On Fishbowl, you can share insights and advice anonymously with Macfarlanes employees and get real answers from people on the inside. A number of our current trainee cohort and associates had another career before applying to our training programme. The day on the whole is quite, usually from 9-4:30- but the rest of the activities are not assessed so it does allow you to relax and meet the trainees! Macfarlanes - TC assessment day. Provide an example of how Brexit will have an impact on the day-to-day work of lawyers and their clients. The qualities we look for in our lawyers include strong interpersonal skills, an ambitious commercial approach, drive, motivation and resilience. Theyre not out there to assess the quality of your questions or anything. If you studied a non-law subject at undergraduate level, you have to complete the Postgraduate Diploma in Law (PGDL) at BPP. All Rights Reserved. Our culture is thoughtful, challenging and supportive, and we are a place where everyone, at whatever level, can thrive. Comp and culture? As a firm, we also have a collective responsibility to the wider community and the environment around us. The Race Fairness Commitmenthas been adopted by 17 top law firms in partnership with Rare Recruitment as part of their long-term strategies to help recruit, retain and develop black, Asian and minority ethnic talent within the legal profession. Please get in touch with our recruitment teamif you have further questions. There is no set time, but we suggest you neither rush nor leave it to the last minute. Has anyone here used upwork or other similar sites to initially get work to start your own firm? 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. Application blind and contextual recruitment. Copyright 2008-2023, Glassdoor, Inc. "Glassdoor" and logo are registered trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc. 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 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 . The coordinators were really helpful and gave me a prep call before so I knew what to expect from it. Priority for NQ places is given to those who have completed the firms training programme. Commercial property lawyers work on a wide range of transactions including offices, retail developments and infrastructure projects. 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. Has anyone here used upwork or other similar sites to initially get work to start your own firm? good questions and very good structure . How long does the application form take to complete? They assess you on your contribution but also how you react to your team members. This details practices from mainstream religions that could affect individuals at work. Do you have a first year programme? We spoke to the early legal careers team at Macfarlanes to gain some key insights and top tips on how you can stand out to this leading law firm. A long application followed by an assessment centre with a case study, partner/associate interview and written exercise. Its difficult to prepare for. 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. Resilience - that is a grit and ambition to take on real responsibility. The in-tray exercise is also difficult to prepare for, because its largely dependent on the situation before you. The final exercise was a blind interview with a partner. Why Macfarlanes and what values resonate with you, Tax restructuring scenario for a group of companies. Please describe the interview process at Macfarlanes. We want the best talent at Macfarlanes. Can I still apply? How do I add it to my form? Restructuring and insolvency lawyers are necessary when a company, individual or other organisation is in financial difficulties. 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. How to apply www.macfarlanes.com Follow us on /MacfarlanesGrad /company/macfarlanes/ /macfarlanesearlycareers Applications to 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. Hey, I did one last year and I'm not sure if it has changed or not, but this is how . For the vacation scheme and training programme, you need to complete an online application form. The dates of our 2023 vacation schemes are as follows: Applications open on 26 September 2022 andare online via our website. I am not yet at university. Do I need to have completed a vacation scheme when I apply for the training programme? 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. We always recruit trainees from both vacation schemes and direct training programme applications in each intake. Does Macfarlanes partner with any external diversity organisations? The interviewer will point you to problems you have missed though, so dont worry if you dont get everything first time round. 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. Thanks a lot in advance! 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. Above all, we value a commitment to excellence, and an intuitive understanding of people. We do not recruit on a rolling basis, so you can expect to hear from us once applications have closed. Large projects involve lawyers specialising in finance, construction and corporate law. There is just a brief description on their website and nothing on wikijob at all, so I was wondering if anyone has been to one? Our early legal careers team works closely with external diversity organisations, such as Aspiring Solicitors, Rare and upReach. Macfarlanes First Year Skills Development Week 2023. 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. Can I still apply for a vacation scheme or the training programme? Nepotism always wins it seems. 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. Macfarlanes Graduate Recruitment. Solicitor | Macfarlanes Profile Highlights: State school educated Ethnic minority First generation lawyer Contact Me To contact me, please login or register Profile: I am a Solicitor at Macfarlanes LLP having qualified in September 2017. Private Equity. Litigation and Dispute Resolution. The maximum word count for each of these questions is 300 words. 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. We know each other personally which means we work together with more cohesion, and less formality. 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. Corporate finance lawyers advise companies on all aspects of the buying and selling of whole businesses or business assets. No. Can I send in a copy of my CV and a covering letter instead of completing an application online? Macfarlanes is unlike any other law firm. We discussed this in the interview for about ten minutes, and it seemed mostly about how we thought about the issue. When can I apply for a vacation scheme, and when can I apply for the training programme? We welcome applicationsfrom candidates with either a law or non-law background with outstanding academics, including apredicted 2.1 degree or above. Can trainees get involved in pro bono work at Macfarlanes? Thanks for sharing Dan. They will ask you about your motivations for pursuing a career in commercial law at Macfarlanes, how you work with others and your commercial awareness; and. Commercial awareness. To apply you will need to be in the first year (and second year on a four-year course) of your undergraduate degree. Is there a dress down policy at the firm? 19. Competition and regulatory work includes merger control, regulatory and court proceedings, issues arising from sector-specific regulation and utility procurement issues. They can advise you on the best course of action. I interviewed at Macfarlanes (London, England) in Jul 2022, Introduction Body language and speech are important: don't slouch or mumble and avoid verbal tics such as 'like', 'you know' and 'sort of'. Sessions start on the week of the 13th March! Partners and Graduate Recruitment were both friendly and made sure that I felt comfortable on the day. on what they might expect to gain out of a trust. We had to read a situation and respond to it with what we would do in an interview with a partner. When is the deadline for the vacation scheme? Applications open on 26 September 2022 online via our website and will close on 27 January 2023. For those experiencing mental health conditions, we offer a confidential counselling service and regular firmwide seminars on looking after your mental health. Salaries, reviews, and more - all posted by employees working at Macfarlanes. Bar Course /BVS / BPTC 2023-2024 : what are everyone's plans? The written exercise was fairly straightforward if you read ALL the information thoroughly and applied it exactly. We want to recruit the best candidates regardless of their background or where they were educated. I wrote my letter to the wrong person and I think this was the single biggest challenge to my chances of success. 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. Industry: Legal. Capital markets lawyers work with transactions involving the issue of debt or equity securities to the public or investors. Summer/autumn 2024 begin studying for the SQE with BPP. Are vacation scheme and insight scheme participants paid? . However, they are not a requirement for the training programme. The energy sector is an important part of the legal landscape and is making more headlines than ever before. You can apply for the training programme in your penultimate year and onwards if you are a law student, or in your final year and onwards if you are a non-law student. Macfarlanes Assessment Centre | The Corporate Law Academy Forum Join our training to understand the financial world. Anyone here in-house with Disney or know anything about the company? The second element was an interview with a partner about competencies. We understand that not every candidates achievements look the same on paper, and we are a firm that believes in fairness and diversity. Upon successful completion of the SQE and QWE will I be able to apply for an NQ role at the firm? All employees have access to the Thrive wellbeing app, and we have a network of guardians across the firm who are trained to provide a confidential space to share issues employees feel they need to discuss. 2023 The Corporate Law Academy. Tech and the future of legal services: implementing change. 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. Assessment Centre: We know each other personally which means we work together with more cohesion, and less formality. Copyright 2008-2023, Glassdoor, Inc. "Glassdoor" and logo are registered trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc. For instance, we were a lawyer and a client was asking for advice, but we werent qualified in that area. Explain how a current issue affects our firm. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. Sponsored by Osborne Clarke LLP. Regarding the interview, this is split in two parts one focusing on personal experiences (mostly competency questions) and the other on a case study, which you will have already had the chance to read before the interview. Summer/Autumn 2023 - Begin studying for the SQE with BPP. Anonymous Interview Candidate in London, England, I applied online. For example, we recently hosted a panel session with InterLaw Diversity Forum on disability in the workplace. Issues such as climate change and the need for alternative energy sources make environmental laws more important than ever. 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. I applied for a Training Contract directly. 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. Sponsored by Gowling WLG (UK) LLP. The opportunity to experience Macfarlanes begins with our vacation scheme assessment days. A. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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. Yes. 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. 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). My interviewer was very friendly and put me very much at ease when I was very nervous going into it. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions that you might find useful. The Pupillage Interview/Acceptance/Rejection Thread 2023 Watch, Got offered Clifford Chance interview etc and don't know what to do lol. Employment lawyers work across all areas of employment law, including handling discrimination, staff restructuring and whistleblowing issues. 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.