle worker. I am so unbelieveably grateful to you for sharing your well-informed and incisive insights with me. Not only did you help me through my first AC, you also helped me with my confidence - be it explicitly or implicitly, your support continually built me up.
Thank you so much for helping my life so much.
Generally you’ll still find places pretty late on in August and even sometime early September. Might be trickier if you are looking to do the GDL in a location outside of major course providers (eg outside of London/Manchester).Does anyone know how late you can apply to do the PGDL? e.g. if I convert my VS, i'd want to start in september – this means I'd only know in July/August, can you stilll apply then?
I think generally speaking practice area interests make for some of the most persuasive 'why the firm' reasons, as they make a direct link between the firm's work and your motivations. Many of my why the firm answers and those of other successful applicants I know were based almost entirely on practice area interests - so I do not think there is any point at which you should think you have talked about them too much.Also, how much would you recommend mentioning preferred practice areas in applications/interview? If I said I was really interested in capital markets, for example, would that seem too closed off?
To take your questions in turn:hi @Andrei Radu @Amma Usman
I have made it to the video presentation round of kingsley’s tc application process and wanted some advice.
For background, we have been given a defamation case and we have to pitch to a client who is an individual who has been defamed (the reality tv star) . We will be marked on the following points -
1. why your firm should be instructed to undertake this work.
• Introduction
• Content and structure of your presentation and use of resources provided
• Client care and empathy towards the client who has been defamed and understanding his perspective
• Delivery, impact and credibility of the presentation overall
The issues I am facing here are we only have 3 mins to pitch and finish the whole thing and also if we should talk as if we are speaking to the client directly when giving the pitch so basically saying, “you should hire us because….” or should we just talk to the interviewer (the person from the firm hearing the pitch) so basically saying “they should hire us because….”
It is not on zoom and we need to record and upload it.
The jist of the matter is - A, a reality TV star, was falsely accused by a tabloid of cheating on his wife and pursuing a 15-year-old, based on a photo of him kissing B. He sued for defamation and privacy breach, won £150,000 in damages, and got the article removed. However, other outlets still have old coverage online, including embarrassing details from the trial. A now wants help removing all remaining content, as it’s harming his reputation and career.
We have also been giving two fact sheets which are basically 1. Information on media law and privacy copyright and defamation and 2. Right to be forgotten fact sheet.
I am unsure in how much legal depth I should go and what format should I follow to make the pitch should good in just 3 mins. Which departments in the firm can be used to solve this?
Thank you very much in advance.![]()
Has anyone got the Teacher Stern open day tomorrow? or have had the open day before and have any tips/ advice for it?