Training Contracts 2014

Which gets me onto my next question, has anyone done the Hogan Lovells TC assessment day yet? I have mine on Wednesday and any advice for what comes up in the interview? I.E is it CV/commercially/Hogan Lovells focussed? I'm not too worried about the group exercise or redoing the Watson-Glaser would like to prep a bit for the interview if possible!

Hey, how did you Hogan Lovells assessment day go? I have one with them next week, so was wondering if you'd be able to impart some wisdom?

How did it compare to other interviews you've been to? What kind of questions were asked?

Any information would be very appreciated.

I could do with some advice about how to fill out the "give details of your interests/positions of responsibility" questions on application forms.

I understand that I need to say what I have learned from the things that I've done - e.g. being publicity officer for a student run charity has developed my teamworking skills blah blah blah... but do I also need to relate this back to law? So, my ability to work in a team will be useful when working with other departments on the same case. OR is this just stating the obvious and takes up valuabe word space?

I've just completely wasted a TC application. Emailed it 10 minutes ago, and now I want to run down there and press delete before HR read it.

Successfully by all accounts, I got offered a training contract

In comparison to other interviews, the interview itself was fairly standard, both my interviewers were friendly but also candid and didn't take themselves too seriously which I really appreciated and probably gelled quite well with. Obviously, know the firm and why you want to work there.

Biggest swerve-ball for me was the group discussion exercise. The way it was set up was different to ones I've done before, which was odd and possibly threw some people, but just approach it like you would any group discussion and you'll be fine. In my opinion you win the TC in the interview-the group discussion and redo of watson-glaser shouldn't be anything too stressful.

In terms of questions for the interview it would be unfair of me to say, but its nothing that you wouldn't expect. I liked it because they asked my opinion on things I mentioned or news stories etc. Mine felt more of a chat than an interview which was nice.

Prepare before, relax when you're there, and try and enjoy the day. Oh, and make sure you eat a cookie, they're GOOD!

Good luck!

Congratulations! Very happy for you, do you think you will accept it?

Thanks for the advice, all very helpful. I haven't ever been in an assessed group discussion exercise before, so I wouldn't know if it was different to others! (I doubt that will be an advantage though...!)

I still have over a week so plenty of time to get cracking and try to prepare as much as possible.

Congrats again, and I'll make sure I try one of the cookies!

I'm sorry if I'm repeating something that has already been covered in slightly different words but I'm a bit confused about timings with TCs and was wondering if anyone could help me.

If you do a summer vac scheme and are lucky enought to get offered a TC with them, does this usually come straight after your interview/VS with the firm, or after the July 31st deadline? Similarly, are TC offers given out before the July 31st deadline?

My exact dilemma is that I have been offered a place on the GDL at CoL and need to make a snappy decision about whether to take it or not. However, I have a vac scheme lined up over summer and if (optimistically speaking!) I were to be offered a TC with that firm then they would want me to study at another centre (Kaplan - which on my own I can't afford) Sooo...do I hold off accepting CoL?- since if I accept and don't find out about a TC before July 31st then I'll be tied into paying the first instalment...and then potentially going to another centre anyway!

Hope this makes some sort of sense and I would appreciate any advice!

Don't accept the COL offer. See how the vac scheme goes. Then, if you don't get that TC, you can get back onto the COL GDL at short notice (I know someone who was accepted onto the course at really short notice with no prior legal work exp). I'm pretty sure you'd be able to get onto the course at a later stage - can't guarantee it, but this is the approach I'd take.

I'd listen to Mike the Pike.

All my dealing with CoL lead me to believe that the only entrance criteria are that you have £10,000 and a pen. And the latter they will give you.

Don't accept the COL offer. See how the vac scheme goes. Then, if you don't get that TC, you can get back onto the COL GDL at short notice (I know someone who was accepted onto the course at really short notice with no prior legal work exp). I'm pretty sure you'd be able to get onto the course at a later stage - can't guarantee it, but this is the approach I'd take.

Thanks for the advice

As for the timings thing, do you know if TC offers are made before the 31st July if a firm really likes you? Trying to prepare for all possible outcomes!

Thanks for the advice

As for the timings thing, do you know if TC offers are made before the 31st July if a firm really likes you? Trying to prepare for all possible outcomes!

If you're a regular applicant, (ie penultimate year Law or final year non-law), they're not allowed to give any offers until July 31st. The rationale behind this is to avoid a big UCAS-style mess in August-September. If a firm offered you early, then the whole thing would fall apart and become a free for all. They'd expect a quick answer, otherwise they might as well wait until August - and if you aren't sure whether or not to accept - the whole thing becomes a farce.

I disagree.

From my experience last year, the only people affected by the 1 September rule are penultimate year students (whether law or non-law).

The rule does not apply to final year non-law, hence why final year non-law students can apply for TC's as from Oct/November/ December and why many have already received offers so far, despite it being only February. Clifford Chance have even already closed their non-law TC apps as of end of January, and had interviews/made offers all last week.

For those who do vacation schemes, the same applies. Final year non-law can hear soon after the vacation scheme- on the scheme I did last Easter, they heard the next week. The rest of us penultimate years (both law and non-law) had to wait till 1 September.

The whole 31 July date is only really relevant for penultimate year law students applying for TCs as it is, obviously, the deadline for most firms. Some smaller firms, mostly American firms like Sullivan and Cromwell, would also not reply to final year non-law students until this date. They are, however, only in the minority. All the magic circle firms and most silver circle like Hogan Lovells, etc, have already interviewed and made offers to final year non-law TC applicants for 2014 as of now.

I have no practical experience of this as I'm a law student, so I can't contradict you. I have also not made any serious application to an MC/SC firm. I was following the the SRA codes, which would seem to contradict that, unless I have completely misunderstood them.