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What do you want to know? Work placement programmes              Training contract applications and interviews Life as a future joiner Life as a trainee solicitor Work placement programmes          Do you offer vacation schemes? We offer vacation schemes, or work placement programmes, of between one and two weeks in length. Around eight students attend each programme. In 2012 due to the Olympic logistic restrictions only one programme will take place, from 2 – 13 July.  Am I eligible for a work placement programme? Our work placements are designed for law students, in their penultimate year at university. I am a non law student.  What do you offer me? We run assessment days for non-law students who are about to start the GDL.  We may offer work experienced after an assessment day. How do I obtain a place on one of your work placement programmes? The first step to securing a placement is to complete our online application form. When should I apply? For a place on our 2012 programme you should apply before 31 January 2012 in the penultimate year of your undergraduate degree (law). What does the interview process involve? In most cases, you would spend about an hour and a half at our offices in London. You would be interviewed for half an hour by our Graduate Recruitment Manager, Partners or Manager of Associate Development, and undertake a written exercise. You would also spend some time with one of our trainees who can answer your questions about what life is really like here, and tell you about the kind of work they have been doing. If you are not living in the UK during the interview period, or if you live a long way from London making travelling to London difficult, then we would offer to interview you over the telephone. How soon after the interview can I expect to hear whether I have got a place? We like to get back to candidates quickly as we know that you have usually made other applications and need to weigh up offers against each other. We can usually let you know the outcome of your application within five working days of the interview. What would I do on a work placement programme? Our work placement programmes are designed to give you an idea of what it would be like to work here as you are allocated a supervisor in a practice area and you are given ‘real work’ by lawyers. We would ask you before you start your programme whether you have an interest in particular practice areas and then try to place you in those areas during your programme. You could spend time in Corporate & Securities, Financial Services, Employment, Finance and Real Estate, IP or Dispute Resolution. Exactly what you would do would depend on which practice group(s) you sit in but it would probably include research, drafting and attending meetings. You would also attend training and briefing sessions. Sports and social events are an important part of the work placement programme as they enable you get to know each other and our people better. You will be invited to take part in the firm’s sports events such as the annual Partners v Staff cricket match, softball matches and the annual 5-a-side football match. We organise social events for you including drinks events, dinners and bowling evenings. If I do a work placement with you, would I be interviewed for a training contract? We could interview you towards the end of the placement, or after it. However, we are bound by Law Society regulations governing training contract offers which state that we cannot offer a training contract to law students until 1 September in their final year. If you fall into this category you would not find out the outcome of your interview until that date. top Training contract applications and interviews          How many training contracts do you offer each year? We recruit around 10 trainee solicitors each year. Our trainees start work in September. What are your selection criteria? We recruit bright, ambitious individuals who have a genuine interest in the business world and who share our team-focussed approach. We aim high and want to recruit people who share our ambition. We apply the same criteria when recruiting for our work placement programmes. Does possession of an LLM or admission to the New York Bar make any difference to an application? Qualifications such as an LLM or the New York Bar are a bonus if an applicant meets the rest of our selection criteria. Do you recruit candidates who have not studied law at undergraduate level? We have recruited and continue to recruit excellent trainees from all academic backgrounds. About 30% of our current trainees are non-law graduates. Do you offer financial assistance for the GDL course? We pay course fees for the LPC in addition to a maintenance grant of £10,000, and we pay market leading salaries. We do not sponsor the GDL. What if I need a work permit? In suitable circumstances we would be prepared to consider an application from somebody who requires a work permit.  Applicants who need a work permit should complete the standard application form. How do I apply for a training contract? You should complete our online application form, which is the same as the form for work placement programmes. Applications for training contracts starting in September 2014 close on 31 July 2012. What is the selection process? You would spend either a morning or an afternoon at our offices in London and would undertake a variety of exercises. You would take two written tests and attend two interviews. We know that candidates are likely to be interviewing with other firms as well, and so the interview is very much a two-way process. We provide plenty of time for you to ask questions during your interviews and during the tour of the office, given by one of our trainees. Deciding where to train is an important decision and you need to be sure that you accept a training contract with the right firm for you, so if you receive an offer make sure you find out as much information as you can before you make your decision. Are there any other selection methods? We hold two assessment days each year, usually in March and October. All applicants, for work placement programmes and training contracts, will be considered for an assessment day. The assessment day would consist of various presentations and exercises designed to help you find out more about the firm, and to help us decide whether you possess the skills that we are looking for. Successful participants would be invited back for an interview for a work placement or a training contract. top Life as a future joiner          Do you require your future trainees to study the LPC at a particular institution? We ask all our recruits to study the LPC at BPP.  You are free to choose any of BPP's branches. Do you require future joiners to choose specific LPC electives? We want our future trainees to study subjects in which they are really interested. However some electives would not make sense for a trainee who is coming to a firm like Dechert. You have to choose three electives. Our future trainees generally choose from the following:   • Acquisitions and group structures   • Commercial litigation   • Commercial law   • Debt finance   • Equity finance Would I have any contact with the firm between accepting my offer and starting my training contract? Yes. We don’t forget about you during this period, and will be in touch regularly with newsletters and invitations to both firm-wide and future joiner specific social events. You should also feel free to get in touch with us if you want to discuss anything during this time. top Life as a trainee solicitor          How much influence would I have over my training contract seat plan? We operate a six seat rotational system, and we have seats available in many different legal specialisations. Trainees can sit in Corporate & Securities, Financial Services, Employment, Finance and Real Estate, IP, Litigation and Tax in London, and in Competition in Brussels. We take trouble to counsel trainees on their career goals so that they do seats that will suit them. The training contract is flexible and for this reason no two trainees have the same seat plan. It allows trainees to tailor their seat plan to their own interests, and affords ample opportunity for international secondments. You have lots of international offices. Can I spend any time abroad? There are opportunities for working in one of our international offices, both during and after your training contract. What kind of training will I receive during my training contract? We take your training very seriously. Your training contract begins with a comprehensive induction programme before you begin your first seat. Throughout your training contract, you will be invited to attend substantive training sessions to help you make the most of your time in each of your seats. We also train you on the ‘softer skills’ that you need to develop to become a successful lawyer, such as giving presentations and networking. Equally important is the training which goes on every day, with your supervisor guiding your work and giving you help and feedback. In each seat you will sit with an experienced lawyer chosen because of their interest and skill in training. You will receive appraisals every seat, including regular reviews with the senior lawyer or partner responsible for your development over the entire training contract. Can I get involved in pro bono? Yes; trainees and qualified lawyers alike are encouraged to do pro bono work.  Dechert is committed to pro bono work for ethical reasons, but we also find that working on pro bono matters helps lawyers to develop their interpersonal and advisory skills. Will I be kept on after I qualify? We recruit people that we think have the potential to have a long and successful career with the firm, and we aim to keep on all our qualifiers. Despite the market conditions, in 2011 all of our qualifying trainees were offered permanent positions. top