Squire Patton Boggs Vacation Scheme - March 2025

What was the full recruitment process?         

1. Written application

2. Video interview 

3. Assessment centre

4. Vacation scheme

Which aspect does this report cover?

Assessment centre

Where did the assessment centre take place?            

The firm’s Manchester office

What did the assessment centre involve?      

1. Written exercise: based on current/topical issue (no word count, 30 minutes)

2. Interview: motivation, situational and commercial awareness questions (50 minutes, with a partner and a director)

3. Group exercise: based on a private equity acquisition (15 minutes to review background documents, 15 minutes to discuss findings, 10 minutes for questions, with a partner and a member of the early careers team)

Written exercise

The question focused on AI, asking candidates to select one challenge and explain why it represents the biggest or most serious issue posed by AI. It is very easy to slip into essay-writing here, but the aim is more to deliver a succinct and convincing answer. 

I was given a laptop to complete this.

My main advice would be to manage your time effectively and decide on a clear structure before typing up your answer.  

Partner interview 

Competency and motivation questions

• Tell me about your experiences and how they would help you as a trainee?
• Why did you choose to study at your university?
• Are you more interested in transactional or disputes-based work?
• What are your biggest strengths and challenges? 

Situational questions

• How would you prepare for a networking event? What resources would you use? Is there anything you would do after the event?
• What would you do if you were in a seat that you didn’t enjoy/found particularly challenging? Would you approach anyone for help? 
• List the following tasks in order of priority: Urgent tasks for client, blog due for next week, and follow-up work from a case you were working on last week.

Legal and commercial awareness questions 

• Is AI a threat or an opportunity for a) law firms and b) individuals working within those firms?
• In your opinion, what geopolitical issue currently poses the biggest threat to a firm like Squire Patton Boggs?

Group exercise

I was in a group of 4 people, assessed by a member of the early careers team and a partner. 

We were provided with a ~10 page bundle of documents regarding a fictional target company. The information covered the company’s financial situation, employee and management team, as well as press coverage. Our task was to answer three key questions for a private equity client: 

• What issues with the target company should be considered? Could you identify which issue is the most/least important?
• Should the transaction go ahead? 
• Which SPB practice areas are likely to be involved if the deal goes ahead? (note: the firm’s practice areas were provided to us) 

The exercise was extremely time-pressured, so it was essential to skim-read all the documents and highlight key issues, names, dates, etc. 

I found that using different coloured highlighters for each issue helped me organise my thoughts and made it easier to contribute to the group discussion. I could quickly locate relevant information, which allowed me to participate more effectively.

I also recommend agreeing on the structure of the presentation as early as possible. This will help guide the group’s discussion. As for the presentation itself, there really isn’t enough time to deliver detailed client advice, but make sure to cover all of the main points and touch on all of the questions.   

What was the outcome?                                                  

I am still waiting on an outcome. 

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?

The written exercise was tricky, as there was little guidance on the format your answer should take. I recommend spending a couple of minutes brainstorming and bullet-pointing the main issues you want to cover in your answer.  

The interviewers were very friendly and seemed genuinely interested in my past experiences. I would say that the questions got tougher as the interview went on, and the situational questions were particularly challenging. I recommend taking a pause before delivering your answer- decide on the course of action you would take and explain why. Stick to your gut feeling and try to exude confidence.  

For the group exercise, be open to other people’s ideas and elaborate on the points that they make. Study the M&A process, the type of issues that generally come up, and how clients can mitigate against risks. It may also be useful to read around different types of buyers (e.g. private equity, venture capital etc.). In this particular scenario, knowing a little bit about how private equity firms operate was super useful. 

Squire Patton Boggs Vacation Scheme – February 2025 

What was the full recruitment process?         

1. Application

2. Video Interview

3. Assessment Centre

Which aspect does this report cover?

Video interview 

Where did the interview take place?            

Shortlister.com

What did the interview involve?      

I was required to answer 3 questions. There was a 2-minute limit on how long I had to prepare each question, and I was then given 2 minutes to record each answer. There was no option to re-record answers. I was asked:

• Tell us about a recent Squire Patton Boggs article/news story and discuss how it affects the firm. 
• Please argue your thoughts on data privacy laws. Do you believe that stricter regulation is required? 
• What are the skills necessary to be a successful trainee solicitor at Squire Patton Boggs?

What was the outcome?                                                  

I received an email four weeks later to inform me that I had been unsuccessful.

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?

Commercial awareness was an important aspect of this video interview. I had never been required to discuss a firm-specific news story before, so I got caught off guard. Browse the SPB website for more information before attempting this question. Try to learn about the firm’s business and the types of clients it advises.

The data privacy law question was fascinating, so I focused too much on one aspect of the debate. Try to be holistic. They are looking for opinionated, well-informed people so don’t get carried away talking about ONE specific element of this debate.

Draw from a range of examples for the final question so that you can present yourself as well-rounded.

Squire Patton Boggs Vacation Scheme - March 2024

What was the full recruitment process?         

1. Application

2. Video interview

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 Birmingham office

What did the assessment centre involve?      

1. Group exercise: M&A case study with legal aspects (~20 minutes to prepare, 20 minutes to discuss as group, and 5 minutes to present to 1 partner and 1 member of HR)

2. Presentation: oral presentation on my proudest achievement and the challenges I faced (~5 minutes to present and up to 5 minutes of questions with 1 senior associate and 1 member of HR)

3. Interview: strengths-based, motivation and commercial awareness questions. (~45 minutes with 2 senior associates)

Group exercise     

answered questions about the issues regarding a renewable energy business, any further documents/ questions we would ask for our client and then as a group we had to present this information to the partner. 

The case study was legal based rather than commercial but there was no

No prior legal knowledge was needed for the case study.

The case study was about a business acquiring a renewable energy company. Background materials contained information about:

• The target company’s properties, including which buildings had been leased, how much outstanding mortgages cost, how many years were left to pay etc.;
• Its employment contracts, which showed that the renewable energy company was potentially not complying with employment law; and
• A data leak. The document about the data leak showed that the renewable energy company had accidentally leaked customers’ personal financial information, but was taking steps to prevent this from happening in the future.

Based on these documents, we had to:

• Identify any issues;
• Mention any questions we would want to ask the seller / any documents we would want them to provide; 
• Explain whether we thought the acquisition should take place; and
• Look at which practice areas could be involved (although these were provided at the back of the booklet).

We had 20 minutes to look through the materials, 20 minutes to discuss these as a group, then 5 minutes to present on the points mentioned above. Note that no prior legal knowledge was needed for the case study.

Presentation

The presentation was on my proudest achievement and any challenges I faced in relation to this achievement (I was given the topic one week before the assessment centre). I spoke about attending university whilst coming from a disadvantaged background – it was very personal. A PowerPoint was not needed, and I could choose whether I wanted to sit or stand. No other candidates were present for this part.

I was only asked one follow-up question and it was related to the topic I spoke about.

Interview  

Strength Based questions 

• How would you introduce yourself?
• If the partner that assigned you work was away, who would you ask for help and what resources would you use?
• What would you do at a networking event?

Motivation questions 

• Why law?
• Why not any other career?

Commercial awareness questions 

• How will Brexit impact clients?

What was the outcome?                                                  

I am still waiting to hear back.

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?

For the group exercise, stick to the timings - 5 minutes for a presentation goes very quickly. During the 20 minutes of preparation time, ensure that you read through all the material and make notes based on each of the headings provided.

For the presentation, have a good structure and practice sticking to the time allocated. It does not matter what you speak about as it is your personal achievement, but don’t forget to discuss the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.

For the interview, a lot of it is scenario-based so there’s not much you can prepare for in advance. However know the firm’s values and prepare some key competencies/experiences to bring in. The commercial awareness question was unexpected - make sure you are aware of current events.

Squire Patton Boggs Vacation Scheme - 2023 

What was the full recruitment process?         

1. Application

2. Video interview

3. Assessment centre

4. Vacation scheme

5. Final interview

Which aspect does this report cover?

Assessment centre 

Where did the assessment centre take place?            

The firm’s London office

What did the assessment centre involve?      

1. Interview: personal interest, scenario-based, motivation and strengths-based questions (~60 minutes, with 2 x partners)

2. Presentation: presented on a personal achievement (~5-7 minutes with 2 x partners)

3. Group exercise: commercial presentation (~20 minutes to read through the background materials individually, 20 mins to discuss the materials as a group and prepare the presentation, ~5 mins to present to a partner and a member of HR) 

Interview

Personal interest questions

Tell me about your extracurricular activities

Scenario-based questions 

The interviewers read out various scenarios and asked what I would do in each situation. Examples include: 

• A situation where I was busy and a partner gave me a task with a tight deadline.
• A situation where one of the other trainees was struggling with their workload.

Motivation questions

• Why law?
• Why this firm?
• Where else have you applied? How do we stand out in comparison?
• What aspects of the training contract will you enjoy the most? 
• What aspects of the training contract will you enjoy the least?

Skills and strengths-based questions

• Questions about teamwork, including: what strengths would you utilise and how would you feel when working in a team?
• What skills do you have that will help you complete a training contract?
• What skills would you want to develop and why? 

Presentation

I was provided with a PDF containing the presentation brief a week before the assessment centre. I had to prepare a 5-minute presentation on my biggest achievement in the last 5 years. I delivered the presentation to two partners in a small room, as well as the candidates I had worked with for the group exercise (we each had the option to ask the other group members to sit out whilst we presented, however no one from my group requested this and we all presented in front of one other). 

I was not able/required to use visual aids for the presentation. However, I could bring in flash cards to use. I actually brought in a badge I had earned as part of the achievement I was discussing, as I wanted to make my presentation personal and memorable. 

After the presentation, the partners asked a few follow-up questions about the experience. The interviewers seemed genuinely interested in this experience and their questions were personal rather than challenging. Everyone that presented was asked different questions depending on what they spoke about during the presentation. 

Achievements people discussed included getting into a dream university and setting up their own business during university. I mentioned achieving an award (similar to the Duke of Edinburgh award) and the tasks that I had to complete in connection with the award. I then noted my resilience and time management when completing these tasks alongside my university studies. 

On my feedback call, the partner said I scored full marks compared to those in my group. This was because I adopted a clear structure, which meant the partners were able to follow what I was saying throughout my presentation, plus I was the only candidate that linked the skills I gained to how these would help me as a trainee solicitor.

Group exercise

Four of us were asked to collectively prepare and present a pitch to a private equity client, centring on whether that client should acquire a particular target company. We were given background information covering: our client’s identity and business; our client’s objectives; and the target company. This included a news report on a GDPR scandal involving the target, information on the properties used by the target, an insight into the target’s growth (there were graphs and tables highlighting metrics such as annual turnover, number of sales, and number of employees), and a comparison of employment contracts across the target’s United Kingdom office and Ireland office. 

We did not need to prepare anything specific for this before the assessment centre. However, it would be wise to brush up on some business and legal awareness. The discussion involved GDPR, real estate (e.g. the impact of leases ending) and employment law, and zero knowledge of these areas might have worked against you.

My feedback was that I was a little quiet compared to the rest of the team. However, when I did speak, my contributions were valuable, and all my points were used in the presentation. 

My advice would be to get involved in the conversation throughout. Acknowledge the contributions of your group members, build on what they say where possible, and try to ensure you come up with a solid structure for the presentation. I ensured my points linked back to the firm, whereas my group members focused more on the background materials. I would recommend trying points back into the firm, for example: ‘I think SPB’s X practice area can help with X issue given the firm’s sector expertise and band 1 ranking in this area’.

What was the outcome?   

The firm called me one week after the assessment centre to offer me a place on the vacation scheme. I then received an email confirmation the next day, plus the contract and confidentiality agreement.

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?         

• Read potentially relevant blogs on the firm’s website (particularly from the London website - if that’s where you’ll be applying). The assessments on the day are likely to be based loosely on the work the firm has recently carried out, plus it’s generally helpful to pick up an understanding of what the firm does (in part for your answers to motivation questions). 
• Know about the firm, including a little about its international offices/new offices and locations. This should help when answering questions such as ‘why SPB?’. 
• Research any general trends in the legal sector, including the hot topics/areas that law firms need to keep on their radar. Although my interview was not particularly commercial, this knowledge might help when discussing the group task. 
• The interview was mainly skills/strengths-based, so I would prepare your responses to a few scenarios, and brush up on the various skills you have developed (and how you developed them). Review the list of skills provided in the application, and have an example ready for each skill. 

Squire Patton Boggs Vacation Scheme - March 2022 

What was the full recruitment process?         

1. Application

2. Video interview

3. Assessment centre

4. Vacation scheme

5. Final interview

Which aspect does this report cover?

Assessment centre and final training contract interview

Where did the assessment centre take place?            

The firm’s London office

What did the assessment centre involve?      

1. Interview: personal interest, scenario-based, motivation, and firm-specific questions (~45 minutes, with 1 x partner and 1 x senior associate)

2. Presentation: presented on a personal achievement (~10 minutes with 2 x partners)

3. Group exercise: presentation relating to ESG considerations (~45 minutes with an ESG partner)

Interview

Personal interest questions

Tell me about your extracurricular activities

Strength-based/competency questions

The interviewers read out various scenarios and asked what I would do in each situation. Examples include: a situation where I was busy and a partner gave me a task with a tight deadline; and a situation where one of the other trainees was struggling with their workload.

Motivation questions

• Why law?
• Why commercial law?
• Why this firm?
• Where else have you applied? How do we stand out in comparison?
• Why not x career? (this was a career that I had previously had experience in)

Presentation

I was provided with a PDF containing the brief a week before the assessment centre. I had to prepare a 5 minute presentation on an experience of which I was proud. I delivered the presentation to two partners in a small room. I had the option to sit or stand, and didn’t use visual aids.

After the presentation, the partners asked a few follow-up questions about the experience. The interviewers seemed genuinely interested in this experience and their questions were personal rather than challenging. My advice would be to showcase your personality through this presentation. It is your opportunity to let the interviewers gain an insight into your life and experiences.

I recommend that you choose a topic that you are genuinely interests in and proud of. This will mean that your presentation is more engaging and will show you in the best light. To that end, I was commended for my enthusiasm (however, it was noted that I rushed the presentation a little).

Group exercise

4-5 of us were asked to prepare a presentation together on ESG and how it could affect the firm, with an ESG partner in attendance to assess us. We did not have the deliver this presentation – it was the preparation that was being assessed.

My approach was to get involved in the conversation, and make sure that we were staying on track to completing our draft presentation within the time limit. I also asked those who had not spoken whether they had anything to add, and tried to ensure that we kept the presentation relevant to the law firm and its clients.

Vacation scheme   

The vacation scheme lasted for one week. I sat in International Dispute Resolution. There were two vac schemers in each department, supervised by one trainee buddy and one associate supervisor.

Our trainee buddy gave us tasks to do each day (most of these were research tasks). Then our supervisor gave us one research task and at the end of the week we had to discuss our findings. There were also various short presentations from each department, including a ‘speed dating’ session with the smaller departments.

There were social events every evening of the vacation scheme, including: bowling with the London office; an escape room with trainees; crazy golf with trainees; evening department drinks at a restaurant; and a barbecue with trainees.

Training contract interview 

At the end of the vacation scheme, there was a training contract interview with two partners. This interview loosely followed questions at the beginning, then turned into a discussion. Questions included:

• Why law (and a general conversation surrounding this)
• What should the firm’s stance be on Russia? Should the firm take on Russian oligarchs as clients? Plus a general conversation surrounding these points.
• A discussion around cybersecurity and social media (this is a particular interest of mine).

The interviewers took a good cop, bad cop stance, but in general was a conversation/healthy debate. My advice would be to try and keep a hold of the reins during the conversation and steer it to your strengths. It is far more of a conversation if you speak freely around the topics that you’re asked about. In addition, my interviewers spoke about their experiences with me after my answers, whereas other interviewees did not have this experience.

What was the outcome?   

I was offered a place on the vacation scheme less than a week after my assessment centre. I was then offered a training contract less than one business day after the training contract interview.