The interview

We do not conduct psychometric tests or hold assessment days. We believe that the qualities we are looking for in trainees are best assessed through an interview. Our approach reflects the kind of firm we are and the value we place on personal judgement.

Our interviews take the following format:

• a written exercise
• an interview with two partners
• a chat and tour of the office with a current trainee
• a short HR interview

Written exercise

On arrival at our offices on the day of your interview you will be asked to summarise a piece of information in the form of an email. You are given 30 minutes to complete this task and have the option of writing or typing your answer.

Interview

Once the written exercise has been completed, candidates will be given a short current affairs article to read for approximately 10 minutes. This article will then form part of the discussion in the interview, along with questions relating to your CV. The partners will be looking to you to summarise the main points of the article, to form an opinion on the subject matter and to have a sensible debate on the issues raised. You should expect to be challenged on your views and should not be afraid to defend them.

The interview is structured to allow us to get to know you, what motivates you, how insightful and articulate you are, and how well you can think on your feet.

Chat and tour with a current trainee

The interview with the partners will last approximately 40 minutes and, following this, one of our current trainees will give you a tour of the office.

We believe that the interview should be a two-way process. It is important for you to ensure that we are the right firm for you. The trainee will not have been prepped on what to say and they will not be reporting to us, so you should take advantage of this opportunity to question them about life as a trainee at the firm.

HR interview

Our interview process ends with a short chat with a member of the Trainee Recruitment Team. It provides an opportunity for you to ask questions about practical matters, for example, funding/timings for the GDL/LPC.

We normally find that the whole exercise takes approximately three hours. You are required to bring your original A-level and (where relevant) degree certificates to the interview, plus your passport.

Please notify us in advance if you need any adjustments made to any part of the process described above or for your visit to our offices.