2025

There were no application questions. I simply had to submit my education and employment history, as seen below. I then had to take various online tests, which I've also summaried.

Education

Lancaster University 

LLB (2.1)

• Third Year: Company Law (77%), Intellectual Property Law (70%), Competition Law (68.2%), Gender and the Law (60%), Criminological Aspect on Violence (60%), Crimes of Power (60%) 
• Second Year: Property Law (63%), Lawyers and Society (62%) Jurisprudence (61%), Family Law (60%), Employment Law (59%), Equity and Trust (58%), Land Law (56%), Business Law (50%),
• First Year: English Legal System (70%), Tort Law (64%), Criminal Law (61%), Contract Law (58%), Public Law (53%), European Union Law (44%)

Tsinghua Universty

International Arbitration & Dispute Resolution LLM: 1st (3.66/4.0)

The University of Hong Kong

Postgraduate Certificate of Laws: pass

Employment history

Legal & Ops

No Impunity crowdfunds legal action for communities impacted by corporate human rights violations and global environmental damage.  As Head of Legal, I work closely with the co-founders and with the tech/marketing teams to push forward critical start-up milestones. This includes pushing forward No Impunitys first brokerage arrangement between a French litigation funder and an independent counsel, chasing up on various business development leads, external liaison with regulatory bodies including the HMRC and the Financial Conduct Authority, managing the due diligence process and rolling out promotional workshops/webinars.

Research Associate to Independent Arbitrator

Chambers Lab is a legal start-up with a team of legal innovators, technologists and thought leaders providing streamlined, outsourced legal services. I provided direct assistance to Dr Cameron Ford regarding (a) the latest Hong Kong cases on the security of costs; (b) updating the footnotes of an academic chapter in accordance with the Singapore and Hong Kong White Book. I conducted this work in a small team consisting of two researchers, one project manager and two Chambers Lab co-founders. Deliverables are provided on a rolling basis, with updates biweekly on Tuesdays and Fridays to ensure timely feedback can be given.

Global Intellectual Property Disputes: Legal Researcher and Writer

Rouse is an IP advisory that provides an integrated range of consultancy and brand protection services to global businesses looking to expand in emerging markets. I primarily worked under Rouses business development (BD). Upon referral of my manager, I work with other BD managers across Rouse's Asian regional offices as well as enforcement or consultancy principals in the London, Beijing or Dubai offices to produce deliverables in 1 - 2 working days. I ensured these fit business needs, which ranged from 300-word blog updates to a full 8-page report with a short 500-word executive summary attached.

Summer Vacation Scheme 

In seat 1, I worked with a counsel and senior associate to spot-check post-deal bundles of a Korean credit card securitisation deal and prepared a research memo on UK and EU bail-in legislation and (contractual) language. In seat 2, I worked with a counsel and two associates to set up novel crypto-funds by conducting a line-by-line analysis of the regulatory regimes in the Bahamas and New York law. I conducted a similar analysis of the new Hong Kong AML bill regulating virtual asset license providers against the (previously) unregulated voluntary opt-in regime.

Arbitration Trainee

I drafted and proofread Secretariat-General, Appointments and Proceedings Committee Agendas and bilingual letters to the Tribunal and Parties to facilitate the administrative work of HKIAC. These are tasked directly by Counsels on a day-to-day basis and centre around the international sale of goods, M&A / SHA, and maritime charter party disputes. As part of the administrative workload, I translated PRC Court decisions on Property Preservation (Interim Measures), internal legal memos and email correspondence from Chinese to English and English to Chinese. 

Outside of fee-earning work, I assisted with numerous research projects, articles and presentations as part of HKIACs business development.

Arbitration Trainee

I worked on 7 live client matters with colleagues in London, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. This included an ICSID TMT-based dispute, five corporate and financial arbitrations and one pre-dispute client enquiry on a breach in an energy and infrastructure project. As part of my daily duties, I researched substantive and procedural issues under Hong Kong, Chinese, English and New York law. I worked alongside senior associates, trainees, and paralegals with filing deadlines which include proofreading pleadings, bi-lingual witness statements and copy-checked bundles. I also assisted with research and translation tasks before shadowing two advisory sessions in 3 pro-bono cases.

Situational gudgement test

This test was automatically sent after I submitted my application form, and administered by Saville Assessment Oasys platform. I was given 16 hypothetical situations and a list of possible reactions to each situation. I had to indicate which reaction I thought would be the most effective response and least effective response to each situation. The test was not timed. 

Verbal reasoning test  

If candidates pass the threshold for the SJT, they are sent the VRT. There is a timetable on the Legal Trainee page letting candidates know when they can expect to hear an outcome regarding the tests and the video interview (usually between 2-3 weeks). 

This test measures a candidates ability to analyse and interpret complex information. Content wise, it presented passages followed by statements that I had to evaluate as ‘True’, ‘False’, or ‘Cannot Say’ based solely on the given text. The free tests provided on the website (via Assessment Day) I would say is not sufficient in detail and some extra practice via paid tests containing more difficult questions is recommended.  

Note this test is timed; I had 24 minutes to complete the test. This test was administered by Saville Assessment Oasys platform. 

Critical reasoning test 

If candidates pass the threshold for the VRT, they are sent the CRT. Note that this was like a standard Watson Glaser assessment and is administered by Pearson TalentLens.

2024

There were no application questions. Instead, the focus was on psychometric tests, a video interview and an assessment centre:

1. Online application (no questions) 

2. Two psychometric tests: situational judgement test followed by a verbal reasoning test) 

3. Video interview

4. Assessment centre (departmental preferences submitted at the end of the AC)

5. Final paper sift by the Final Selection Committee (all successful candidates who passed the AC will be further considered at this stage and training contracts are awarded on the basis of strict merit).

The video interview was a structured online assessment designed to evaluate suitability for the role through competency-based, strength-based, and motivation questions. The questions were presented on screen in written format, with clear structured prompts to ensure candidates addressed all key points. A brief preparation time was given before recording responses, but there was no option to re-record, making preparation essential.

The questions followed a structured format and were designed to assess competency, decision-making, teamwork, and responsibility. The key questions included:

• Why do you want to work for GLD? This question covers reasons for choosing GLD specifically, understanding of its work, and how it aligns with long-term career aspirations.
• How do you feel about having a lot of responsibility? This question required examples of previous responsibilities, types of projects worked on, and preferred work environments.
• When have you had to work on a project with a deadline? This question expected details of the project, reporting structure, strategies for managing time, and overcoming challenges.
• When have you worked in a team to make a decision involving risks and benefits? This question focused on team collaboration, decision-making processes, risk evaluation, and the final outcome.

There may have been an additional question, but these covered the core themes of the assessment. The format was precise and structured, focusing on a team-oriented skill set that differs from private law by emphasising collaborative decision-making and advisory work within government departments.

Since the interview was CV blind, the assessors in later stages would not have seen the responses, meaning candidates had to ensure they effectively communicated their skills, motivations, and experiences in a self-contained manner. A useful approach was to use post-it notes around the screen to have key strengths and examples easily visible, and place a quick response outline under the camera to maintain natural eye contact while delivering structured answers. 

To prepare for the video interview, familiarise yourself with the Civil Service Success Profiles, ensuring you have concise STAR-based examples for each competency. Research GLD and public law, having a clear, well-researched answer for why you are applying. Since the format is pre-recorded, practice speaking on camera, time your responses, and create a professional setup with good lighting and minimal distractions. Finally, stay calm and composed, using the preparation time wisely, structuring responses clearly, and focusing on key points if faced with a challenging question.