We sat around in a conference room and there were ice-breakers. 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. Immigration lawyers deal with all legal matters relating to immigration and nationality. Biomedical Science: 2023/24 Applicants Thread. Apply. For those candidates completing the PGDL, you need to achieve a commendation or above on the first sitting. All rights reserved. Macfarlanes trainee experience. SQE timeline (for training programmes due to start in 2025). The written exercise is probably the most difficult (see below). To save you time . Partners and Graduate Recruitment were both friendly and made sure that I felt comfortable on the day. Sponsored by Bristows LLP. They kept dragging out the time before they sent me the assessment, and then decided not to hire me. 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. The hiring process at Macfarlanes takes an average of 20.2 days when considering 24 user submitted interviews across all job titles. No. Cookies enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. How many vacation scheme participants do you recruit across your three schemes? The scenario was an acquisition of an airline. Pretty straightforward, nice talking to the recruitment managers. Maintenance allowance for SQE students: 13,000. 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. I did 4 partner interviews over a period of 6 weeks, only for them to suddenly ask me to do an assessment. 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. General introduction - interview with partners - written exercise - group negotiation. Anyone else 12 weeks behind with uni work? They can be invaluable in helping you decide whether a career in law is right for you. Be the first to find this interview helpful. Please ensure you re-familiarise yourself with your application before the day. Its important to remember theyre just there to have a lunch and answer any questions you have or just discuss things. We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. Are you allowed to take tracing paper into the Maths GCSE? Our spring vacation scheme often takes place during Ramadan, so this is something we consider when organising the programme of events. No, not at all. If I complete my SQE independently will I be reimbursed for the costs of the exams? In addition, our litigators are able to offer strategic and tactical advice to best protect our clients in the event of a dispute arising. There is a guidance document on our intranet detailing this. What is it really like to work at Macfarlanes? Our DAWN network focuses on ensuring the whole firm is more confident in its understanding of disability. The hardest part of the day was definitely the written exercise. It is not a comprehensive list of religions, but we designed it to include thosewith practices thathave direct implications in a work setting. Macfarlanes LLP | Training contracts, vacation schemes and - Lex 100 If we have not yet reviewed your application, we may be able to add the missing information. Interview. My interviewer was very friendly and put me very much at ease when I was very nervous going into it. Additional support and extenuating circumstances, Meeting Macfarlanes Campus events, workshops and fairs, Your choices regarding cookies on this site. It was very well-structured but I feel the rather high number of applicants made it feel a bit more intimidating. I have some legal work experience already, and I know I want to be an associate at Macfarlanes. Technology, media and telecommunications is one of the fastest-developing sectors of the legal market. You should therefore not worry about applying to us as soon as the applications open. 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. Can I apply for the training programme if I am currently studying elsewhere? Candidates applying for Summer Vacation Scheme had the quickest hiring process (on average 1 day), whereas Associate roles had the slowest hiring process (on average 61 days). Well rounded candidates who will make the most of our varied seat rotations. Why do you want to become a solicitor? 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. This will be in the year between receiving your training programme offer and starting your studies for the SQE. If your application is unsuccessful at the application stage, yes, you can reapply for any programme. Maintenance allowance for PGDL students, 13,000. Try and maintain eye contact when appropriate. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Thoughts on Wilson Elser? Please describe the interview process at Macfarlanes. Macfarlanes is big on resilience, which is difficult to think about on the spot so make sure you prepare specific situations and structure your answer well. Are vacation scheme and insight scheme participants paid? Macfarlanes Training Contract Interview Questions | Glassdoor My higher education qualifications do not meet your minimum requirements. Our selection process includes a range of assessments. Full instructions are given by the early legal careers team before the exercise; an interview with a partner and a senior associate. 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. Theinsight scheme willtake placefrom 3 April 2023 6 April 2023. We are committed to fostering an inclusive culture throughout the firm, from entry level to partnership. The network runs awareness-raising events and socials and provides networking opportunities both internally and with our clients. Summer/Autumn 2023 - Begin studying for the SQE with BPP. A firm handshake is best, but try not to break any bones. Be the first to find this interview helpful, Why Law Why Macfarlanes Describe a time when you overcame an obstacle, "Are you resilient?" The amount is reviewed annually and is within market range. 1 negotiation exercise - group work based exercise with a partner. You can detail this on your application form. Sponsored by Mills & Reeve LLP. How to apply www.macfarlanes.com Follow us on /MacfarlanesGrad /company/macfarlanes/ /macfarlanesearlycareers Applications to They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. Autumn 2023 - Sit the SQE1 examination. Social Welfare Solicitors Qualification Fund takes on first SQE cohort. We also have a firmwide religious and cultural events calendar that highlights important dates throughout the year to promote awareness and understanding. Industry: Legal. Your choices regarding cookies on this site. The case study was very interesting to read it through and discuss with the partners. 19. Over at @macfarlanesgrad, they're challenging the Instagram vs reality stereotypes and laying bare what makes the firm #meaningfullydifferent. 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. Anyone here in-house with Disney or know anything about the company? However, if you need additional support throughout the assessment process or there is anything else you wish to discuss, please contact the early legal careers team. Use The Beginners Guide to a Career in Law to get started, Find out about the various legal apprenticeships on offer and browse vacancies with The Law Apprenticeships Guide, Information on qualifying through the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, including preparation courses, study resources, QWE and more, Discover everything you need to know about developing your knowledge of the business world and its impact on the law, The latest news and updates on the actions being taken to improve diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, Discover advice to help you prepare for and ace your vacation scheme, training contract and pupillage applications, Your first-year guide to a career in law find out how to kickstart your legal career at this early stage, Your non-law guide to a career in law everything you need to know about converting to law. All elements, including the bespoke Macfarlanes modules, are paid for by the firm. Due to the high number of applications we receive, we cannot give feedback at the application stage. Cookies enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. 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. Macfarlanes is pleased to announce that Stephen Ross joins the firm on 18 January as a partner in its investment management team. To apply you will need to be in the first year (and second year on a four-year course) of your undergraduate degree. These include a talk by our senior partner and a dinner with a number of partners from around the firm. Presentation from trainees My partner is letting her friend sleep in her bed, am I overeacting? We wanted to form a community of aspiring lawyers who care about becoming the best version of themselves. Applications open on 26 September 2022 online via our website and will close on 27 January 2023. 13 years ago. 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? Why Macfarlanes and what values resonate with you, Tax restructuring scenario for a group of companies. The second element was an interview with a partner about competencies. Has anyone here used upwork or other similar sites to initially get work to start your own firm? . No, we do not accept applications after the deadline has passed. Most of our assessment processes for both our vacation schemes and our training programmes are scored application blind. Strong academics. Yes, we accept applications from applicants who studied any subject, whether at a UK or overseas university. Law firms launch initiative to address diversity issues in the profession. Everything you need to know about becoming a solicitor, Search for a training contract at nearly 1,000 organisations, A comprehensive list of training contract deadlines, A comprehensive list of law firms' vacation scheme deadlines, Read how today's lawyers went from student to qualified lawyer, Advice from recruiters on acing your applications and more, Get a sense of what firms' vacation schemes are really like, Your essential first step in identifying the firm for you, Hear from solicitors working in specific practice areas, Everything you need to know about becoming a barrister, Search for a pupillage at nearly 200 barristers' chambers, A comprehensive list of pupillage deadlines, Hear from barristers working in specific practice areas, Find out more about the different types of chambers, This hub covers all aspects of legal education and training, Identify the right law school for you with these prospectuses, Find out about sources of funding at each stage of the qualification process, Find out about what you learn and where to study, Find out what the LPC involves and whether you're eligible, Find out about the course required to qualify as a barrister, Find out about the brand-new SQE preparation courses, Articles from law firms designed to get you thinking commercially, These are designed to increase your knowledge of the profession, Insights from LCN and contributors from the world of law, Advice on issues from funding your studies to getting experience, Kickstart your legal career with the latest content in our newsletter, Discover key stories from the legal world, Our videos feature interviews and webinars on careers in law, Hear from the experts via The LawCareers.Net Podcast, Hear from your peers about their journey into the profession, Macfarlanes are a distinctive London-based law firm with a unique combination of services built and shaped around the needs of their clients. On Fishbowl, you can share insights and advice anonymously with Macfarlanes employees and get real answers from people on the inside. Comp and culture? 2023 The Corporate Law Academy. For the first year insight scheme, you need to apply online as well. We structured it so that each of us in the group could start and make the point on one of the issues up for negotiation, and lead the negotiations for our side. A long application followed by an assessment centre with a case study, partner/associate interview and written exercise. The coordinators were really helpful and gave me a prep call before so I knew what to expect from it. Thanks a lot in advance! Macfarlanes is unlike any other law firm. Theyre not out there to assess the quality of your questions or anything. To apply for a vacation scheme you will need to be in at least the penultimate year of your degree. Reply 1. Finally the day ends with lunch and networking with some trainees. Market-leading perspectives and understanding, Responsive advice in a fast-changing world. Stay calm and work through it one step at a time! 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"). For instance, we were a lawyer and a client was asking for advice, but we werent qualified in that area. All content 2023 Macfarlanes LLP. All rights reserved. That was helpful for sharing the opportunities to speak. On Fishbowl, you can share insights and advice anonymously with Macfarlanes employees and get real answers from people on the inside. Legal profession most represented sector in 2020 Social Mobility Employer Index. All relatively straight forward. 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. Apply. Restructuring and Insolvency. Why do you want to become a solicitor? Privacy policy - Macfarlanes What support can you give to those observing religious holidays, for example, during the vacation scheme? They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. Absolutely, yes. Spring 2024 - Sit the SQE2 examination. Then we had lunch with trainees and partners, which was a little intimidating at first but fine once we were going. What I would say is so make sure you finish the letter, even if it isnt your best! This includes using contextual recruitment and running diversity-specific open days and mentoring programmes. When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Yes, we pay our vacation scheme and insight scheme participants for the duration of the scheme. We use cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. 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. Macfarlanes LLP - True Picture - Chambers Student Guide 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"). These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. Does Macfarlanes have any staff network groups? Apply. for recruitment purposes, (including via virtual assessment centres and virtual trainee experiences); to promote our legal services, including . However, if you do not meet these requirements and you have extenuating circumstances, you may still apply. We accept applicants from all UK and international universities. Sponsored by Osborne Clarke LLP. a networking session with our trainee solicitors. Got a case study or group exercise coming up? How would you deal with a disruptive associate when you are giving presentation ? These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. What are your thoughts about xyz? We would really encourage anyone with disabilities and long-term or mental health conditions to share as much information as they can during the application process. Written exercises: Attention to detail, true or false logic, and conditionality good questions and very good structure . Honesty, friendliness and a polite attitude make it a far more pleasant experience for the partners. Each year, we complete submissions for the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme as well as for the Social Mobility Employer Index. 30/04/2023 Ashfords Exeter Summer Scheme 1. Resilience - that is a grit and ambition to take on real responsibility. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 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. A number of our current trainee cohort and associates had another career before applying to our training programme. Pretty straightforward, nice talking to the recruitment managers. We are now a dress down firm, so yes. Answer Question We're delighted to announce the launch of the Macfarlanes' trainee experience, allowing you to complete mock trainee tasks whilst gaining an insight into our unique culture. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information. The one-on-one partner interview involves the usual competency, motivation, and strengths based questions. Nice experience, the interviewers were very friendly and willing to help with any questions I had. I interviewed at Macfarlanes (London, England) in Jan 2021. 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. This involved looking at the employment contract, examining against the facts, and coming to a conclusion. Then we negotiated with the team opposite. There was minimal technical hiccups and I felt welcomed at the firm. You will have the opportunity to meet trainees, solicitors and partners within the firm. Anyone else 12 weeks behind with uni work? When is the deadline for the first year insight scheme? We will set measurable targets against our three strategic priorities. 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. To understand more about how we use cookies or to change your cookie preferences, click on Showsettings. Our Environmental Sub-Committee, made up of people from across the firm, leads the firms sustainable business agenda. Anonymous Interview Candidate in London, England, I applied online. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. For the first year insight scheme application form, the interests and achievements question has a maximum word count of 500 words. Then if successful invited to an assessment day. Pleasant. Generally, we progress applications from candidates who have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2.1 in their degree. The Pupillage Interview/Acceptance/Rejection Thread 2023 Watch, Got offered Clifford Chance interview etc and don't know what to do lol. Anyone here in-house with Disney or know anything about the company? The partners make no attempts to intimidate or cross-examine you. These programmes are geared towards people who are not yet qualified. 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. It also looks into your motivations for pursuing a career in commercial law at Macfarlanes; and. He is a member of the Society of Construction Law, the Adjudication Society, the Property Litigation Association, the Young International Arbitration . 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. Do you use psychometric testing in the application process? The format at the Assessment Centre was as follows: Glassdoor users rated their interview experience at Macfarlanes as 87.5% positive with a difficulty rating score of 3.38 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty). Macfarlanes Career: Working at Macfarlanes | Glassdoor The opportunity to experience Macfarlanes begins with our vacation scheme assessment days. This assessment is the only part of the day when the assessors will have seen your application form beforehand. Our culture is thoughtful, challenging and supportive, and we are a place where everyone, at whatever level, can thrive. A long application followed by an assessment centre with a case study, partner/associate interview and written exercise. We want the best talent at Macfarlanes. Do you cover the cost of travel for candidates? We recruit 33 trainees who join us every September. We partner with a number of organisations to attract and develop trainees from a wide variety of backgrounds. I interviewed at Macfarlanes (London, England). Try to ignore unnecessary details. The scheme will comprise of skills workshops, work shadowing and presentations. I did 4 partner interviews over a period of 6 weeks, only for them to suddenly ask me to do an assessment. The first exercise was a group negotiation exercise. A time you changed your approach The coordinators were really helpful and gave me a prep call before so I knew what to expect from it. 1 partner interview - standard interview, cv and commerciality based. Can I reapply if my application is not successful? Thoughts on Wilson Elser? The Student Room and The Uni Guide are both part of The Student Room Group. Be sure to contribute in the group exercise. I applied online. 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 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). You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. We recruit 55 participants across our three vacation schemes annually. Law firms in profit despite pandemic; firms reinstate NQ pay. 1 partner - commerciality interview - interview about current affairs and your recommendations for how the firm would deal with certain cases. SensitivePedant. Draw upon what other people say, expanding on their points. Macfarlanes Interview Questions | Glassdoor Macfarlanes is unlike any other law firm. 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. These sessions help build your legal knowledge and inform your seat choices. ", Opens the Fishbowl by Glassdoor site in a new window, motivations for law, about you, and competency on resilience. Exeter Assessment Centre. 2nd stage interview, a presentation on legaltech followed by a Q and A. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions that you might find useful. 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. How would you implement a process. What exercises can I expect at a vacation scheme assessment day? Macfarlanes Career: Working at Macfarlanes | Glassdoor Assessment Centre: Was very interesting . Body language and speech are important: don't slouch or mumble and avoid verbal tics such as 'like', 'you know' and 'sort of'. Then you can start the Macfarlanes SQE preparation course alongside your cohort of Macfarlanes future trainees. When you apply for the training programme, you should be in at least your final year. Elizabeth Fielding is in the real estate group at Macfarlanes. Where can I study the SQE preparation course? If I choose an alternative route to qualify than the training programme will the firm pay for the cost of me sitting the SQE? Insurance and reinsurance is an integral part of commercial activity throughout the world. My partner is letting her friend sleep in her bed, am I overeacting? 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. City firms announce partner promotions despite pandemic pressures. Macfarlanes interview details: 23 interview questions and 24 interview reviews posted anonymously by Macfarlanes interview candidates.