HOGAN LOVELLS
an introductory talk about the firm’s work and clients.” A pen-and-paper variant of the Watson Glaser Test came next, followed by a group discussion on a business-related topic that also looked at how candidates would work in a team and group situation. Interviews took up the bulk of the afternoon, the first with two partners. “I remember the experience very clearly and I regularly say hi – and ‘thanks again!’ – to the partners from the competition team who interviewed me,” laughs Adeela. “I was asked the kinds of question that you would expect, such as ‘why law’ and ‘why Hogan Lovells’, but overall they were mainly interested in hearing a bit more about me and my experiences up to that point, as well as what departments I would be interested in sitting in as a trainee. It was an engaging, stimulating conversation, not an inquisition.” The penultimate part of the day was a situational interview with two senior associates, who asked Adeela how she would respond in certain day-to-day situations she might encounter as a trainee, all of which were lifted from real-life examples that trainees at Hogan Lovells have encountered. “I think that the questions were designed to draw out realistic responses – I didn’t feel that I was expected to present myself as someone who would live in the office and abandon any life outside work.” Adeela did not have to wait long for feedback. “I got my offer just a few hours after the assessment day ended,” she explains. “I was called by one of the partners while I was at the gym to tell me the good news – it was a really nice touch that he called me himself, so soon after the interview.” All future trainees complete the seven-and-a-half month accelerated Legal Practice Course (LPC) together at BPP Law School. The first part of
this teaches the core requirements found on any LPC programme, while the optional electives which comprise the second part serve to prepare people for life at Hogan Lovells. “We require future joiners to complete electives in corporate transactions, debt finance and equity finance,” David explains. “They are really demanding electives and we update them continuously. Underpinning this is a desire to get people as prepared as possible for work at the firm, where they will be required to complete at least one seat in each of the corporate, finance and dispute resolution departments. By the time trainees join, they have undergone a pretty rigorous vocational course which sets them up for work in a transactional, finance and litigation practice.” The firm keeps in close touch with all soon-to-be trainees; in Adeela’s case it also kept in special contact to ensure that her visa requirements went through without a hitch. “I first moved to the United Kingdom from Pakistan as an international student and now I’m an international worker,” she explains. “It was reassuring that Hogan Lovells regularly checked in with me and provided support throughout the process of securing a work visa.” Reflecting on her journey so far, Adeela enthuses: “The recruitment process and my experience since joining have definitely exceeded expectations. Before starting, I knew I was going to be working with high-quality, household name clients and that the work itself would be challenging, but I didn’t know just how good the reality of working at the firm would be – everyone is approachable and inclusive, so there is a real sense of shared goals and teamwork. As an international worker, I was daunted at the prospect of working in England because I didn’t know what the atmosphere
As well as motivation to join the legal profession and to join us specifically, we are looking to assess whether a candidate can think on the spot and articulate thoughts coherently
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