macfarlanes assessment centre

Large projects involve lawyers specialising in finance, construction and corporate law. For the written exercise, focus on the details and dont make silly errors. Written exercises: Attention to detail, true or false logic, and conditionality Has anyone here used upwork or other similar sites to initially get work to start your own firm? Generally, we progress applications from candidates who have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2.1 in their degree. Not usually, unless you fall into the category of experienced hires or foreign qualified lawyers described in our SQE policies. Common stages of the interview process at Macfarlanes according to 24 Glassdoor interviews include: Glassdoor has millions of jobs plus salary information, company reviews, and interview questions from people on the inside making it easy to find a job thats right for you. 806 8067 22 Registered Office: Imperial House, 2nd Floor, 40-42 Queens Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3XB, Taking a break or withdrawing from your course, Border Force Apprenticeships September 2022 campaign, Official University of Glasgow 2023 Applicant Thread, What is the benefit of going to an 'elite' university, Transferring after completing of Loughborough Foundation year, Official: King's College London A100 2023 Entry. You cant go too wrong if you finish on time. Read through the documents quickly but try to highlight the key problems. All rights reserved. There is a guidance document on our intranet detailing this. We always recruit trainees from both vacation schemes and direct training programme applications in each intake. They kept dragging out the time before they sent me the assessment, and then decided not to hire me. What makes a successful application to Macfarlanes, Pride Matters: Striving for actual equality, Types of student and graduate opportunities, Essential cookies to make this website work, Third party cookies used for personalised ads and content, Well rounded candidates who will make the most of our varied seat rotations, Great teamwork skills, which include being kind and considerate, Resilience that is a grit and ambition to take on real responsibility, Brain power clever people who can think on their feet. We know each other personally which means we work together with more cohesion, and less formality. If you have completed the Graduate Diploma in Law/Postgraduate Diploma in Law, the Legal Practice Course/Solicitors Qualifying Examinations or both, you are required to have achieved at least a commendation. To save you time . A firm handshake is best, but try not to break any bones. Yes, we pay our vacation scheme and insight scheme participants for the duration of the scheme. Real Estate. Interested in a future career as a lawyer? For all our programmes, please apply online. When is the deadline for the vacation scheme? The vast majority of our graduate recruitment assessment processes are scored CV blind. The knowledge you gain from an event will help when you write your application. The process took 1 day. Has anyone here used upwork or other similar sites to initially get work to start your own firm? Then there was a quick interview about background, and usual questions about motivation. We talked to the person next to us and then relayed to the rest of the room. You can find out more in our privacy policy at any time by going to the link in our footer. It is not a win lose situation, be cooperative and collaborate with your team mates. Investment Management. Theyre not out there to assess the quality of your questions or anything. We encourage you to take your time, come to as many events as you can and thoroughly research the firm before applying. However, if you feel you have a good understanding of what life is like as an associate and have researched the firm well, you can apply directly for our training programme. How would you implement a process. Above all, we value a commitment to excellence, and an intuitive understanding of people. No, we do not currently use psychometric testing at any stage of the application process. We recruit people to build careers for the long term. 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. If your questions are not answered above, pleasecontact the early legal careers team. Second: split into two pairs and negotiating four terms (each had to win two points). The last interview was an in-tray exercise, basically. Yes, we run a first year insight scheme annually in the spring. There are changing rooms in our office for employee use. Lawyer Rankings London > Employment > Employee share schemes (Leading individuals) Robert Collard - Macfarlanes LLP. Law firms launch initiative to address diversity issues in the profession. Please get in touch with our recruitment teamif you have further questions. The qualities we look for in our lawyers include strong interpersonal skills, an ambitious commercial approach, drive, motivation and resilience. The case study focusses on a series of scenarios under tight timed conditions. Read the Financial Times and The Economist An excellent way to develop your commercial awareness - be sure to consider how these major events may have a practical, commercial impact in the legal sector. Click herefor more information on dates. Regardless of your degree subject, you are eligible to apply for a vacation scheme in your penultimate year of study and onwards. The energy sector is an important part of the legal landscape and is making more headlines than ever before. Answer Question In addition, our litigators are able to offer strategic and tactical advice to best protect our clients in the event of a dispute arising. If you would like to apply for both, we suggest applying for the vacation scheme first, wait to hear the result of your application and then apply for our training programme if necessary. A national fund designed to boost social mobility within the legal profession, address the recruitment and retention crisis, and ultimately improve access to justice has been launched. I have some legal work experience already, and I know I want to be an associate at Macfarlanes. 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. 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. I interviewed at Macfarlanes (London, England) in Apr 2021. Keep up to date with our free weekly newsletter, 2.1 anticipated or achieved (mitigating circumstances are taken into account). We have no minimum requirements for A level results. Copyright The Student Room 2023 all rights reserved. We take extenuating circumstances seriously and would encourage you to be as open with us as you feel you can. They assess you on your contribution but also how you react to your team members. Make sure you keep an eye on the time, though the other people in the exercise made a big show of checking their watches and announcing how long we had left, clearly trying to earn points with the assessors. Can I apply for the vacation scheme or training programme? For those experiencing mental health conditions, we offer a confidential counselling service and regular firmwide seminars on looking after your mental health. A long application followed by an assessment centre with a case study, partner/associate interview and written exercise. We also continue to provide additional financial assistance in the form of a 13,000 grant during this time. Please note blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. What I would say is so make sure you finish the letter, even if it isnt your best! Spring/summer 2023 receive your training programme offer from Macfarlanes. I interviewed at Macfarlanes (London, England) in Jul 2022, Introduction Interview. Joining the law societies These societies have access to many city firms and will often host events that enable you to meet the firms in person and gain essential insights into the sector. To find out what it is like to work at Macfarlanes read the firm's Meet the Lawyer profile. Brain power - clever people who can think on their feet. We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. Explain how a current issue affects our firm. on what they might expect to gain out of a trust. 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. It may not display this or other websites correctly. The second exercise was a written exercise: a letter to a client advising on whether they had grounds to sack some employees. Are you allowed to take tracing paper into the Maths GCSE? 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? This combines the knowledge you gain from a law degree or law conversion course in the fundamental principles of law with the knowledge you gain from the Legal Practice Course (LPC) in the basics of legal practice. It was good to relax us a little bit before things started. Please visit theeventspage on the website to find out about our latest events. The written task was the hardest as there was a lot of time pressure. 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. This assessment is the only part of the day when the assessors will have seen your application form beforehand. 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. The partner will challenge you about what you say for the in-tray so be sure to stand your ground. We will set measurable targets against our three strategic priorities. Our vacation scheme gives you a two-week snapshot of life as a Macfarlanes trainee. Please get in touch with the Inclusion and CSR team if you have further questions. Copyright 2008-2023, Glassdoor, Inc. "Glassdoor" and logo are registered trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc. Training programme assessment days consist of the following assessments: All assessments on the assessment day are application blind except for the application interview. We also have a firmwide religious and cultural events calendar that highlights important dates throughout the year to promote awareness and understanding. However, they are not a requirement for the training programme. Salaries, reviews, and more - all posted by employees working at Macfarlanes. I understand that Macfarlanes future trainees undertake further study at BPP in Holborn. Our unrivalled blend of expertise, agility and culture means we have the flexibility to meet their most challenging demands and adapt to the changing world around us. I graduated some years ago. We want the best talent at Macfarlanes. Because we respect your right to privacy, below you will find descriptions on the types of cookies used on this site and options to opt out where preferred. The format at the Assessment Centre was as follows: Negotiation exercise Presentation from trainees Written exercise Interview + case study Work shadowing For the negotiation exercise, just be yourself ensure you speak and make valid points as they assess everything you say. Spring 2024 - Sit the SQE2 examination. They can be invaluable in helping you decide whether a career in law is right for you. During each seat you will receive a schedule of seminars to develop your knowledge and skills at an early stage in each seat. I am worried that if I tell Macfarlanes about my disability this will be seen negatively. The grad rec partners was reassuring in telling us that we had done very well just to get there, and assured us that there were enough places for us all to go through. This includes using contextual recruitment and running diversity-specific open days and mentoring programmes. But note: some of your interviewers may dress down. There's surprisingly little info on the internet. Will going to a Macfarlanes event help my application? 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. Justify every decision you make and don't leave out points that are both for and against your client. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. You then meet a partner and a senior associate who ask you several questions about each case study. Discover the most relevant business news, access our law firm analysis, and receive our best advice for aspiring lawyers. Please visit the Apply page on our website to watch avideoabout our training programme assessment day. Thanks a lot in advance! By clicking Accept cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device. We recruit 33 trainees who join us every September. Restrictions on winding-up petitions: beginning of the end. Elizabeth Fielding is in the real estate group at Macfarlanes. Can trainees get involved in pro bono work at Macfarlanes? If you studied a non-law subject at undergraduate level, you have to complete the Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) at BPP. Partners and Graduate Recruitment were both friendly and made sure that I felt comfortable on the day. Macfarlanes interview details: 23 interview questions and 24 interview reviews posted anonymously by Macfarlanes interview candidates. The one-on-one partner interview involves the usual competency, motivation, and strengths based questions. for recruitment purposes, (including via virtual assessment centres and virtual trainee experiences); to promote our legal services, including . The Corporate Law Academy (TCLA) was founded in 2018 because we wanted to improve the legal journey. Diversity Schemes. Just really know what you are good and bad at. To understand more about how we use cookies or to change your cookie preferences, click on Showsettings. However, if you do not meet these requirements and you have extenuating circumstances, you may still apply. Candidates can choose whether to join the evening social events, and we try and make sure that events are not centred on food or drink. Ask around for advice and support and practice for the interview stages as much as possible. The policy includes commitments covering our carbon footprint, emissions, waste, recycling, sustainable procurement of goods and services, office greenery and support for the legal sustainability community. We recently published a firmwide video on our intranet to raise awareness and understanding of neurodiverse conditions such dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism in the workplace. On Fishbowl, you can share insights and advice anonymously with Macfarlanes employees and get real answers from people on the inside. How do I add it to my form? Apply. The scheme will comprise of skills workshops, work shadowing and presentations. Over at @macfarlanesgrad, they're challenging the Instagram vs reality stereotypes and laying bare what makes the firm #meaningfullydifferent. As a firm, we also have a collective responsibility to the wider community and the environment around us. Then you can start the Macfarlanes SQE preparation course alongside your cohort of Macfarlanes future trainees. That said, everyone is encouraged to keep business attire at the office in case they need to attend an event or meeting where dress down would be inappropriate. What kind of technology are you interested in most? We do, however, recommend you wear business attire for assessment days and interviews at the firm. And in June 2020 we adopted an ambitious new environmental policy. You will then start your two years qualifying work experience in September 2024 or March 2025 after you have sat SQE2. Any thoughts on working at Twitter as counsel? 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). I applied through a recruiter. Our Environmental Sub-Committee, made up of people from across the firm, leads the firms sustainable business agenda. On Fishbowl, you can share insights and advice anonymously with Macfarlanes employees and get real answers from people on the inside. Hey, I did one last year and I'm not sure if it has changed or not, but this is how . Social Welfare Solicitors Qualification Fund takes on first SQE cohort. Negotiation exercise Before this we had fifteen minutes to read over a scenario involving the ethics of coming across inside information and whether or not to use it. Leadership skills. Candidates interviewing for Trainee Solicitor and Insight Day rated their interviews as the hardest, whereas interviews for Associate and Associate Lawyer roles were rated as the easiest. Its very difficult to prepare for the quick scenario to discuss, but think about privileged information and codes of ethics for solicitors. Can I apply for both the training programme and a vacation scheme? There was a group negotiation task (nothing too complicated, just about showing you're a team player) followed by a written assessment (quite time pressured) and then an interview, half of which is a case study and the other half about you. 19. Sponsored by Charles Russell Speechlys LLP. Macfarlanes is a distinctive London-based law firm, focused on its clients and on delivering excellence in the international legal market. Biomedical Science: 2023/24 Applicants Thread. The maximum word count for each of these questions is 300 words. Sponsored by Mills & Reeve LLP. The written exercise focussed on drafting a partner memo and a client complaint response. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Macfarlanes Early Legal Careers. Learn more about diversity and inclusion at Macfarlanes LLP. Written exercises: Attention to detail, true or false logic, and conditionality I achieved lower grades at A level than I had hoped for. For us to accurately assess your potential, we want to see your achievements in context and ensure you are set up in the right way to perform at your best. However, the firm will provide study leave at the discretion of the practice area head. While many of our practice areas can be found at other firms, the mix cannot. Our inclusion team regularly share invitations to firmwide religious and cultural events, and they created a document called Working with colleagues of different faiths. There was a group negotiation task (nothing too complicated, just about showing you're a team player) followed by a written assessment (quite time pressured) and then an interview, half of which is a case study and the other half about you. Balance is a forum for all staff managing careers and home lives. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Anonymous Interview Candidate in London, England, I applied online. For the online form its essential that you have really researched our firm consider why you want to build your long-term career at Macfarlanes specifically. 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). There was minimal technical hiccups and I felt welcomed at the firm. The firm has partnered with BPP to design a bespoke programme that goes beyond helping you pass SQE assessments. I interviewed at Macfarlanes (London, England) in Apr 2021. A big thank you to the graduate recruitment team for delivering such a memorable Assessment Centre and . When can I apply for a vacation scheme, and when can I apply for the training programme? Comp and culture? They can advise you on the best course of action. Several law firms, including Clifford Chance and Macfarlanes LLP, have launched a leadership-led, cross-firm collective developed to improve the representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups in the UK legal profession. Most of our assessment processes for both our vacation schemes and our training programmes are scored application blind. The exercise was really short, ten mins on a case study you are given to read beforehand which is based on assessing your commercial awareness, and the interview is really a conversation about that, and then ten mins of questions about you. 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! Any thoughts on working at Twitter as counsel? Stay calm and work through it one step at a time! International students looking to apply for our first year insight scheme and vacation schemes must ensure that the dates of the scheme are outside term time. My final seat was in the Corporate and M&A department. Initial greeting with HR (claim to fame or claim to shame icebreaker), then a group exercise, a talk from a trainee and an NQ and a written exercise. You get as much hands-on experience as possible, to gain a real understanding of the firms culture and work. Be the first to find this interview helpful, Why Law Why Macfarlanes Describe a time when you overcame an obstacle, "Are you resilient?" Try to draw in to the discussion someone who hasnt been saying much. I am a career changer. Capital markets lawyers work with transactions involving the issue of debt or equity securities to the public or investors. A. 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. Our culture is thoughtful, challenging and supportive, and we are a place where everyone, at whatever level, can thrive. 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. If your application is unsuccessful at the application stage, yes, you can reapply for any programme. There is a great deal that students can be doing while at university to position themselves as candidates that are serious about a career in law: Attend in-house events We have a real range of events that will allow you to meet our team, gain key insights into our work and build essential skills. 2nd stage interview, a presentation on legaltech followed by a Q and A. Provide an example of how Brexit will have an impact on the day-to-day work of lawyers and their clients. Join our training to understand the financial world. Opens the Fishbowl by Glassdoor site in a new window. Coming up with solutions to current legal issues was a bit tricky. REACH (race, ethnicity and cultural heritage) is a forum for networking and peer support. 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. I am an undergraduate student in my antepenultimate year (first year of a three-year or second year of a four-year course). If you are interested in a career in commercial law and would like a career at Macfarlanes, we welcome your application. You can study the PGDL at any UK BPP university campus that offers the course. How does Macfarlanes support trainees with disabilities and long-term mental health conditions? . We recruit 1520 participants for our first year insight scheme. Do you accept applications from people like me? The scheme is a great opportunity to find out whether Macfarlanes is right for you. Sessions start on the week of the 13th March! As a vacation scheme student, you will gain an insight into life as a trainee over the course of two weeks. Work shadowing. Industry: Legal. Anyone here in-house with Disney or know anything about the company? We are a distinctive London-based law firm with a unique combination of services built and shaped around the needs of our clients. The hardest part of the day was definitely the written exercise. If I choose an alternative route to qualify than the training programme will the firm pay for the cost of me sitting the SQE? for recruitment purposes, (including via virtual assessment centres and virtual trainee experiences); to promote our legal services, including . The programme combines classroom and digital learning to embed knowledge and uses business simulation exercises to help you apply your knowledge in realistic practice scenarios. On Fishbowl, you can share insights and advice anonymously with Macfarlanes employees and get real answers from people on the inside. As a trainee you could be working on major corporate transactions or commercial litigation, and then working for private clients on their most sensitive affairs. The day involved a 20-minute exercise with a partner, a written exercise and a group exercise. Resilience - that is a grit and ambition to take on real responsibility. These include a talk by our senior partner and a dinner with a number of partners from around the firm. The second element was an interview with a partner about competencies. General introduction - interview with partners - written exercise - group negotiation, Find a Great First Job to Jumpstart Your Career, Stand Out From the Crowd With the Perfect Cover Letter, How to Prepare for Your Interview and Land the Job. He is a member of the Society of Construction Law, the Adjudication Society, the Property Litigation Association, the Young International Arbitration . Autumn 2023 - Sit the SQE1 examination. We also use a contextual recruitment tool to understand each applicants achievements in the context they were gained. Law firms have raised more than 600,000 to support 65 hopeful social welfare lawyers through theSolicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). Join Bright Network and Aspiring Solicitors Make sure you are aware of our opportunities and on-top of all the deadlines by joining these careers service organisations. Do you have a multifaith prayer room at your office? 1 partner interview - standard interview, cv and commerciality based. ", Opens the Fishbowl by Glassdoor site in a new window, motivations for law, about you, and competency on resilience. Additional support and extenuating circumstances, Meeting Macfarlanes Campus events, workshops and fairs, Your choices regarding cookies on this site. SQE timeline (for training programmes due to start in 2025).

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