macfarlanes assessment centre

Type: Company - Private. I did 4 partner interviews over a period of 6 weeks, only for them to suddenly ask me to do an assessment. a group negotiation exercise with five or six other candidates, assessed by an associate. I graduated some years ago. As with the SQE preparation course, the firm covers your fees, and you receive a 13,000 grant. Be the first to find this interview helpful. Training programme assessment days consist of the following assessments: All assessments on the assessment day are application blind except for the application interview. Glassdoor users rated their interview experience at. 1st stage interview, behaviour questions Two people from the lawtech group Well rounded candidates who will make the most of our varied seat rotations. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. We encourage you to take your time, come to as many events as you can and thoroughly research the firm before applying. I understand that Macfarlanes future trainees undertake further study at BPP in Holborn. Restructuring and Insolvency. A vacation scheme at Macfarlanes is a two-week snapshot into life as a trainee. Pretty straightforward, nice talking to the recruitment managers. I interviewed at Macfarlanes (London, England) in Jul 2022, Introduction I did 4 partner interviews over a period of 6 weeks, only for them to suddenly ask me to do an assessment. The network runs awareness-raising events and socials and provides networking opportunities both internally and with our clients. This part of the day is not assessed, but we encourage you to have questions prepared. The scenario was an acquisition of an airline. Upon successful completion of the SQE and QWE will I be able to apply for an NQ role at the firm? The firm has partnered with BPP to design a bespoke programme that goes beyond helping you pass SQE assessments. For the vacation scheme and training programme, you need to complete an online application form. Reply 1. Assessment Centre: 1: Group Negotiation - Testing communication skills largely 2: Written Exercise - time pressured - right or wrong answers - bit of basic maths 3: Interview - mostly competency - some commercial awareness. At Bright Network we use cookies and similar technologies to help deliver you the best possible experience. The associate may ask some follow up questions about the negotiation. Coming up with solutions to current legal issues was a bit tricky. Online application. Try to ignore unnecessary details. We hope you use the assessments as a chance to build your understanding of us and what makes us different, just as we see it as a chance to gain an understanding of you. First commercial case study with 3 parts, then a partner interview on the case study followed by a group presentation task to a partner, a one-on-one partner interview and a written exercise (a letter responding to a claimant who is suing your client). Interview with a partner: 20 minutes, first 10 on an ethical scenario leaving a VERY short time for personal questions. The hardest part of the day was definitely the written exercise. We also continue to provide additional financial assistance in the form of a 13,000 grant during this time. They also encouraged me to apply for a TC next year which I think bodes well as I think they thought I was a strong candidate who just lacked a bit of experience at this stage. The written exercise focussed on drafting a partner memo and a client complaint response. Law firms have raised more than 600,000 to support 65 hopeful social welfare lawyers through theSolicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). Restructuring and insolvency lawyers are necessary when a company, individual or other organisation is in financial difficulties. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience. We recruit 55 participants across our three vacation schemes annually. We want to recruit the best candidates regardless of their background or where they were educated. Macfarlanes receives another 1,200 applications from candidates gunning directly for its training programme; the application form is the same one that is used for the vac scheme. Apply. Meanwhile, Irwin Mitchell is expecting to open its 15 offices at 50% capacity from 21 June. Diversity Schemes. Our early legal careers team works closely with external diversity organisations, such as Aspiring Solicitors, Rare and upReach. If you are interested in a career in commercial law and would like a career at Macfarlanes, we welcome your application. For the negotiation exercise, just be yourself ensure you speak and make valid points as they assess everything you say. 2023 The Corporate Law Academy. Anonymous Interview Candidate in London, England, I applied online. The first half of the interview is the business case study exercise where you are asked about a case study that you will have had 15 minutes to prepare for before the interview. Anyone here in-house with Disney or know anything about the company? Please describe the interview process at Macfarlanes. Assessment day comprised of talks from NQ's and grad rec, a negotiation group exercise, a written exercise, an unseen scenario interview and an interview with a partner. I attended the assessment center, which consisted of one timed written exercise, one group exercise focused on negotiation, and one commercial case study with a partner and senior associate followed by the . Macfarlanes is a distinctive London-based law firm, focused on its clients and on delivering excellence in the international legal market. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Macfarlanes Early Legal Careers. We reimburse reasonable travel expenses for candidates who attend an assessment day for our vacation scheme or training programme. Don't be afraid to be nervous - if you're shaking you won't necessarily be judged on it! To apply you will need to be in the first year (and second year on a four-year course) of your undergraduate degree. A time you changed your approach Make sure you have convincing answers to questions like why law, why Macfarlanes, why haven't you done vac schemes, what other firms have you applied to, how have you demonstrated resilience etc. The maximum word count for each of these questions is 300 words. Sessions start on the week of the 13th March! Contentious construction work involves the resolution of disputes while non-contentious work involves drafting and negotiating contracts and advising on projects. And in June 2020 we adopted an ambitious new environmental policy. This employer has not claimed their Employer Profile and is missing out on connecting with our community. If we have not yet reviewed your application, we may be able to add the missing information. As a vacation scheme student, you will gain an insight into life as a trainee over the course of two weeks. The partners make no attempts to intimidate or cross-examine you. All rights reserved. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. A long application followed by an assessment centre with a case study, partner/associate interview and written exercise. 1 partner - commerciality interview - interview about current affairs and your recommendations for how the firm would deal with certain cases. Macfarlanes is unlike any other law firm. Issues such as climate change and the need for alternative energy sources make environmental laws more important than ever. My final seat was in the Corporate and M&A department. I interviewed at Macfarlanes (London, England) in Apr 2021. Saw the below headline today in The Lawyer. The Social Welfare Solicitors Qualification Fund, which is backed by 18 major law firms, has secured funding for its first cohort of social welfare legal workers to begin their journey to qualifying as solicitors via the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). They assess you on your contribution but also how you react to your team members. Finally the day ends with lunch and networking with some trainees. Find out how Macfarlanes LLP is adopting the Solicitors Qualifying Exam. Spring/Summer 2022 - Receive your training programme offer from Macfarlanes. You will also be assigned a partner who will act as your mentor throughout the training programme. Charities lawyers advising the not-for-profit and social enterprise sector cover a vast area of legal ground, from wills and trusts to commercial and real estate law. Qualified Lawyers Assessment QLA (Re-qualifying in Scotland), Norton Rose Fulbright - Business and Legal Operations Graduate Scheme, Starting new training contract, I need all the advice possible, MOJ Trainee Legal Advisor - Magistrates Court - 2022, Law career advice for 2nd year LLB student with a flimsy CV. I have some legal work experience already, and I know I want to be an associate at Macfarlanes. Apply. Written was the hardest as it was very time pressured but even though some of us didn't finish on time, still managed to get onto the scheme. What do employees say about pay and career opportunities? Summer/Autumn 2023 - Begin studying for the SQE with BPP. If successful at the screening stage, we will invite you for a telephone interview. The coordinators were really helpful and gave me a prep call before so I knew what to expect from it. 30/04/2023 Ashfords Exeter Summer Scheme 1. To save you time . Was very interesting . Written exercises: Attention to detail, true or false logic, and conditionality The process took 2+ months. Make sure you read everything and use the information given to come up with a response to claimant in the scenario and dont award him too much compensation! What is it like? You will then start your two years qualifying work experience in September 2024 or March 2025 after you have sat SQE2. Absolutely, yes. A big thank you to the graduate recruitment team for delivering such a memorable Assessment Centre and . Has anyone here used upwork or other similar sites to initially get work to start your own firm? The Social Mobility Foundation revealed its top 75 UK employers for social mobility earlier in the week, with law firms making up 30% of the listed employers. Quite standard A. I attended the assessment center, which consisted of one timed written exercise, one group exercise focused on negotiation, and one commercial case study with a partner and senior associate followed by the interview. Work can include being asked to draft a real letter and then working through the draft with a solicitor or trainee or carrying out some research on a live issue for a client. Its really important that your application isnt just generic if you want to make it through to the interview stage. The actual exercise is not difficult usually it is based on an M&A scenario, and you will just have to negotiate the terms of the agreements. We recruit people to build careers for the long term. Macfarlanes is a leading independent law firm with a straightforward, independently-minded approach. Each of your seats will feature a mid seat and end of seat review during which you can discuss your progress and which areas need focus. Large projects involve lawyers specialising in finance, construction and corporate law. They can advise you on the best course of action. Vacation students will spend each week in a different practice area working alongside a partner,solicitor ortrainee. Interview. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. How many vacation scheme participants do you recruit across your three schemes? Due to the high number of applications we receive, we cannot give feedback at the application stage. The written task was the hardest as there was a lot of time pressure. Written exercise I attended the assessment center, which consisted of one timed written exercise, one group exercise focused on negotiation, and one commercial case study with a partner and senior associate followed by the interview. It is not a win lose situation, be cooperative and collaborate with your team mates. Many of our trainees and associates applied for our programmes after they graduated. We can also tailor your interviews on our schemes around these times as well as at assessment day stage. Following the UKs exit from the European Union, the covid-19 pandemic and various financial scandals, there is always lots going on in this area. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. Even though I didn't get the offer I enjoyed the day and the feedback they gave afterwards was helpful. These include a talk by our senior partner and a dinner with a number of partners from around the firm. Commercial lawyers focus on trade, from commercial agreements about supply, manufacture and distribution to identifying the best routes to market. We run campus and in-house events during the academic year. Can I apply for the vacation scheme or training programme? Some common areas that lead to applicants not passing the application stage include lack of research on the firm, poor spelling, grammar and punctuation, not meeting the minimum requirements, not fully articulating your motivations, needing more complete or more succinct responses to questions, poor example choices and repetition of ideas. Make sure you complete the exercise in the time available, and just be clear in giving your advice. good questions and very good structure . Finally, the group exercise was very typical and in groups of two a notable difference in my experience was that the assessor actively contributed to the discussion and was leading it in some cases asking things candidates would never ask to each other. In 2023 we shall be running a spring and two summer vacation schemes, for which we are looking to recruit approximately 55 vacation students. Be respectful and patient and make sure you think your answers through, it is especially important here when the assessor might jump in to develop your answer and/or ask explanations. Are you allowed to take tracing paper into the Maths GCSE? Pride is a forum for LGBTQ+ staff and allies. All elements, including the bespoke Macfarlanes modules, are paid for by the firm. The interview stage is comprised of two interviews (one with a partner who will have seen your application in advance and a business case study scenario to test your problem solving skills) as well as a group task and a written exercise (both application blind). We are committed to reduce any negative environmental impact from our business operations and to continually improve our environmental performance. Try and maintain eye contact when appropriate. Most of our assessment processes for both our vacation schemes and our training programmes are scored application blind. We have contemplation/multifaith prayer rooms, and these are accessible to all. Where any NQ places are not filled by qualifying trainees you will be able to apply if you have suitable experience and where there is a business need. Through which entry route would I be more likely to be successful in getting a training programme place via a vacation scheme or applying directly for the training programme? The one-on-one partner interview involves the usual competency, motivation, and strengths based questions. They kept dragging out the time before they sent me the assessment, and then decided not to hire me. Can trainees get involved in pro bono work at Macfarlanes? Banking and finance involves many financial products, from bank loans to companies to highly structured financing arrangements across multiple jurisdictions. Corporate tax involves involves advising clients on the tax risks associated with acquiring, selling or restructuring assets. Law firms in profit despite pandemic; firms reinstate NQ pay. on what they might expect to gain out of a trust. Any insight would be appreciated! You can access these rooms at any time while at the firm. Does Macfarlanes have any staff network groups? Are you supportive if they have forgotten their point/are being brutally questioned by the other side and do you bring in quieter members of the group if they are struggling? If I am undertaking the SQE independently, will the firm sign off my QWE? Private client solicitors looks after the affairs of individual clients and trustees, managing all aspects of their personal wealth. Do you review the applications as and when they are submitted (on a rolling basis) or after the deadline? Found out from the recruiter that they hired the daughter of a friend of a partner instead - who had been interviewed, offered and accepted in the two weeks theyd been delaying on sending me the assessment. Where can I study the SQE preparation course? Yes, you can. They will work with you to understand the changes you need and ensure these are put in place. I am studying a four year degree course, with a year abroad in my third year. This employer has not claimed their Employer Profile and is missing out on connecting with our community. Learn more about diversity and inclusion at Macfarlanes LLP. There is a guidance document on our intranet detailing this. Pleasecontact the early legal careers team. What happens if I have completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL)? Discover anonymous reviews now! In the group presentation make sure you contribute when planning the presentation as the partner will be watching, also dont get bogged down in the details but try to see the overall picture. We are a distinctive London-based law firm with a unique combination of services built and shaped around the needs of our clients. top 10 voodoo countries in the world,