Sidley Austin Vacation Scheme – November 2024
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application
3. Assessment centre
4. Vacation scheme
Which aspect does this report cover?
Vacation scheme assessment centre
Where did the assessment centre take place?
The firm's London office
What did the assessment centre involve?
1. Case study and motivation interview: reading through a Financial Times article followed by an interview with a partner (15 minutes reading and preparation time, 1 hour interview with 1 partner)
2. Trainee Q&A: conversation with one trainee after the interview (30 minutes)
Case study and interview
I was first given a news article from the Financial Times on two PE firms joining forces on a public-private credit fund. I had 15 minutes to read the article ahead of the interview.
At the start of my interview, I was asked a number of motivation and competency questions, such as:
There were various other questions asked regarding my CV and where else I have applied.
The interviewer then launched into the news article discussion and initially asked me to summarise the article. The discussion flowed naturally from this point, but I was asked some follow-up questions, such as:
There was an opportunity to ask a few questions at the end of the interview.
Trainee Q&A
After the interview, I had a 1-1 conversation with a trainee. They began asking me why I wanted to work at Sidley Austin and why I wanted a career in law. I was then given an opportunity to ask them any questions I had so I asked about the training at the firm and how they have found it working there.
What was the outcome?
The firm emailed me one month after the assessment centre to tell me I had been unsuccessful.
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?
The motivation interview is very conversational but do expect to be pushed at times. There are no specific set questions that are asked but it is important to know your motivations for applying and know your work experiences inside out. They just want to know you as a person but also see how you can manage under pressure.
The case study can be tricky to understand and quite time pressured. I would recommend reading around the subject of Private Capital to understand how it works. It will also help to begin reading various Financial Times articles to get an understanding of what is happening in the market and become familiar with the language used in the articles.
Sidley Austin Vacation Scheme – January 2024
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application: 3 questions, ~250 words each.
2. Vacation scheme assessment centre: article discussion and competency/motivation questions
3. Vacation scheme: assessed work assignment, negotiation exercise and family law pro bono moot court
4. Training contract interview: interview with 1 associate and 1 partner during the scheme
Which aspect does this report cover?
Partner interview (pre-vacation scheme) and training contract interview.
Where did the assessment centre take place?
In-person (but Zoom was available as an option)
What did the assessment centre involve?
1. News article preparation: reading through a Financial Times article (15 minutes)
2. Partner interview: motivation questions and a discussion relating to the article (~60 minutes with 1 partner)
Vacation scheme assessment centre
Before the interview, I was provided with a Financial Times article and given 15 minutes to read through it.
In my interview, the partner interviewer launched straight into the article. He had an unconventional approach where he only asked one question which nit-picked the language in the article as it was not legally accurate. It said the firm sold XXX amount of shares but firms do not sell shares.
I was then asked "Tell me about yourself", as well as motivation questions including:
The interviewer then combed through my CV and asked about specific experiences and what I learned from them, as well as competency/strength-based questions such as:
Training contract interview
My training contract interview followed a similar format to the partner interview (pre-vacation scheme). Again, I was given an article, although this time I was asked to summarise it and explain how the firm could support on the deal that the article discussed. It was quite simple and non-technical, although I would recommend familiarising yourself with the steps involved in an M&A and a PE deal, and the role of law firms in this context.
I was also asked more general competency and motivation questions, including:
What was the outcome?
The firm called me a week after the interview to offer me a place on its vacation scheme.
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?
The firm is very clear about what it is looking for. It expects candidates to have a strong interest in commercial law and a clear understanding of and motivation for the kind of work that Sidley does (private equity). Be specific, coherent and to the point while answering the motivational questions. They will try to sniff out if this is just a generic application or if you have a genuine passion for the firm.
The article is quite easy to understand, and the questions are straightforward, so you can prepare for it. Knowing the basics of M&A and private equity, like the different stages of a deal or role of other practice areas in a deal, is important. Read up on basic concepts like a leveraged buyout, why PE firms use debt, a PE deal cycle, M&A transactions, and how firms are involved.
Sidley is also looking for a friendly demeanour and it is a big emphasis. Be kind, smile and hit a rapport with the partner. Based on my experience, personality matters to them more than technical perfection.
Sidley Austin Vacation Scheme – January 2023
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application: four questions, ~250 words each.
2. Interview
3. Vacation scheme: assessed work assignment and negotiation exercise
4. Training contract interview: this took place at the end of the vacation scheme
Which aspect does this report cover?
Partner interview
Where did the assessment centre take place?
Zoom
What did the vacation scheme assessment centre involve?
1. News article preparation: reading through a Financial Times article (15 minutes)
2. Partner interview: motivation questions and a discussion relating to the article (~60 minutes with 1 partner)
Vacation scheme assessment centre
I was first asked "Tell me about yourself".
Motivation Questions
Article questions
Before the interview, I was sent a Financial Times article and given 15 minutes to read through it. My article focused upon a private equity deal, and I was asked the following:
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?
The firm is very clear about what it is looking for. It expects candidates to have a strong interest in commercial law and a clear understanding of and motivation for the kind of work that Sidley does (private equity). Be specific, coherent and to the point while answering the motivational questions.
The article is quite easy to understand, and the questions are straightforward, so you can prepare for it. Knowing the basics of M&A and private equity like the different stages of a deal or role of other practice areas in a deal is important.
What was the outcome?
The firm called me an hour after the interview to offer me a place on their vac scheme.
Sidley Austin Vacation Scheme - November 2021
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application: four questions of ~250 words each.
2. Vacation scheme assessment centre
3. Vacation scheme: assessed work assignment and negotiation exercise.
4. Training contract interview: this took place at the end of the vacation scheme.
Which aspect does this report cover?
Partner interview and training contract interview
Where did the vacation scheme assessment centre take place?
Zoom
What did the vacation scheme assessment centre involve?
1. News article preparation: reading through a Financial Times article (15 minutes)
2. Partner interview: motivation questions and a discussion relating to the article (~60 minutes with 1 partner)
Vacation scheme assessment centre
I was first asked "Tell me about yourself".
Motivation Questions
Article questions
Before the interview, I was sent a Financial Times article and given 15 minutes to read through it. My article focused upon a private equity deal, and I was asked the following:
What did the training contract interview involve?
1. News article preparation: reading through a Financial Times article (15 minutes)
2. Partner interview: motivation, competency and commercial awareness questions, plus article discussion (~60 minutes with 1 partner)
Training contract interview
Motivation questions
Competency Questions
Article questions
I was sent a (different) Financial Times article and given 15 minutes to read through it. This article also focused on a private equity deal, and I was asked the following:
What was the outcome?
The firm called me 3 days after the vacation scheme assessment centre to offer me a place on the vacation scheme. The firm then called me 3 weeks after the training contract interview to offer me a training contract.
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?