Tell me about yourself? [5]
- I was born and raised in York and have lived there all my life. I have continued studying in York, as I chose to go to the University of York to study law.
- Alongside studying and developing practical skills such as interviewing, negotiation and debating, I honed these through my work experience and position of responsibility at Citizens’ Advice and shadowing a barrister.
- Additionally, I work part-time at Tesco as a self-service and checkouts assistant.
- In my spare time I enjoy horse riding and volunteering - for instance I devoted last Summer volunteering with the mental health charity Mind.
- Overall, I find myself as someone who is passionate about the dynamic and changing nature of the law, and the developing role that legal professionals are playing. With Slaughter and May being at the forefront of legal developments, I would love to contribute this passion and dedication to the firm.
Tell me about a time you worked as a team? / Were under pressure at work? [STARR]
Situation:
- Working at Tesco as a self-service assistant during xmas rush
Task:
- Mitigating large queues since customers were getting agitated.
Action:
Me and colleague stood at opposite ends of the station with headsets to direct customers to open tills
Result:
Reduced the queue by half
Reflection:
Seek feedback from customers on how we can make their experience better and more efficient.
Do you have any questions? [4]
- What does a typical day look like?
- How does the multi-specialist approach affect day-to-day tasks? Does it mean your typical work is more varied?
- What’s your favourite thing about working there?
- What do you think makes Slaughter and May stand out?
What has been your greatest failure and have you been able to bounce back from it? If so, tell me how? [S & BB]
Situation:
- I did not receive the grade I needed in A-Level geography a few weeks before exams. This upset me, since I thought I would not get into university.
Bounce Back:
- However, I bounced back by recognising a defeatist mindset wouldn’t get me the grade I wanted.
- I went to my teacher for direct improvement and completed more mock papers to improve my application in essays
- As a result I increased my grade by two levels in a few weeks.
Why did you study law? [4]
- I want to pursue a career in law due to the dynamic, challenging and fast-paced career it offers.
- When I volunteered at Court. I had the privilege of supporting witnesses and providing them with practical information and emotional support. First-hand, I got to experience how my advice could make a profound impact on people.
- Also, I liked the fast-paced nature of the role. For instance, I enjoyed working at Tesco at Christmas time since you had to think on your feet. I found a way to mitigate the long Christmas shopping queues with my colleague by standing at each end and guiding customers to open tills.
- These skills I have acquired I think would translate well into the legal sphere and make a rewarding career.
What modules are you studying? Which one is your favourite? [6]
- I am studying various modules including
- Foundations in Law: Public, EU, Criminal, Law of Obligations, Property
- Legal Skills: Practical skills and reflection e.g. advocacy, mooting, negotiations, interviewing, debating
- My favourite is Law & The Business Environment
- You are tasked with creating a business plan for a fictional law firm in York that has been losing profitability.
- I enjoyed it most because you had a lot of freedom to conduct a SWOT/PESTLE analysis of the firm and come to your conclusions on proposals that could improve the firm.
Why do you want to pursue a career in law? [4]
- I’ve been interested in being a lawyer since I was in secondary school, as I recognised it as a dynamic and fast-paced career which appealed to me. I chose to pursue it at university, specifically at the University of York, since it engaged in more practical elements of law such as practice interviewing clients, negotiation and advocacy.
- This developed when I spent time in legal work experience, interacting with clients virtually and talking to witnesses in court, and I gained an in-depth understanding of the legal system by witnessing the real-world application of legal principles.
- Attending attended various talks and presentations with trainee solicitors such as the University of York law careers dinner to gain insight into what it could be like as a trainee.
- Speaking to an associate named Jezah on the social mobility network highlighted to me that as a lawyer often no two days were the same and that diversity appealed to me.
Which other firms have you applied to?
Which other firms have you applied to?
- Addleshaw Goddard
- DLA Piper
- I applied to both firms since they both have a wide range of offices and international reach.
- However, Slaughter & May stands out to me as my first choice due to their multi-specialist approach granting a higher diversity of work.
- Alongside this, the firm’s best-friend network gives a unique opportunity to connect to the best lawyers from around the world.
- No billing hour targets, emphasises this collaborative culture even more.
What recent deal have you been reading about?
Brief Overview of the Deal:
Recently I have been following a significant financial sector deal, involving Legal & General Assurance Society Limited. Slaughter and May advised Legal & General on a ground-breaking £4.8 billion full buy-in for the Boots Pension Scheme
Key Rationale:
- Secured the benefits of all 53,000 retirees and deferred members of the Scheme
- It was a combined investment and insurance solution that was employed to de-risk the pension scheme. Encourage other providers to explore creative approaches that provide transactional certainty and value maximization for all parties involved.
Why it is interesting:
- Due to its scale as the UK’s largest single transaction of its kind in terms of premium size and number of members involved. Working at Slaughter and May would mean I would be at the forefront of new developments.
-Set a precedent for other pension schemes to explore de-risking strategies, especially as demand in the sector is accelerating.
What recent deal have you been reading about (2)?
Brief Overview of the Deal:
Recently I have been following a significant financial sector deal, involving Legal & General Assurance Society Limited. Slaughter and May advised Legal & General on a ground-breaking £4.8 billion full buy-in for the Boots Pension Scheme
Key Rationale:
- Secured the benefits of all 53,000 retirees and deferred members of the Scheme
- It was a combined investment and insurance solution that was employed to de-risk the pension scheme. Encourage other providers to explore creative approaches that provide transactional certainty and value maximization for all parties involved.
Why it is interesting:
- Due to its scale as the UK’s largest single transaction of its kind in terms of premium size and number of members involved. Working at Slaughter and May would mean I would be at the forefront of new developments.
- Set a precedent for other pension schemes to explore de-risking strategies, especially as demand in the sector is accelerating.
Why Slaughter & May? [5]
- I appreciate they have set socio-economic targets for a 15% lower SEB target for lawyers by 2033.
- Ranking 19th in the Social Mobility Employers Index
- Does not impose billable hours targets (promoting a more collaborative approach)
- Multi-specialist approach – lawyers working more as generalists, offering more variety and diversity of work.
- Best friend network – involves lawyers working alongside selected partner firms that are market leaders in their jurisdictions. Opportunities to learn from the best lawyers around the world.
What is a secondment?
A secondment is an arrangement where a company temporarily assigns an employee to a new position
What are the typical tasks of a trainee? [3]
- drafting parts of the transaction documents;
- liaising with other advisers and the client in relation to the transaction timetable;
- participating in, and sometimes chairing, calls and face-to-face meetings with the client;
Tell me something that isn’t on your CV? [3]
- I am a law student at the University of York. I have focused on improving my practical skills via interviewing, negotiation, advocacy –> gained practical experience in this via volunteering & shadowing.
- I am someone who is passionate about the dynamic and changing nature of the law an the role legal professionals are playing.
- With S&M being at the forefront of legal developments, I would love to contribute this dedication and passion to the firm.
What is your biggest weakness? [2]
- I feel I can’t live up to my abilities at times.
- However, I have overcome this by being willing to engage and take constructive criticism from my peers. This has especially been the case in PBL.
What seats do S&M do? [12]
- Corporate
- M&A
- Financing
- Competition
- Disputes & Investigations
- Financial Regulation
- Intellectual Property/Technology
- Pensions
- Employment & Incentives
- Real Estate
- Tax
- Sustainability & Climate Change
Why commerical law? [4]
- My experience supporting witnesses in Court at Citizens Advice helped me develop the ability to handle client relationships under pressure. I recognised these skills would translate well into commercial law.
- Also, my work at Tesco in handling customer complaints and working under pressure would translate well to the demanding commercial law atomosphere.
- Alongside this, I have attended various talks and presentations with trainee solicitors such as the University of York law careers dinner to gain insight into what it could be like as a trainee.
- Speaking to an associate named Jezah on the social mobility network highlighted to me that as a lawyer often no two days were the same and that diversity appealed to me.
Why do you want to work in London?
- London is at the heart of everything, and engage in large projects. A huge contrast to where I live now
Who are S&M’s main clients?
- Work with more FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 clients than any other law firm.
- Burberry: advising luxury fashion brand Burberry on its £300 million multi-currency sustainability linked revolving credit facility.
- Ocado: advising leading online food retailer Ocado on its new customer fufillment centre in Luton.
- ASOS: advising ASOS on acquisition of Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and other HIIT brands
What’s the difference between contract and tort?
- Contract pertains to the enforcement of voluntary agreements between parties, with rights and obligations arising from specific contractual terms.
- Tort law addresses civil wrongs and compensates for harm or loss resulting from breaches of general legal duties rather than pre-existing agreements.
Do you follow the business press? What’s caught your eye recently?
- Could mention about the Law Commission recently reporting e-wills could be being introduced.
- I found it interesting, as wills used to be a profitable venture for lawyers only a few years ago, whereas now they can be done easily online for a small cost or even free.
Why not employment law? [2]
- Thrive in a collaborative environment. Although employment law firm was different, they still have a collaborative culture that appeals to me.
- Mention speaking to Jezah, preaching about the culture well
Unique S&M selling points [5]
- Does not impose billable hours targets (promoting a more collaborative approach)
- Multi-specialist approach – lawyers working more as generalists, offering more variety and diversity of work.
- Large client base of FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies in the UK.
- Focused on more high profile and cutting edge matters, for instance advising H.M. Treasury.
- Best friend network – involves lawyers working alongside selected partner firms that are market leaders in their jurisdictions. Opportunities to learn from best lawyers around the world.
S&M Innovative Legal Services
- Slaughter and May collaborate, the firm’s legal tech programme
- Accepting applications for the fourth round of their programme
