RPC Vacation Scheme - January 2025

What was the full recruitment process?         

1. Application

2. Psychometric test: Watson Glaser critical thinking

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. Written exercise: drafting a memo on a fictional commercial scenario (1hr 15 mins). 

2. Business meeting exercise: oral presentation and Q&A centred on the commercial scenario covered in the written exercise (15 minutes with a member of HR and a partner)

3. General interview: motivation, competency, situational judgement and commercial awareness questions (45 mins with a senior associate and a partner).

4. Networking lunch: an unassessed tour of the office and lunch with trainees and NQs. 

Written exercise

The exercise was based on a family-owned restaurant business that was looking for new ways to expand while maintaining its values. They operated numerous stores across the UK and were considering options between opening in a rural/costal area or considering an inner-city location. 

I had 1 hour and 30 minutes to read an information pack and draft an answer. I was tasked with writing a memo to a senior executive within the company. I was also asked to summarise information about the company’s performance over the past 5 years. 

The scenario did not depend on external knowledge to succeed, but an understanding of the economic forces and trends affecting retail in the UK was extremely helpful. It was extremely time-pressured as the briefing pack was 7-8 pages long. I spoke with a member of HR afterwards who mentioned that it was not expected to cover all of the information, but to pick out the most important points. 

Business meeting exercise

I was tasked with presenting my memo from the written exercise to two interviewers who acted as executives of the restaurant food group. I was then asked follow-up questions based on my proposal, including:

• What would be the next steps if the owners wanted to implement this?
• What due diligence would you conduct?
• What would be some risks associated with this expansion/location/approach?
• What current economic trends will affect the success of your decisions?
• Which practice areas would you consult/which would be necessary to assist the client?
• What legal issues could arise from the decisions you’ve taken?
• Why did you reject x location?
• Which restaurant option offers the greatest potential return on investment?
• Turn to page x – can you interpret the graph for us and what the data shows?

General interview

Motivation questions

• Why are you interested in a career in commercial law?
• Why are you interested in RPC?
• What do you know about our culture and why do you fit in?

Competency questions

• Why is collaboration so important?
• Tell me about a time you had to adapt to a changing situation.
• Tell me about a time you worked in a team.
• Tell me about a time you learned from a mistake.

Situational question

I was given a scenario based on managing a high workload and working under pressure. I was then asked to discuss how I would respond in this situation. I was asked multiple follow-up questions after giving my answers. 

Commercial awareness questions

Discuss a topic that you’ve been following in the news and explain how it affects RPC and its clients. I was asked multiple follow-up questions about the topic I raised. I talked about the unstable regulatory environment surrounding social media and technology companies. I was asked to consider what Meta’s general council would do to address the issues I raised. I was also asked to consider what RPC could do to mitigate the commercial risks surrounding new regulations. 

At the end, I was asked whether there was anything else I wanted to mention that I hadn’t already. I spoke about my experience at the firm’s open day and how much I enjoyed interacting with trainees from the firm. I then had 5 minutes to ask the interviewers questions. I asked them to speak about what makes them excited when they come into work in the morning. 

What was the outcome?                                                  

The firm emailed me the day after the assessment centre to offer me a place on the scheme. 

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?

My interviewers were extremely friendly - the firm prides itself on approachability and warmth. Enter the assessment with the knowledge that they are going to try and give you the best chance to succeed. Try and return the energy they give. 

The written exercise is the most difficult part of the day - they are trying to test your ability to recognise important information and make commercial decisions quickly. To start with, you should go over Jake’s “preparing for interviews and assessment centres” course which will give you a comprehensive introduction into the types of question you may face.

Another tip is to write down and understand the questions extremely well from the outset, and then input information into my memo as I went along. That saved me from having to go back over myself and allowed me to be thorough when assessing the information. 

There is no ‘correct’ answer to the case study. What they are looking for is a demonstration of strong commercial instincts, and the ability to draw in current affairs. A strong knowledge of general trends in retail and macro/micro economic knowledge was useful. 

When deciding the correct commercial issues to speak about at interview, read the firm’s profile on Legal 500. Select a strong practice area/find important clients of the firm. Select recent stories based off that information. 

RPC Vacation Scheme - January 2024

What was the full recruitment process?         

1. Application

2. Psychometric test: Watson Glaser critical thinking

3. Assessment centre

4. Vacation scheme

Which aspect does this report cover?

Vacation scheme assessment centre

Where did the assessment centre take place?            

Via an online platform called TopScore.

What did the assessment centre involve?      

1. Written exercise: drafting a memorandum on a fictional commercial scenario (~1 hour 30 minutes)

2. Business meeting exercise: oral presentation and Q&A centred on the commercial scenario covered in the written exercise (~15 minutes with a member of HR and an associate)

3. General interview: competency, motivation, situational and commercial awareness questions (~45 minutes with one member of HR and an Of Counsel)

4. Networking: with trainees (not assessed)

Written exercise

The exercise was based on a family-owned restaurant business that was looking for new ways to expand, while maintaining its values.  

I had 1 hour and 30 minutes to read an information pack and draft an answer. I was asked to draft a memorandum outlining recommendations relating to the business' proposed expansion into two potential locations and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of operating as a “dark” kitchen.

The scenario did not require external knowledge to be brought in. It was quite time-pressured given the amount of information that I had to digest. 

Business meeting exercise

I was asked to present my memo from the written exercise to two interviewers who acted as employees of the restaurant food group. I was then asked follow-up questions based on my proposal, including: 

• What are the advantages of opening a ‘dark kitchen’?
• What would be the next steps if the owners wanted to implement this? 
• What due diligence would you conduct?
• What would be some risks associated with this expansion/location/approach?
• Which practice areas would you consult/which would be necessary to assist the client?
   Why did you reject x location?
• Which restaurant option offers the greatest potential return on investment?
• What are the advantages of a joint venture?
• Turn to page x – can you interpret the graph for us and what the data shows?
• What are key considerations we should think about when opening the restaurant and hiring employees? How can we go about hiring employees?

General interview         

Competency questions 

• Why is collaboration so important?
• Tell me about a time you worked in a team and had to change the way you worked.
• Tell me about a time you made a mistake.
• Tell me about a time you had to change/improve the way you approached a task.

• Why RPC?
• Why commercial law?
• Why is our culture so important to you? 

Situational question

I was given a scenario based on managing a high workload and working under pressure. I was then asked to discuss how I would respond in this situation. 

Commercial awareness questions 

• Discuss a topic that you’ve been following in the news, and explain how it affects RPC and its clients. 
• What are five things clients want from a law firm?
• Do you know anything about the alternative services we offer to clients?

At the end, I was asked whether there was anything else I wanted to mention that I hadn’t already (I spoke about the firm’s commitment to diversity as it was relevant to my experiences involving my university’s ACS society). I then had 5 minutes to ask the interviewers questions. I then had 5 minutes to ask the interviewers questions.

Networking / Q&A 

After the assessed part of the day, we were given a tour around the offices by some of the trainees and were treated to a networking lunch where we could ask further questions. 

What was the outcome?                                                  

The firm called me two days after the assessment centre to offer me a place on the summer vacation scheme.

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?

Though they had pre-set questions, the interview was quite conversational, especially when discussing the commercial news story. Make sure you are personable, and demonstrate a real interest in having an engaging interview.

The written exercise is very time-pressured. Read the instructions carefully and the information pack twice over so that you have a good grasp of the different information and data provided. Make sure you justify your answers with evidence and consider using the SWOT technique to pick the choice of restaurant and location. Keep an eye on the time and make sure whatever you submit is properly finalised even if you have to delete an incomplete point.

The ‘business meeting’ exercise is the most challenging, as you cannot really prepare for the questions you may be asked. It is important to have really understood the information provided in the information pack and why you thought your choice of proposal was strong. Have a good knowledge of the firm’s practice areas and services so that you can relate them to the case.

RPC Vacation Scheme - January 2023

What was the full recruitment process?         

1. Application

2. Psychometric test: Watson Glaser critical thinking

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. Written exercise: drafting a proposal on a fictional commercial scenario(~1 hour 15 minutes)

2. Business meeting exercise: oral presentation and Q&A centred on the commercial scenario covered in the written exercise (~15 minutes with a member of HR and an associate)

3. General interview: competency, motivation, situational and commercial awareness questions (~45 minutes with one member of HR and an Of Counsel)

4. Networking lunch and tour of the offices: not assessed (with trainees)

Written exercise

I was asked to write a proposal as a Business Development Executive based on a commercial scenario. The scenario focused on a restaurant food group that was looking to open a new restaurant. I was presented with a pack of information that outlined a choice of three restaurants to open (deli chain, family-style, or Michelin star  restaurant) and two potential locations. The pack also contained restaurant reviews, website pages and various other reports, as well as numerical data and graphs to interpret. 

I then had to draft an email recommending which restaurant the restaurant food group should open and in which location (highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each option), as well as whether to open it as a ‘dark’ kitchen or an actual restaurant. I submitted this through an online portal.

The scenario did not require external knowledge to be brought in. It was quite time-pressured given the amount of information that I had to digest. 

Business meeting exercise

I was asked to present my proposal from the written exercise to two interviewers who acted as employees of the restaurant food group. I was then asked follow-up questions based on my proposal, including: 

The business meeting exercise was quite short, and the interviewers were very attentive, listening carefully to my presentation. They then asked probing questions to try and pick holes in my arguments. It was important to defend my line of argument, but also to acknowledge any weaknesses in my proposal.

General interview         

Competency questions 

Motivation questions 

Situational question

Commercial awareness questions 

At the end, I was asked whether there was anything else I wanted to mention that I hadn’t already. I then had 10 minutes to ask the interviewers questions.

Networking lunch and tour of the offices 

After the assessed part of the day, we were given a tour around the offices by some of the trainees and were treated to an networking lunch where we could ask further questions. 

What was the outcome?                                                  

The firm called me two days after the assessment centre to offer me a place on the summer vacation scheme.

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?

The motivational interview is fairly straightforward. The interviewers are very welcoming – at the start they take the time to introduce themselves properly, discuss how the interview will run and to reassure you that they want you to succeed. They really want to see that you have researched the firm well and have clear reasons for applying to them. Although they have scripted questions, they just want to get to know you as a person and see whether you are a good fit for their ‘strikingly real’ culture. Know their values. 

The written exercise is time-pressured. Read the instructions carefully and the information pack twice-over so you have a good grasp of the different information and data provided. This should help you to construct a clear proposal, backed up with evidence. I used the SWOT technique to pick the choice of restaurant and location. Keep an eye on the time and make sure you leave enough time at the end to proof-read your work.

The ‘business meeting’ exercise is the most challenging, as you cannot really prepare for the questions you may be asked. It is important to have really understood the information provided in the information pack and why you thought your choice of proposal was strong. You should also think carefully about any weaknesses in your proposal before going into the meeting and strategies you could implement to overcome those weaknesses. Using post-it notes to mark out important information in the pack was very helpful so I could quickly turn to specific sections without there being a long awkward pause. Also be confident in your delivery and hold your ground!