Covington & Burling Summer Vacation Scheme – February 2025
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application
2. Assessment centre
3. Vacation scheme
Which aspect does this report cover?
Vacation scheme assessment centre
Where did the assessment centre take place?
Online, via Microsoft Teams
What did the assessment centre involve?
1. Intro and Q&A: a talk with a graduate recruitment advisor and then a Q&A with two trainees, alongside 3 other candidates (30 minutes)
2. Written case study: draft an argument (45 minutes)
3. Interview: competency and motivation questions, plus discussion about the written case study (1 hour, with a partner and an of counsel)
Written case study
After the Q&A with the trainees, we were sent two articles on a topic from the graduate recruitment advisor (these were from the BBC and The Guardian). We had to argue for or against the proposed topic and it could not be longer than 1 page (we didn't need to summarise the articles). We were told we could use outside sources if necessary, including the internet.
The topic I was given was on remote versus hybrid working, but I have heard other case studies are more related to the firm’s specialisms (e.g. life sciences) or centred on a memo to a partner. The timing was a strict 45 minutes to write and send the response and you must keep the time yourself.
Interview
I was asked questions such as:
Regarding my response to the written case study, I was also asked:
What was the outcome?
Still waiting for the outcome.
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?
Regarding the written assessment, I would be prepared for a range of different topics and/or formats to be given. I have talked to others who sat the AC at different times, and it appears they were all given a different type of assessment, even a group assessment.
For the interview, I would of course practice the basics (why law, why Covington, what makes them different to other US firms in London, etc.). Covington is known to throw in weird questions, such as the ethicality of lying as above (I know other people who were asked what book you would recommend someone and why and who would you invite to dinner and what would you cook), so be prepared for left-field questions.
Make sure to keep in mind your answers for the case study and think of a way you will argue your point while writing it, because they will use the last 10 minutes of the interview to ask you about it. Have an argument but be prepared to consider the other side.
Building rapport with the interviewers is essential to start the interview off right. If you can hit the first few questions well, it will build confidence for the harder questions that they eventually ask. The partner and of counsel that interviewed me were nice, but having talked to other people who sat the AC, I would say experiences varied widely. They were friendly but also seemed very reserved and at time uninterested, so be prepared for this.
Covington & Burling Vacation Scheme – November 2023
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application
2. Assessment centre
Which aspect does this report cover?
Assessment centre.
Where did the assessment centre take place?
Via Microsoft Teams.
What did the assessment centre involve?
The assessment centre is split into two parts, either of which may occur on the same day or on different days. For me, I had a group exercise with a presentation one afternoon and then a one hour competency interview the next day in the afternoon.
Group exercise
The group exercise was based on a situation where we were advising a large pharmaceutical company seeking to acquire specific drugs from a smaller company. We were told we needed to present on the best way to proceed with the acquisition.
We were ultimately responsible for advising the client on points such as:
For 45 minutes as a group, we were largely given freedom to decide how to approach our discussion. We were supervised by a member of graduate recruitment, who did not intervene. It was also largely up to us to decide how to present the information to our “clients”. It is helpful to have a structure in place in advance of the presentation.
During the presentation, three senior lawyers attended who listened to our pitch as a group. They proceeded to ask numerous questions to the group as a whole. Be respectful, not forceful, and don’t interrupt other people.
Interview
Next up was a one hour interview with a partner and a special counsel. They asked me a lot of motivation questions, with some follow up “random”/”ethical” questions to gauge my thinking process. Some questions I was asked included:
What was the outcome?
I was emailed the next day telling me I had been successful.
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?
Interview
Prepare for a lot of traditional motivation questions. They are really interested to learn about you, your interests, and why Covington actually suits you. They may ask follow up questions or ask some questions related to your application and CV so make sure you have it to hand. It’s also important to show a lot of your personality during the interview – they want to make sure you’re not a robot! In my experience, the firm is really interested in learning about “you” and the more of “you” they see, the better your chances are.
Group exercise
Try to encourage discussions during group exercise. Sometimes taking on traditional roles (such as timekeeping) can be valuable (the firm seemed to look favourably on these type of actions). Graduate recruitment was looking at our ability to bring together opinions, reach a compromise and take a uniform approach.
Your “clients” are interested in how you present information (don’t present academic law, they are not “paying” for that – give them practical solutions). They also want to see your willingness to employ your strengths. In my feedback from my assessment centre, the lawyers were particularly impressed that I chose which topics to speak about and that when I spoke, I communicated with authority and confidence. Don’t undermine your group members, add on to what is said, and remain polite and respectful. Covington is very big on collaboration – it is essential you show your ability to work collaboratively during this stage.
Covington & Burling Vacation Scheme – January 2023
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application
2. Assessment Centre
Which aspect does this report cover?
Assessment Centre
Where did the assessment centre take place?
Via Zoom
What did the assessment centre involve?
The first part was an hour-long motivational and competency interview with 2 partners. The second part was a group exercise, spilt into case study preparation (1 hour, supervised by the senior recruitment manager) and presentation (45 minutes, assessed by two partners).
Interview
Group exercise
The firm set an M&A case study. It was based on a large pharmaceutical company trying to acquire a small pharmaceutical company that had released a successful commercialised drug and was in the process of testing another potential drug.
The brief included certain points that we could consider in our presentation:
The first 1 hour was for the candidates to discuss the case study as a group and prepare a presentation on the potential issues that the buyer (i.e. our client) might face. During the preparation time, the senior recruitment manager supervised our discussion.
During the presentation, one partner acted as the CEO of the client company. We had 20-25 minutes to explain all the potential issues. Each candidate spoke for approximately 3-5 minutes. Following the presentation, the partners asked a few questions and any candidate was free to answer (the questions were not directed at a specific candidate).
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?
Interview
Prepare the basics like why law and why Covington well. The firm wants to know if you’re interested in the work that it carries out (there’s a focus on life sciences and tech), but also that you’re still flexible and open minded. They do ask 1-2 random questions at the end to gain an insight into you as a person. It is important to build a rapport with the interviewers, because they want to get to know your personality.
Group Exercise
You are assessed on a range of different factors during the preparation, including your ability to work well in a group, take the initiative, adapt to suggestions, respect the other candidates (avoid talking over others and over-powering the discussion!), and actually contribute (i.e. don’t be too quiet). Candidates can take the initiative to time-keep, present a structure, demonstrate commercial awareness, and suggest creative solutions when the discussion gets stuck.
During the presentation, it is important to remember that the interviewer is role playing as the CEO of the company and you are role playing as a trainee. This should impact how detailed and technical your presentation should be (e.g. don’t use legal jargon, as you’re presenting to a “client”, not a lawyer). During the Q&A at the end, the questions are open to anyone, so candidates should attempt to take initiative but also allow the other candidates to speak. Each candidate spoke for 3-4 minutes. Since the content for the presentation was also divided between the candidates (e.g. one spoke about financing while someone else spoke about patent expiry issues), it was more of a collective effort to present what you had prepared. How you came across when working/presenting in a group was important.
What was the outcome?
I received the vacation scheme offer via email 2 weeks after the assessment centre.