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TC/Pupillage interview questions and good answers!

Right people.

Let's work together on this and sort out some good answers to the most common and most difficult interview questions.

I'll start off by posing a few questions and you can all tell everyone how you would answer them! Please feel free to add more questions and we can all give them a shot.

1. Why the Bar?
2. What law would you change and why?
3. Why should be give you pupillage?

LL x

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4. What would your enemies say about you?
5. What's your favourite "yo momma so fat" joke?
Reply 2
Avatar for Reema
Reema
14
5. What's your favourite "yo momma so fat" joke?
:eek: .

6. What is your favourite book and why?
7. Which other law firms have you applied to, why, and how far have you got in the application process?
8. Being a non-lawyer, how does your degree make you suitable for a career as a solicitor?
Reply 3
Avatar for blah_blah
blah_blah
-Compare your past jobs, which did you enjoy the most and why?
-What do you see as the main challenges facing the legal profession?
-How do you think the legal profession will develop over the next 10 years?
(lol, the momma thing was a joke)

-What deals/cases have we been involved with recently, why did they interest you?
-What story in the news interested you recently, and why?

Both relevant to all kinds of firms etc.
Reply 5
Avatar for blah_blah
blah_blah
Right....how about some answers now...I'll go for an easy one!:biggrin:

-What law do you think is in need of reform?
(and I do hope this has not been reformed as I type...) I think the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 is in need of reform because of the extreme reporting requirements placed on the legal profession in relation to money laundering. Changes need to be made to the 'all crimes test' and a de minimis should be introduced to make the reporting system function.

(The only reason I know this in case anyone is wondering is because I wrote a dissertation on it...it is NOT general knowledge!lol)
Haha solemn, not bad. I'm impressed.
This has come for at a bad time for me, as I am literally just back from an interview!! anyway, here are some of the questions I was asked, I hope it might help someone else

1. why did you pick your degree?
2. why did you go to your university?
3. what was the worst moment in your life?
4. what did you learn from that moment?
5. what happened in the Doha trade round (this related to my degree - economics)
6. why is protectionism bad?
7. explain the advantages of free trade. (e.g. comparative advantage)
8. is the UK environmentally friendly?
9. is Gordon Brown an environmentally friendly politician?!
10. why law and not investment banking?

n.b. I was not asked anything like 'why this firm', what skills do you have that will make you a good lawyer, or anything competency based.
Reply 8
Avatar for LuverlyLawyer
LuverlyLawyer
OP
1
Good start people - after I've finished this bloody negotiation plan I will set about attempting a few answers and seek your opinions.

Interesting that TC questions may be more like the above. Pupillage interviews are far more competency based I think. I had eight pupillage interviews last year and clearly didnt answer the questions v well otherwise I would have pupillage so maybe not a good idea to use any of my suggested answers lol!
Mylla, some of those questions are harsh! I wouldn't be able to do the Gordon Brown bit very well! Although on protectionism, free trade etc I think I could do fairly well. Worst moment in life, another damn tricky "be careful with me" question. If you don't mind, what firm was that!
Has anyone had a vac scheme interview at Dentons?
Their questions harsh??
Mylla, some of those questions are harsh! I wouldn't be able to do the Gordon Brown bit very well! Although on protectionism, free trade etc I think I could do fairly well. Worst moment in life, another damn tricky "be careful with me" question. If you don't mind, what firm was that!


yeah, I was quite thrown, part, about the worst moment of your life question. I kept it light though, I just talked about a v. scary incident that happened when I was younger. (think being stuck on something that goes very high up, and having to hang on because the safety equipment had broken!) I didn't think they needed to know about the darker stuff! Regarding proctectionism, I think it was supposed to be related to my degree but it could also have been general knowledge. I will PM you the name of the firm.
Having done EU law, and reading about the constant warnings over protectionism I could put a decent case up... obviously not as good as your economics view though!
I think it would make sense to interpret "life" as "academic life" or "professionally relevant life." Your childhood and personal life aren't any of their business.


no, maybe they're not, but I don't mind dicussing them. As I said, i kept it light, I could have talked about some ****ing dark things but I didn't. Also, they said 'don't talk about your mum's cancer' (which happened while I was at university which is why is it on my application) which I felt implied it could also be personal life.
Well if they asked me that, I guess I would only really have getting diabetes... I don't really have anything that has been really bad about my life. Plus it can easily be turned around by the fact that my HbA1c readings are the same as people without it, so I can control it to a level where it doesn't effect my life. Show adapting to circumstances, tada.
Lewisy-boy
(lol, the momma thing was a joke)

-What story in the news interested you recently, and why?

Both relevant to all kinds of firms etc.


LOL psychiatrists are trained to ask that to evaulate how depressed someone is. I.e are they even noticing the news much
Lewisy-boy
Well if they asked me that, I guess I would only really have getting diabetes... I don't really have anything that has been really bad about my life. Plus it can easily be turned around by the fact that my HbA1c readings are the same as people without it, so I can control it to a level where it doesn't effect my life. Show adapting to circumstances, tada.


I keep putting off my test. I feel really weak today. I am going to have to go. Needles and blood ARRAH. I just cannot say it is going to be fun.
Most of the questions I got asked were a LOT more difficult than "Why is protectionism bad?" I guess it depends on the size of the firm (TC).

I got stuff like:

Which country should we (the firm) expand into. Why? How?

In the recent merger of (x) and (y), why do you think (x) shareholders ended up with the controlling interest despite x haveing a lower net worth than y? (luckily I read the economist!)

Whats more important: Law or Morality?


that kind of thing
Actually, your questions aren't terrible, the first one especially: if the firm isn't in China/India/other Asian country tell them to get there: probably through a joint venture, which may even be compulsory in some such countries. As for the x and y merger thing, I admit I would have some trouble with that but I might be able to cobble some crap together!

Laura, are you going for an HbA1c or just a fasting sugar? The former is better, the last one can be way off as the former is a 3 month average of your sugar levels. Btw, I know I shouldn't say this, but are you sure you're eating enough? You can feel weak from just not eating enough rather than being diabetic.
Lewisy-boy
Actually, your questions aren't terrible, the first one especially: if the firm isn't in China/India/other Asian country tell them to get there: probably through a joint venture, which may even be compulsory in some such countries. As for the x and y merger thing, I admit I would have some trouble with that but I might be able to cobble some crap together!

Laura, are you going for an HbA1c or just a fasting sugar? The former is better, the last one can be way off as the former is a 3 month average of your sugar levels. Btw, I know I shouldn't say this, but are you sure you're eating enough? You can feel weak from just not eating enough rather than being diabetic.



Neither China nor India allow foreign firms to have offices in them, so most use 'best friend' systems with local firms. BUT I'd read that they had everything in place for Indian expansion upon liberalisation of their domestic laws, including a small firm they intended to takeover. I basically told them that. I got the TC

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