Linklaters Interview Questions

Training Contract Interview and Application Process

Linklaters hire 130 trainee solicitors and offer experience to 100 vacation scheme students at the London office every year.

After making an online application you will be invited to an interview day which consists of:

• Critical reasoning test
• First Interview
• Meeting with trainees and office tour
• Second Interview (partner interview including case study)

The interview day will last for four hours.

Critical Reasoning Test

This is the Watson Glaser critical thinking test, and lasts about one hour. The test involves fairly short passages followed by a series of statements which you must determine to be true of false based on the information given in the passage.

You will be sent a practice paper through the post (or via email) prior to your interview. It is certainly worth going through this several times to make sure you understand exactly what you will be doing. This test is difficult, and quite unlike those used by other firms.

First Interview

The first interview is predominantly application based and will be taken by a member of HR, a Managing Associate or Partner. Make sure you know your CV and online application very well and be ready to elaborate and explain your role in any activities you may have cited. You need to be able to talk about yourself competently.

Expect general questions such as:

• Why law?
• Why Linklaters?
• Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years time?
• Which practice areas are you most interested in, and why?
• What did you enjoy most on your degree, and why?
• What do you think about the long working hours associated with law?

Interviews vary depending on your specific interviewer. Some candidates may find their interview is entirely application based. Others may be asked more taxing commercial awareness style questions. You should be prepared for both types of interview.

The interview is not too formal, and you should be prepared to do most of the talking as it is likely you will be given a lot of space in which to do so.

Interview with Partner (including Case Study)

Case Study

You will be given a memo to read prior to your second interview. This will be based on a Client who has a "problem". You will have 20 minutes to read this and then prepare a brief for your "supervisor" (the interviewer). This memo tests your commercial awareness and you will be expected to pick up any commercial issues "hidden" in the memo.

Partner Interview

This second interview will be with a Partner. Following the presentation of your case study you will talk more about your application, education, knowledge of the law and commercial awareness. You should be prepared for more specific questions such as:

• If you had x amount of money how would you invest it?
• In which country should the next office be opened?
• What do you do if your boss gives you too much work?
• What do you do if you have an issue with a colleague which you can't resolve?

Linklaters deal with a lot of the big investment banks so you should find out about the work they do in preparation for this interview. You might find it useful to read the WikiJob Investment Banking section as part of your research.

Tip: Research the firm thoroughly. Make sure you can justify why you have chosen to apply to Linklaters, why you want to work there and what unique abilities you are able to offer the firm.

Tip: Make sure you know about some recent big cases and deals the firm have been involved in. Questions on this topic are likely to come up at interiew, and your knowledge of the firm's work will be tested.