Weil, Gotshal & Manges Vacation Scheme - February 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?
Video interview and assessment centre
Where did the video interview take place?
Online on a platform called Shortlister.
What did the video interview involve?
I had to answer three questions, and was given 60 seconds to prepare for each and 90 seconds to answer. You could not re-record answers.
There was no typical ‘Why commercial law?’ or ‘Why Weil?’ questions. Some of the questions were as follows (I can’t remember them all):
Where did the assessment centre take place?
In-person at Weil's London office.
What did the assessment centre involve?
1. Case study preparation: read through a case study based on a fictional investment opportunity (~20 minutes).
2. Interview: individual interview (1 hour with 2 partners).
3. Trainee lunch: informal lunch with trainees before/after the interview (1 hour).
Case study
I was given a brief on a fictional investment opportunity that a client was interested in, which included a short article on the topic. I was given 20 minutes to read through it before my partner interview. I was told I would then be asked by partners about it at their discretion, for a maximum of 10 minutes.
The investment related to a company producing a new battery alternative to lithium ion batteries, and involved considerations of the electric vehicle (EV) market and broader ESG considerations. The case study did not require any outside knowledge as the article contained all the necessary information and was quite simple, although you are free to bring in wider commercial knowledge and I felt it would be helpful to do this.
The partners let me give my own overview/analysis of the case study rather than starting with specific questions. They did not ask any particularly technical or difficult questions, and followed up based on what I said. Some things I had to consider, and some of their questions, were as follows:
Interview
I was told we would be asked a mix of motivation, competency, and commercial questions. The style was very friendly and conversational, and it did not feel like the partners came in with a prepared list of questions. So the questions really went off of my answers.
Some of the questions I was asked were as follows –
The partners got to see our third answer on the application form (recent commercial issue), but I didn’t actually get asked about mine.
What was the outcome?
The firm emailed me 4 days after the assessment centre offering me a place on the vacation scheme.
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?
The interview was quite conversational and relaxed, and everyone seemed to come out with a positive feeling. I would not say it requires too much preparation.
Have good points for ‘why commercial law’ and ‘why Weil’, although don’t rehearse the answers. I found that the structured answers I had prepared for did not suit the tone of the interview, so it would be better to have bullet points and adapt those to the conversation. Practice asking yourself a question and answering naturally.
Read up on your commercial issue answer from your application and be prepared to discuss it if they bring it up. Go over your CV and connect different competencies to your experiences, so you know what to draw on.
The case study was not too complex or difficult, I would advise keeping up with commercial news so you are able to bring in general commercial awareness when issue spotting or discussing the pros and cons of the investment. Have a think about which aspects a law firm / Weil would advise on in a potential investment.
Finally, the trainee lunch is very informal; just enjoy chatting with them and ask them whatever you would like.
They are definitely getting a feel for your personality, so smiling through the day and being yourself will help.
Weil, Gotshal & Manges Vacation Scheme - January 2024
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application
2. Video interview
3. Assessment centre
4. Partner interview
Which aspect does this report cover?
Video interview
Video interview
What did the interview involve?
This took place via an online platform called Shortlist.me. I was given 60 seconds of preparation time for each of the three questions before the recording automatically started, and then had 90 seconds to respond to each question. There was no option to re-record answers.
Which questions were you asked?
Weil, Gotshal & Manges Training Contract - October/November 2023
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application
2. Video interview
3. Assessment centre: interview with an associate and member of the graduate recruitment team, plus an in-tray exercise.
4. Partner interview: interview with two partners.
Which aspect does this report cover?
Video interview, assessment centre and partner interview
Video interview
What did the interview involve?
This took place via an online platform called Launchpad. I was given 60 seconds of preparation time for each of the two questions before the recording automatically started, and then had 90 seconds to respond to each question. There was no option to re-record answers.
Which questions were you asked?
Assessment centre
This took place virtually, on Zoom, and involved:
1. General interview: competency, motivation and commercial awareness questions (~45 minutes with 1 associate and a member of the graduate recruitment team).
2. In-tray exercise: prioritising and tackling a series of “trainee” tasks (1 hour 10 minutes).
3. Chat with a trainee: it wasn’t clear whether this was assessed.
General interview
I was asked questions including:
Questions about me and my motivations / legal knowledge
Scenario-based questions
In-tray exercise
I was briefed at the start, and told that this exercise is designed to test my ability to prioritise tasks, time manage, make decisions under pressure, and write well. During the exercise, I had to complete the below tasks.
Task 1 - Produce a client-ready briefing on microchip implants
This task was set by a supervising senior associate who wanted to review the briefing in an hour and 15 minutes' time. There were four articles containing background information to filter through, and the briefing needed to cover: what microchip implants are; the advancements made in the technology; the potential impact of the technology; the main concerns around the use of the technology; and, any outstanding questions/areas relating to the technology which were in need of further research.
Task 2 – Provide graduate recruitment suggestions
This task involved coming up with suggestions to improve Weil's graduate recruitment presentations to students, and calculating whether enough representatives of the firm will be attending each presentation to satisfy the targeted 1:15 Weil to student ratio. To feed into the calculation, I was given a list of a number of upcoming presentations, the number of students set to attend each, and the number of partners and associates confirmed as attending. This task took some time, as there were quite a few points to cover in the email in response to graduate recruitment.
Task 3 - Respond to a senior associate who has asked me to photocopy 25 bundles as a priority, in the three hours ahead of their arrival in court
Task 4 - Respond to an email asking for volunteers to join the corporate responsibility and inclusion committee, giving a brief reason why I want to volunteer
Task 5 - Respond to a partner who has asked me to develop a short presentation on microchip implants ahead of their next team meeting.
There was no deadline or detail of what should be included in the presentation.
Task 6 - Proofreading
I had to proofread a one-and-a-half-page NDA for a partner who was due to execute the contract with the client in the next 30 minutes. I was not given access to this task until 25 minutes before the end.
The firm emailed me just over a week after the assessment centre to tell me that I had successfully progressed to the final stage.
Partner interview
This was the final stage of the process, and took place in person at the firm’s London office. I was interviewed by two partners for 40-45 minutes.
I was asked questions including:
One of my interviewers appeared to be deliberately acting disinterested during the interview (e.g. often looking at their phone). Apparently this is quite a common tactic designed to test your composure (according to lawyers I subsequently spoke to at the firm).
Weil, Gotshal & Manges Vacation Scheme - May 2023
What was the full recruitment process?
1. Application
2. Video interview
3. Assessment centre: in-tray exercise, and an interview with a senior associate and member of the graduate recruitment team.
4. Vacation scheme
Which aspect does this report cover?
Vacation scheme video interview and assessment centre
Video interview
What did the interview involve?
This took place via an online platform called Launchpad. I was given some preparation time for each of the two questions (15-30 seconds I think) before the recording automatically started, and then had 90 seconds to respond to each question. There was no option to re-record answers.
Which questions were you asked?
What was the outcome?
I received an email one week later inviting me to the firm's virtual assessment centre.
Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?
Where did the assessment centre take place?
Virtually, on Zoom.
What did the assessment centre involve?
1. In-tray exercise: prioritising and tackling a series of “trainee” tasks (1 hour 15 minutes).
2. General interview: competency, motivation and commercial awareness questions (~45 minutes with 1 senior associate and a member of the graduate recruitment team).
In-tray exercise
The in-tray exercise took place in a portal that mimicked a trainee's email inbox. The inbox was already populated with fictional emails at the start, each of which contained the brief for a task. Additional information relating to the tasks was available elsewhere in the platform.
In total, I had to prioritise and complete 6 specific tasks within the allocated 1 hour and 15 minutes. Although the individual tasks were not particularly difficult, the tight time frame made the exercise challenging (I had to work with speed and precision to complete them effectively).
Task 1
This task proved to be the most challenging, as it entailed thoroughly reviewing approximately 10 pages of background information relating to microchip implants. This included a range of “types” of document, such as news entries and articles.
I had to compose a memo addressed to my supervisor, but ultimately intended for a client, using the information from the documents to provide insights into the microchip implants industry. There was no word limit, but the client memo had to include the following:
I found the documents in task one to be relatively straightforward. To effectively allocate time for the remaining tasks, I would recommend dedicating around 35 minutes to this particular task. It's crucial to maintain good organisation and work efficiently in order to avoid spending excessive time on it, as I did initially. In preparing my briefing, I found it helpful to incorporate clear headings, which greatly enhanced readability. During my feedback call with graduate recruitment, they commended me on the clarity of my briefing as a result. I also made sure to use proper email etiquette when “emailing” the note to my “supervisor”.
Tasks 2 - 5
Tasks 2 - 5 were much smaller and I completed them all in about 15 minutes in total.
Task 2 involved assisting the graduate recruitment team in determining event attendance, which entailed basic calculations using the provided estimated figures.
In Task 3, I received an email from a partner in the Structured Finance team, requesting support with the preparation of a concise presentation on microchip implants for an upcoming team meeting. I didn’t actually need to create a presentation as part of this task – I simply had to explain how I would respond to the partner’s email (e.g. by email or phone) and set out a brief summary of the response I would provide.
Task 4 involved brainstorming diversity and inclusion initiatives for the graduate recruitment team's presentations at various universities. This required some creative thinking on the spot, but I did not find that it was too difficult. I came up with three ideas and sent them via email (emails could be sent via the fictional “inbox”).
Task 5 involved responding to an email regarding availability for volunteering in a program promoting corporate social responsibility. I was also asked to provide a brief comment on my motivation to volunteer.
Task 6
For Task 6, I had to proofread a two-page Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Although the document itself was relatively short, there was a time constraint as I could only access this task 20 minutes before the end of the exercise. The task was not inherently difficult; however, I believe I would have performed better if I had allocated more of my time to the NDA. This observation was highlighted by graduate recruitment during my feedback call.
Ultimately, based on the feedback call, I would suggest prioritising Tasks 1 and 6, as they appeared to carry more weight. Additionally, I wish I had realised during the exercise that quality is just as important as speed. It is essential to avoid rushing through all the tasks if they cannot be completed to a satisfactory standard. Striking a balance between speed and accuracy is crucial to successfully complete the exercise.
General interview
Competency questions
Motivation questions
Commercial and legal awareness questions
Note that follow up questions were sometimes asked, based on my initial responses.
Do you have any advice on how to prepare?
The motivational interview had a relaxed and informal atmosphere. While the interviewers asked some specific questions like "Why Weil?", overall the tone of the interview felt more like a conversation rather than an interrogation.
Although my work experience received limited focus, except for a few commercially-oriented aspects, the primary objective of the interview seemed to be getting to know me as a person. The interviewers made an effort to create a comfortable environment, encouraging me to open up and guiding me towards providing answers that aligned with their expectations.
In retrospect, my advice would be to confidently showcase your strengths. Initially, I was somewhat reserved, fearing that I might talk too much. However, I found that my stronger answers were the ones where I elaborated and provided additional details. It is also crucial to have a well-thought-out, genuine, and compelling reason for choosing Weil and pursuing a career in commercial law. According to my feedback call, having a strong justification in these areas can significantly enhance your chances of success.
The in-tray exercise is difficult because of the time pressure, but the tasks were not particularly difficult. I think the purpose of this exercise is to evaluate candidates' writing skills and reasoning abilities, and how they handle high-pressure situations. My advice would be to strive to complete all the tasks to a high standard, with particular emphasis on Tasks 1 and 6, as they seem to carry the most weight. However, based on my feedback call, it appears that the interview holds greater significance in the overall evaluation process. While I performed well in the in-tray exercise, it did not ultimately lead to success.
What was the outcome?
The firm emailed me about a week after the assessment centre to tell me I had been unsuccessful.