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The SRA appointed Kaplan law school as assessor and adjudicator for the SQE. Kaplan has previously run the QLTS for lawyers from overseas cross-qualifying in the UK. Come along to one of our virtual or in-house open days in November, December, January, February or March to get a good feel for what a career at a mid-sized international law firm is really like. You’ll meet partners, associates and trainees as well as the future talent team.
London office of US firm. Paul Maher, previously global vice chairman at Mayer Brown, launched the office in 2009. Unlike the full course that is/was the LPC, the SQE is only a set of two exams, snappily titled SQE1 and SQE2. Anyone with a degree that can pass both exams, complete 24 months of legal work experience and meet ‘character and suitability requirements’ will be able to qualify as a solicitor. The final stage is the assessment centre which consists of a half-day spent at the firm. The day’s agenda consists of a presentation, interview and a commercial awareness exercise – all of which is assessed by a partner and a member of HR. In the Southwest, Burges Salmon stands out quite a lot.” It certainly does and, if anything, this trainee was understating it slightly. Bristol-based Burges Salmon does “high-quality commercial work outside of London,” placing it high up on the shortlist for those who “didn’t want to be in London, but didn’t want to compromise on the quality of work.” Several trainees mentioned the firm’s work “in the energy sector, specifically renewables,” as particularly appealing, along with pensions.We have strong LGBT+ representation within our organisation. We are long-standing sponsors of Bristol Pride and Edinburgh Pride and we have a people-led network championing LGBT+ issues, BProud. We continue to implement best practice in LGBT+ inclusion through our involvement with Stonewall. Handles capital markets, corporate/M&A, financial restructuring, global finance, litigation and tax matters. Both types of application begin with the same online form, which asks candidates to list their academic credentials and other achievements. According to chief people and talent officer Jeff Marlow, “we’re looking for future trainees who will be enthusiastic, willing to learn and full of potential. We’re keen to hear about what interests you and excites you, where your passions lie and how you can use this in your career as a lawyer.”
Clyde & Co attracts around 1,500 applications for its vacation scheme each year and recruits for the training contract (40–45 spaces) exclusively through the vacation scheme. As part of the application process, candidates are asked to complete a short application form that includes their academics and work experience to date. After this, candidates complete a video interview that allows them to demonstrate their motivation for a career in commercial law, their commercial analysis, and what interests they have outside of academia. Our early careers sources explained, “It is important for applicants to highlight any transferable skills gained through work experience and extracurricular activities.” Around 2,100 lawyers in 31 offices: 11 in the US, 12 in Europe, six in Asia and two in the Middle East. Peter Crisp, Pro Vice Chancellor at University of Law, explains what is changing (and staying the same) with the introduction of the SQE. Training Contract 2025 – Projects & Construction. Applications open on 18th September 2023 and close on 4th January 2024. We are looking for those who are interested in Projects & Construction. By August 2025 you will need to have completed your SQE. If you have not already completed this, Clyde & Co will enrol you onto the relevant courses starting September 2024. Therefore, law students will need to be in their final year, or have graduated, and non-law students will currently need to be completing their PGDL, ready to start the SQE next September.Candidates that are successful will be invited to a face-to-face assessment day, details of which will be provided nearer to the time. Inevitably, research and knowledge of the firm and the broader commercial landscape, as well as an understanding of a candidates own skillset will prove invaluable throughout the assessment process. “We want to see how candidates think in practice, how they interact with one another and how they are able to demonstrate their skills. We are not looking for an in-depth knowledge of the law, but for individuals who are adaptable and can flex their skills across multiple problem-solving tasks and who have good learning agility.” It’s not just a one-way street, however, as they explain “We want candidates to get a feel for the culture of the firm and walk away feeling like this is the firm for them.” Cons: The firm needs to break into the UK market and find a place in it, and it can take ages to build up the office (assuming management in the US even has the desire to do that). UK firm Eversheds merged with Americans Sutherland in 2017. Sutherland had a 10-lawyer London office since 2014 after merger with Arbis LLP.
I’ve been told that our application process is tougher than other firms,” revealed training principal Jat Bains. To impress during the application process, Bains said it’s important to demonstrate certain traits: “Obviously we’re looking for brain power, but we also want people who work well with others and who are resilient to the demands of clients. Applicants need to demonstrate commerciality, practicality, ambition and a desire to work within the firm.”Approx 1,900 lawyers in the Chicago HQ plus eight more US offices, London, Munich, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. CMS is a future facing firm. Whether stakeholders are big or small, they always have the firm’s full attention and expertise. In a world of ever-accelerating change where technology is increasingly important, their clear, business-focused advice helps clients of every size to face the future with confidence. Nearly 1,000 lawyers in this Texas-founded but Washington DC-headquartered firm. Ten US offices plus ten outside the US. The eight specialist sectors at CMS are: energy; financial institutions; infrastructure; life sciences and healthcare; real estate; TMT, consumer and retail and hotel and leisure. Trainees get a choice of seats spanning all areas, which suited our interviewees: “At university, I wasn’t sure what type of commercial law I wanted to do, and CMS offered me the opportunity to explore.” Finance, investment management, private equity, oil & gas, natural resources and international arbitration.
World's biggest firm by headcount. 7,000+ lawyers in more than 125 locations across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, China, Africa and Australia. BCultured is our BAME network, established in 2018. BCultured aims to promote ethnic diversity and inclusion across all aspects of the firm. Through reverse mentoring, BCultured has helped us to build awareness and better understanding of different cultural perspectives and experiences. UK firm Hammonds and US firm Squire, Sanders & Dempsey merged in 2011. Merged with DC firm Patton Boggs in 2014. The ten biggest law firm recruiters in the City of London firms (including the magic circle) offer roughly 720 traineeships between them each year, representing approximately 12.5% of all new training contracts registered with the SRA. In terms of day-to-day trainee experiences, there’s not such a huge difference between the magic circle and the so-called ‘silver circle’ firms such as Ashurst, Herbert Smith Freehills and a few others.
Firm Facts
Our virtual open days take place on the 22 November 2023 and 6 December 2023. Our in-house open days take place on 17 January 2024 and 13 March 2024. Our disability open day takes place on 7 February 2024. We recruit for our training contracts exclusively through our vacation schemes. We offer training contracts in London/Guildford, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh. These training contracts consist of 4x6 month seats. There are no compulsory or guaranteed seats, however, in London it is expected to complete one seat with our Insurance practice. In Bristol, we also offer non-rotational training contracts in our IFPD and Projects & Construction team. There are also opportunities to be seconded to our clients and our international offices. Social mobility follows through each of our diversity and inclusion strands and we have been recognised as a Top 75 Employer for Social Mobility. We follow best practice, such as the Prime Commitment, and take part in local schemes, such as Bristol Future Talent Partnership and Women’s Work Lab. Mississippi-headquartered firm with a 23 US locations in addition to London, Hong Kong and Singapore. These can be either a large firm taking on a smaller one specifically to gain a London office (as with McGuireWoods' absorption of Grundberg Mocatta Rakison), or two of a similar size combining to form a larger one, with better global coverage the goal (as with the Hogan Lovells or Dentons tie-ups)
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