Vac Schemes 2012: The early bird catches the firm!

Like the thread title.

You sound like you are doing the right things and getting ahead of the game is one of the most important. Out of 5 VS applications late in the day, I got a winter workshop and an open day. Next cycle, applying early, I got 2 VS interviews, 1 consider for next VS, and 1 TC interview out of 4 applications.

The firms you are applying for are very different. I'd question with such a variety whether you have done enough research on what you want/where you'd fit.

It's quite common for firms to ask where else you have applied. So, for Freshfields it would be fine to say another MC, a SC and a top end US firm, because you want to see how the cultures compare. If you answer honestly, you run the risk of it looking like an ill-considered scatter-gun approach.

Good luck with the applications everyone. Be prepared for a lot of hard work and an emotional roller coaster. But when you secure your VS/TC, it would take a bus to wipe the smile off you face.

Why apply to Freshfields and not the other MC firms? They're not especially varied, other than focuses on finance vs corporate and where they're located. On my vac scheme at Slaughers I thought their supposedly unique culture wasn't especially different either. Also, FF's offices are like a bunker, small windows etc (although in a lovely location).

I loved CC offices and the firm in general.

But to be honest, I am not especially keen on applying to the Magic Circle as I really don't believe I have a great shot at them (I have great academics and set for a solid 2:1 but not confident about interviews there as I've heard some terrible stories of partners mocking the interviewees). I was attracted to Freshfields by visiting them and also their awards they have won and other news items I have researched.

Interviews in the Magic Circle are generally no different to those at other city firms, so I wouldn't be put off by that. I also find it incredibly unlikely that partners would bully you.

And if you're not confident about interviews, it's worth doing as many as possible - this is partly because you get more confident the more you do, and partly because there's a degree of luck in whether you click with your interviewer, how you're feeling on the day and so on, and therefore you want to spread your bets a bit.

Really, there isn't some unbridgeable chasm between the MC and other firms - the terms MC/SC are an invention of the media, and are pretty arbitrary as a guide to the difficulty of obtaining a training contract with a particular firm for a number of reasons.

..

Ladies & Gents

Here is my situation. I sorta slacked in first year, but am looking at a 2:1. I made a complete shambles of Contract, which incidentally in my opinion is going to be the one module that any City firms actually care about. My questions:

1) In general, if I score a 2:2 or less in Contract will this preclude Magic to Silver Circle firms even considering me?

2) If I score high 2:1s in the other three, and potentially Firsts in EU and Public can this mitigate the contract result?

3) In general, what are the best ways to mitigate the poor result in Contract when it comes to application?

4) I've got work experience arranged at a local firm which is a Legal 200 firm in Bristol... however, as I'm looking to apply for City firms, how the hell can I with zero contacts get any sort of experience or insight into the high level corporate stuff that they practice in? When the City firms look for ways people have distinguished themselves in respect of work experience in their first year summer holidays, are they looking for experience in the fields they practice in or just anything that shows inititative and motivation and skills etc etc - as I have a lot of that sort of stuff going on right now. Any help is MUCH appreciated - I acknowledge many of my questions are picky but i'm getting worried now seeing how competitive it is out there.

I'm at KCL - about the firms, you know what, I don't really know to be quite honest which particular ones tickle my fancy, obviously I'm going to have to work on the basis of when I get my results.... having said that I am really keen to work overseas, so could anyone advise, of any particular firms which maintain offices internationally - particular in Asia or the Middle East!?

And about the interviews, you really don't have anything to lose - go for it. The idea of an interviewer being rude to def does not put me off applying for MC firms!

but not confident about interviews there as I've heard some terrible stories of partners mocking the interviewees). I was attracted to Freshfields by visiting them and also their awards they have won and other news items I have researched.

I'm at KCL - about the firms, you know what, I don't really know to be quite honest which particular ones tickle my fancy, obviously I'm going to have to work on the basis of when I get my results.... having said that I am really keen to work overseas, so could anyone advise, of any particular firms which maintain offices internationally - particular in Asia or the Middle East!?

And about the interviews, you really don't have anything to lose - go for it. The idea of an interviewer being rude to def does not put me off applying for MC firms!

Ladies & Gents

Here is my situation. I sorta slacked in first year, but am looking at a 2:1. I made a complete shambles of Contract, which incidentally in my opinion is going to be the one module that any City firms actually care about. My questions:

1) In general, if I score a 2:2 or less in Contract will this preclude Magic to Silver Circle firms even considering me?

2) If I score high 2:1s in the other three, and potentially Firsts in EU and Public can this mitigate the contract result?

3) In general, what are the best ways to mitigate the poor result in Contract when it comes to application?

4) I've got work experience arranged at a local firm which is a Legal 200 firm in Bristol... however, as I'm looking to apply for City firms, how the hell can I with zero contacts get any sort of experience or insight into the high level corporate stuff that they practice in? When the City firms look for ways people have distinguished themselves in respect of work experience in their first year summer holidays, are they looking for experience in the fields they practice in or just anything that shows inititative and motivation and skills etc etc - as I have a lot of that sort of stuff going on right now. Any help is MUCH appreciated - I acknowledge many of my questions are picky but i'm getting worried now seeing how competitive it is out there.

P.S. one irrelevant questions to vac schemes, but after hearing from people, and from our teaching staff that KCL has one of the best law schools in the country, I checked the Times University rankings for the first time in years and was quite shocked to see it ranked 16TH. Is KCL actually regarded that highly!??

schools divide themselves broadly into three categories (with minor disputes about the borders):

Oxbridge.

Russell League (including the London universities, e.g. SOAS, Queen Mary's, etc.).

Everyone else.

A 2.1 from the top two categories (a higher 2.1 will be required the further down the category we go, e.g. a 63 from Oxford will get you an MC interview, but you might need something closer to a 67 from Queen Mary's) will get you an interview at British law firm (provided everything else is good).

In your case, a solid 2.1 from KCL will get you an MC interview (a 65 or so), but this fluctuates depending on other factors (work experience, extra-cirriculars, how well you fill out the form, etc.).

Sorry but there is a degree of certainty here which simply isn't accurate.

Even Slaughters recruit from a variety of unis, and some of those are not in the Russell Group. Durham, York, St andrews, Exeter (non RG) graduates, for example, are more commonly found than say Liverpool which is RG.

A 2.1 at a precise mark from anywhere does NOT guarantee interviews. Firms want the complete package as you go on to point out: consistently strong academics, extra curriculars, work experience, volunteering, form filling ability

I espouse the degree of certainty that statistics have: there are always exceptions, but it's probably not a good idea to give advice according to exceptions.

Your point about Slaughter & May is completely true—I completely didn't know which universities composed the Russell Group. All the universities you mention would have an equal (and sometimes higher) chance than the Russells.

I think the 'complete package' idea is misleading, it espouses the idea that law firms demand something that nobody has, for nobody is complete. Rather, I prefer to think that law firms want a minimum level in everything that I mention, but that level can be pretty low if your academics are good enough (which I think is by some way the most important factor—or rather, good academics will make up for a lot of deficiencies). A 67 from Oxbridge will almost always get you an interview (with minor extra-ciricculars and good form-filling).