On the whole there wasnt really a way you could have prepared for it though. We welcome applicationsfrom candidates with either a law or non-law background with outstanding academics, including apredicted 2.1 degree or above. All elements, including the bespoke Macfarlanes modules, are paid for by the firm. What exercises can I expect at a vacation scheme assessment day? 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. for recruitment purposes, (including via virtual assessment centres and virtual trainee experiences); to promote our legal services, including . I did not study law at university. Our DAWN network focuses on ensuring the whole firm is more confident in its understanding of disability. Each year, we complete submissions for the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme as well as for the Social Mobility Employer Index. Nice experience, the interviewers were very friendly and willing to help with any questions I had. The coordinators were really helpful and gave me a prep call before so I knew what to expect from it. What is Macfarlanes? Company Culture, Mission, Values For all our programmes, please apply online. How long does the application form take to complete? ", Opens the Fishbowl by Glassdoor site in a new window, motivations for law, about you, and competency on resilience. I am a career changer. 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. No, we do not accept applications after the deadline has passed. Please get in touch with our recruitment teamif you have further questions. The Ultimate Job Interview Preparation Guide. Can I send in a copy of my CV and a covering letter instead of completing an application online? 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 I need additional support during the assessment process, who should I contact? Is there a dress down policy at the firm? 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. There was minimal technical hiccups and I felt welcomed at the firm. 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. Official LSE Undergraduate Applicants thread 2023, Official: University of Sheffield A100 2023 entry, Official King's College London 2023 Applicants Thread, TSR Community Awards 2022: Most Helpful in Universities- VOTING OPEN, Official Cambridge Postgraduate Applicants 2023 Thread. We want to recruit the best candidates regardless of their background or where they were educated. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It involved knowledge of intermediary maths, which if you havent done since GCSE can be a bit tough. ", Opens the Fishbowl by Glassdoor site in a new window, motivations for law, about you, and competency on resilience. Nepotism always wins it seems. A long application followed by an assessment centre with a case study, partner/associate interview and written exercise. Discover anonymous reviews now! Legal profession most represented sector in 2020 Social Mobility Employer Index. Intellectual property is an umbrella term for a variety of different rights which protect intellectual creations, such as inventions, brands, designs, and literary and artistic works. All Rights Reserved. Vacation Schemes 2021 - Macfarlanes | Bright Network Working at Macfarlanes | Glassdoor 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. At first there was a list of potential issues and we discussed as a group, led by two current trainees, how serious each would be, which were the most serious etc. This involved looking at the employment contract, examining against the facts, and coming to a conclusion. The partner will challenge you about what you say for the in-tray so be sure to stand your ground. Any thoughts on working at Twitter as counsel? Has anyone here used upwork or other similar sites to initially get work to start your own firm? They will work with you to understand the changes you need and ensure these are put in place. 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. Very friendly and relaxed. When discussing your application really consider what you have learnt and the skills you have developed. We want the best talent at Macfarlanes. Catherine Morgan-Guest Senior manager, early legal careers Sponsored by Gowling WLG (UK) LLP. We also have a firmwide religious and cultural events calendar that highlights important dates throughout the year to promote awareness and understanding. The interview is 40 mins in total: 20 mins in-tray exercise and 20 mins competency based Qs. The written exercise was fairly straightforward if you read ALL the information thoroughly and applied it exactly. I interviewed at Macfarlanes (London, England) in Jul 2022, Introduction You are also invited to social events at the firm so you can start building your network before you join us. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. To find out what it's like to undertake a placement at Macfarlanes read the firm's Vacation Scheme Insider report. Join our training to understand the financial world. 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. We plan to continue to run assessment days for vacation schemes and training programmes in-person in 2023. Law firms in profit despite pandemic; firms reinstate NQ pay. 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. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information. Are you allowed to take tracing paper into the Maths GCSE? If I have a disability or long-term health condition and need the application form in an alternative format, can you provide this? The scenario was an acquisition of an airline. Yes, we accept applications from applicants who studied any subject, whether at a UK or overseas university. Try to ignore unnecessary details. Training programme assessment days consist of the following assessments: All assessments on the assessment day are application blind except for the application interview. Saw the below headline today in The Lawyer. 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. Winding-up petitions: whats the impact on companies and creditors in financial distress? JavaScript is disabled. Real Estate. 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. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information. The Student Room and The Uni Guide are trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. Then you can start the Macfarlanes SQE preparation course alongside your cohort of Macfarlanes future trainees. If I choose an alternative route to qualify than the training programme will the firm pay for the cost of me sitting the SQE? This details practices from mainstream religions that could affect individuals at work. I interviewed at Macfarlanes (London, England) in Apr 2021. 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. If you are studying law, you can apply in your penultimate year and onwards for both a vacation scheme and the training programme. You can apply no matter what or where you have studied. Are vacation scheme and insight scheme participants paid? Pleasant. We look for candidates who want to build a long-term career at the firm and who have the skills to thrive under the responsibility we will give them. The interviewer will point you to problems you have missed though, so dont worry if you dont get everything first time round. Insurance and reinsurance is an integral part of commercial activity throughout the world. What is it really like to work at Macfarlanes? On Fishbowl, you can share insights and advice anonymously with Macfarlanes employees and get real answers from people on the inside. There is a guidance document on our intranet detailing this. As regards the written exercise, it was certainly the most difficult part of the assessment day (or open day as they call it), and involved basic calculations without a calculator. Yes, we have four inclusive staff network groups: Each network has a steering group committee of partners, associates and business services staff who meet regularly to discuss the strategy of the group and to arrange events. By clicking Accept cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device. Restructuring and Insolvency. We accept applicants from all UK and international universities. In 2023 we shall be running a spring and two summer vacation schemes, for which we are looking to recruit approximately 55 vacation students. Woven into every aspect of life at the firm is an enduring commitment to the development of trainees. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. Copyright The Student Room 2023 all rights reserved. Do you only accept applicants from certain universities? Read through the documents quickly but try to highlight the key problems. Don't be afraid to be nervous - if you're shaking you won't necessarily be judged on it! The driving force behind the firm is an absolute commitment to delivering the right advice in the right way to our clients. The scheme is a great opportunity to find out whether Macfarlanes is right for you. Bar Course /BVS / BPTC 2023-2024 : what are everyone's plans? However, if you do not meet these requirements and you have extenuating circumstances, you may still apply. A long application followed by an assessment centre with a case study, partner/associate interview and written exercise. It supports and educates staff about ethnic, religious, faith and cultural matters. We want to recruit the best candidates regardless of their background or where they were educated. The process took 2+ months. Macfarlanes Interview Questions (2023) | Glassdoor Think about how you would structure a letter to a client, but otherwise its difficult to prepare for the written exercise as its just applying facts to the contract to see what can be done. Anonymous Interview Candidate in London, England, I applied online. Vacation scheme assessment days consist of the following assessments: All assessment exercises during the assessment day are application blind, so your assessors will not have seen your application form. This will be in the year between receiving your training programme offer and starting your studies for the SQE. Please get in touch with the Inclusion and CSR team if you have further questions. However, the firm will provide study leave at the discretion of the practice area head. good questions and very good structure . Law firms launch initiative to address diversity issues in the profession. I interviewed at Macfarlanes (London, England) in Jan 2021. Both routes provide an equal chance of a training programme with us. Can I apply for both the training programme and a vacation scheme? Upon successful completion of the SQE and QWE will I be able to apply for an NQ role at the firm? It also looks into your motivations for pursuing a career in commercial law at Macfarlanes; and. Written exercise They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. Does Macfarlanes have any staff network groups? Applications open on 26 September 2022 online via our website and will close on 27 January 2023. The Student Room and The Uni Guide are both part of The Student Room Group. The second exercise was a written exercise: a letter to a client advising on whether they had grounds to sack some employees. Yes. Any insight would be appreciated! Nice experience, the interviewers were very friendly and willing to help with any questions I had. We also run a practice area open day where you can meet representatives from every practice area. Sports law involves the legal issues at play in the worlds of both amateur and professional sport. Resilience - that is a grit and ambition to take on real responsibility. Discover the most relevant business news, access our law firm analysis, and receive our best advice for aspiring lawyers. 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. Macfarlanes Graduate Recruitment. Thanks for sharing Dan. Are you allowed to take tracing paper into the Maths GCSE? I am an undergraduate student in my antepenultimate year (first year of a three-year or second year of a four-year course). How many vacation scheme participants do you recruit across your three schemes? . FAQs - Macfarlanes When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. We are members of the Business Disability Forum and work closely with the Forum to ensure our processes remain accessible and fair to all candidates. Restrictions on winding-up petitions: beginning of the end. 1 negotiation exercise - group work based exercise with a partner. https://www.rollonfriday.com/news-content/macfarlanes-bid-diversity-cv-blind-interview, RPC Assessment Centre- business meeting exercise, AC feedback - lack of understanding the trainee's role, The negotiation exercise is usually a sponsorship deal. 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. Anyone here in-house with Disney or know anything about the company? A fresh and exciting area of legal practice, specialist lawyers provide copy clearance advice and work with big-brand clients. You then meet a partner and a senior associate who ask you several questions about each case study. They kept dragging out the time before they sent me the assessment, and then decided not to hire me. We do, however, recommend you wear business attire for assessment days and interviews at the firm. Employment lawyers work across all areas of employment law, including handling discrimination, staff restructuring and whistleblowing issues. Firm Profile . We would encourage you to apply for post-qualified lawyervacanciesat the firm rather than our vacation scheme or training programme. What kind of technology are you interested in most? 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. I was put in a group with 6 people including myself. It revolved around advising a private client (-note Macfarlanes is known for this practice area!) By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of the cookies explicitly. See what employees say it's like to work at Macfarlanes. Should I apply for a vacation scheme first or just apply for the training programme now? We are Macfarlanes LLP, the City of London based, international law firm, and entities controlled by Macfarlanes LLP through which it carries out its business ("Macfarlanes", "we", "us" or "our"). We only accept applications through our online application system. We take extenuating circumstances seriously and would encourage you to be as open with us as you feel comfortable. It was good to relax us a little bit before things started. Can I still apply? 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. Unless the partner proves you're wrong, this is usually an opportunity for you to hold your ground and show your potential as a future lawyer, Written exercise suggested to be the hardest because of time constraints. Presentation from trainees Why do you want to become a solicitor? We reimburse reasonable travel expenses for candidates who attend an assessment day for our vacation scheme or training programme. 30/04/2023 Ashfords Exeter Summer Scheme 1. 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. In each seat you will share a room with a partner or solicitor who supervises and supports you. Commercial awareness. When is the deadline for direct training programme applications? Pretty straightforward, nice talking to the recruitment managers. Law firms have raised more than 600,000 to support 65 hopeful social welfare lawyers through theSolicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). Remember to cite LawCareers.Net on your application form if you apply to Macfarlanes LLP. I have had a bad experience in the past and feel it is safer not to disclose my disability. Full instructions are given by the early legal careers team before the exercise; an interview with a partner and a senior associate. As a firm, we also have a collective responsibility to the wider community and the environment around us. 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. 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. Please note blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. We do, however, give feedback to candidates who attend an assessment day. You will have the opportunity to meet trainees, solicitors and partners within the firm. We will set measurable targets against our three strategic priorities. 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. You get as much hands-on experience as possible, to gain a real understanding of the firms culture and work. Macfarlanes First Year Skills Development Week 2023. The early legal careers team will arrange a follow up call with you before your assessment day to discuss any adjustments further. Regardless of your degree subject, you are eligible to apply for a vacation scheme in your penultimate year of study and onwards. Privacy policy - Macfarlanes Be the first to find this interview helpful. Macfarlanes Assessment Centre | The Corporate Law Academy Forum Join our training to understand the financial world. You then come back to the main room for the negotiation with the other sub team. Salaries, reviews, and more - all posted by employees working at Macfarlanes. The second element was an interview with a partner about competencies. For the negotiation exercise, just be yourself ensure you speak and make valid points as they assess everything you say. The exercise is about understanding the roles of lawyers and commercial awareness. Baker McKenzie has become the latest firm to reinstate newly qualified (NQ) lawyers salaries to pre-pandemic levels, after a reduction of 3% last June. Has anyone here used upwork or other similar sites to initially get work to start your own firm? No. As regards the former, in my case it involved basic questions such as tell me about a time you faced a challenge how did you overcome it and tell me about a time you showed initiative. The process took 1 day. 1 negotiation exercise - group work based exercise with a partner. Make the most of their events and skills building workshops. Partners and Graduate Recruitment were both friendly and made sure that I felt comfortable on the day. A firm handshake is best, but try not to break any bones. Salaries, reviews, and more - all posted by employees working at Macfarlanes. Macfarlanes | The Lawyer Portal The partners make no attempts to intimidate or cross-examine you. If you studied a non-law subject at undergraduate level, you have to complete the Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) at BPP. We always recruit trainees from both vacation schemes and direct training programme applications in each intake. This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. The last interview was an in-tray exercise, basically. I applied online. Apply - Macfarlanes Firms reinstate NQ pay and tell staff they can choose how and when to work. We are a distinctive London-based law firm with a unique combination of services built and shaped around the needs of our clients. They assess you on your contribution but also how you react to your team members.