As Clyde & Co doesn’t ask written application questions, I am instead providing a summary of the processes I had to go through before securing a vacation scheme.

The recruitment process

Clyde & Co recruits for the training contract exclusively through the vacation scheme. The application for the vacation scheme has three stages: 

1. Online application form
2. Online blended assessment 
3. Virtual assessment centre

Online application form

The online application form is relatively brief compared to application forms for other law firms, since there are no application questions. The application form includes: 

• Personal details
• Education details and results (secondary level and university level)
• Qualification questions and contextual information

Online blended assessment

All applicants are automatically invited to complete the online blended assessment after completing the initial application form. You must complete it within one week of receiving the email invitation. 

The online blended assessment is composed of:

• Situational judgement assessment 
• Short written assessment
• Video interview questions

Situational judgement section

This is an untimed test involving multiple choice questions based on hypothetical trainee tasks and situations you are likely to encounter in a law office. Questions cover teamwork, time management, response to feedback, meeting with colleagues, and interacting with your supervisor.

Candidates are encouraged to give their ’natural’ responses to the questions rather than trying to anticipate what the expected ‘right’ answer it. 

Written assessment

This assessment was also untimed. It involved writing a summary of information provided to share with colleagues, and explaining the approach I would take to engage sceptical colleagues.

Video interview questions

There were seven video interview questions in total. I was given 2.5 minutes to prepare an answer to each question (each question displayed on the screen). The software then starts recording automatically (you can manually start the recording earlier if you wish). I then had 2 minutes to answer each question, with no option to re-record or re-play my answers.

The questions I was asked included:

• Why would you like the vacation scheme at Clyde & Co?
• Why commercial law?
• Discuss skills from extracurricular activities which will make you a successful trainee.
• Tell us about something you enjoy (e.g. a hobby).

Try to speak calm and confidently, and recover from any mistakes quickly. There are a few practice video interview questions during the assessment to help you get comfortable with the format, so make the most of these.

Successful candidates are then invited to a virtual assessment centre. The virtual assessment centre is composed of a short written assessment (20 minutes) and an interview with a partner and senior associate (~45 minutes). Successful candidates at the assessment centre are offered a place on the summer vacation scheme, which is a two-week placement in June. After the vacation scheme, all vacation scheme students will be offered a training contract interview.

2021

Dear Ms. Walsh, 

I had the pleasure of discussing career prospects at Clyde & Co with Miranda Karali, partner at the London office, and am writing to express my interest in a vacation scheme. As an LLM student at [redacted] specialising in dispute resolution with significant work experience in international commercial litigation and arbitration, I feel well prepared to contribute to the operations of the firm.

I am particularly interested in practising dispute resolution at Clyde & Co in view of its leading position as one of the largest dispute resolution practices in the UK and its outstanding reputation in international arbitration. With a strong focus on its core sectors of international trade, natural resources, infrastructure, transportation and insurance and its unique expansion into emerging markets, Clyde & Co has solidified its position as a key facilitator of international trade and investment. An example of and a testament to the firm’s strong commitment to long-term business relationships with clients is the recent decision to extend its China reach via a legal partnership so as to more effectively service international clients with Chinese interests.

At Clyde & Co, I hope to accelerate my education by learning from leading experts in emerging markets, international trade and dispute resolution so that I may rapidly become a valuable collaborator. Throughout various internships, I have enjoyed working in collegial environments where results depend upon effective cooperation, whether this was drafting legal opinions on litigation and regulatory issues (DLA Piper, 2018) or issues relating to insolvency law (Bingham McCutchen, 2018). I have also produced results independently, for instance by examining the extraterritorial impact of the UK Bribery Act 2010 on Austrian companies (DLA Piper, 2018) or redrafting the Final Award in a construction arbitration dispute (Baier Rechtsanwälte, 2019).

My current academic engagements in international trade and investment dispute settlement, international commercial litigation, and international commercial law, as well as my immediate involvement in the Willem C. Vis Arbitration Moot as a member of the [redacted] team, have provided the basis for dealing with and identifying methods of navigating around real issues at the forefront of commercial law.

I believe that I possess the requisite qualities—an international background, practical experience, knowledge of five languages, leadership and teamwork skills, self-motivation, academic ability, and intellectual curiosity in a range of legal issues—to meet the high expectations set for employees at a leading international law firm and wish to face this challenge at Clyde & Co.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours Faithfully,

[redacted]