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Goodwin

Goodwin Summer Vacation Scheme – February 2025

What was the full recruitment process?         

1. Application

2. Video interview

3.  1st Round Interview

4. Assessment centre

5. Vacation scheme

Which aspect does this report cover?

Video interview and 1st round interview

Video interview

This was a pre-recorded video interview. I had ~30 seconds to prepare each question and ~1 minute to deliver each answer. I was asked:      

  1. Tell me about a time when you worked in a team
  2. Why Goodwin?
  3. Tell me about a time when you exceeded expectations
  4. Tell us about a time when you faced a challenge
  5. What are the biggest challenges facing the legal sector?

Where did the 1st round interview take place?            

Via Microsoft teams. 

What did the interview involve?      

This was a 45 minute interview with two partners.

sMotivation questions

  • I was asked why I wanted to be a lawyer at a commercial law firm. 
  • I was also asked about why I wanted to work at an American law firm, and about the other law firms that I have applied to. 

Current affairs question

  • I was asked about the current affairs issue that I wrote about in my application. 
  • I was then asked follow-up questions about the issue, including about how I saw the issue developing over the coming years. 
  • I was also asked about the practice areas related to the commercial issue I raised.

Commercial case study 

The case study was delivered orally to me. I was given no time to prepare, and asked what I would do from my own knowledge. I was then asked follow up questions on the decisions I made. 

I was asked to put myself in the shoes of a founder of a technology start-up that made sustainable e-bikes. The company also ran a fitness app using data collected on the e-bike. The company had almost exceeded its debt ceiling and had a poor credit rating as a result. 

I was asked several questions, including:

  • What is the biggest commercial issue that start-ups like this face?
  • What funding would you use to expand the company? How does this address their distressed financial situation?
  • What current economic trends would affect your decision-making?
  • What are the biggest legal issues you foresee affecting the business?
  • How would you navigate GDPR issues?
  • What are the issues that arise from being labelled as a ‘sustainable’ business? 

What was the outcome?                                                  

I'm still waiting to hear back

Do you have any specific advice on how to prepare?

Goodwin is looking for candidates who understand finance and the economy well. Their core practice areas relate to private equity transactions and technology. These sectors are heavily exposed to changes in the markets. Having a strong understanding of the companies that operate in these sectors (especially the portfolio companies that PE firms are investing into) would be extremely useful. 

Be clear why you want to work at an American firm over a British firm. I feel like the answer I gave wasn’t reasoned strongly enough. Try and understand the differences and why the American style suits your work style and personality more.