Magic Circle Firm NYC office CB experiences Forum

[Anonymous User]

Hi all, I have a question about CB interviews with the NY branches of the Magic Circle firms. I've heard that Linklaters NY often does a series of behavioral interviews and "hypothetical"/situational interviews - could anyone speak to whether that is also the case for Clifford Chance, Freshfields and Allen and Overy NYC too? Anything else to share about CB interviewing with those firms? Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous User]

Freshfields last year was just like every other CB I'd had.

[Anonymous User]

Freshfields last year was just like every other CB I'd had.

Yep, A&O was standard as well.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

Nothing magic about magic circle CBs.

[Anonymous User]

Thanks - appreciate the feedback. I'd heard that UK firms tend to like asking situational/behavioral questions, thus the thread. -OP

[Anonymous User]

CC is a regular callback

[jbagelboy]

I had different experiences. My A&O screener was one of only three at OCI to ask behavioral/personality questions, and they did it in the most mechanical way so clearly it was standard practice (when have you worked in a team, when have you been disappointed with an achievement, stupid shit like that). Ugh.

The Freshfields callbacks process is quite unique, I'm surprised at the response saying it's like another CB. First, they have a food and cocktail hour either after or right before your interviews; for me, it was before, which was awful since they expected us to drink wine and eat heavy food and then sit attentively for two hours. Second, one of the interviews was conducted as a case interview, where the partner proposed a hypothetical scenario (some international transaction) and asked what legal issues would arise, how you might address them, ect. The partner did this to everyone who interviewed that day. So, very different.

Neither was a pleasant experience, nor was my linklaters interview for that matter; I've never seen someone who wanted to be in that hotel room less than this woman. Anyway, needless to say these all went terribly. Caveat emptor, my friend.

[Anonymous User]

Freshfields gave me no food or drink. Maybe you were a special candidate.

I reiterate: it was the same as every other callback for me.

[jbagelboy]

Freshfields gave me no food or drink. Maybe you were a special candidate.

I reiterate: it was the same as every other callback for me.

No it was every interviewee that day.

It was later in the process, maybe they changed it up.

[Anonymous User]

I had different experiences. My A&O screener was one of only three at OCI to ask behavioral/personality questions, and they did it in the most mechanical way so clearly it was standard practice (when have you worked in a team, when have you been disappointed with an achievement, stupid shit like that). Ugh.

The Freshfields callbacks process is quite unique, I'm surprised at the response saying it's like another CB. First, they have a food and cocktail hour either after or right before your interviews; for me, it was before, which was awful since they expected us to drink wine and eat heavy food and then sit attentively for two hours. Second, one of the interviews was conducted as a case interview, where the partner proposed a hypothetical scenario (some international transaction) and asked what legal issues would arise, how you might address them, ect. The partner did this to everyone who interviewed that day. So, very different.

Neither was a pleasant experience, nor was my linklaters interview for that matter; I've never seen someone who wanted to be in that hotel room less than this woman. Anyway, needless to say these all went terribly. Caveat emptor, my friend.

This is possibly my worst fear - how are you even supposed to prepare for this? Ugh. I have CBs with Freshfields & A&O next week, guess I need to start reviewing the STAR method...

[jbagelboy]

I had different experiences. My A&O screener was one of only three at OCI to ask behavioral/personality questions, and they did it in the most mechanical way so clearly it was standard practice (when have you worked in a team, when have you been disappointed with an achievement, stupid shit like that). Ugh.

The Freshfields callbacks process is quite unique, I'm surprised at the response saying it's like another CB. First, they have a food and cocktail hour either after or right before your interviews; for me, it was before, which was awful since they expected us to drink wine and eat heavy food and then sit attentively for two hours. Second, one of the interviews was conducted as a case interview, where the partner proposed a hypothetical scenario (some international transaction) and asked what legal issues would arise, how you might address them, ect. The partner did this to everyone who interviewed that day. So, very different.

Neither was a pleasant experience, nor was my linklaters interview for that matter; I've never seen someone who wanted to be in that hotel room less than this woman. Anyway, needless to say these all went terribly. Caveat emptor, my friend.

This is possibly my worst fear - how are you even supposed to prepare for this? Ugh. I have CBs with Freshfields & A&O next week, guess I need to start reviewing the STAR method...

I mean, you can, but then again they could have changed it this year and you could face nothing like what I had. And others in this thread have had different experiences.

Honestly my take on legal recruiting is, if you're going to harass me with nauseating, unnecessary garbage and try to juke me or make me uncomfortable, that's not a place I want to work anyway. So I'm not going to prepare for every possible eccentricity in the hopes I get an offer I wouldn't accept. But if you really want to do the type of international transactions or investigations in which one of these firms specialize, of course, that trumps these other considerations.

[Anonymous User]

This is possibly my worst fear - how are you even supposed to prepare for this? Ugh. I have CBs with Freshfields & A&O next week, guess I need to start reviewing the STAR method...

For A&O I really wouldn't stress about it. Again, just a normal CB.

[Anonymous User]

Can confirm that LL is behavioral.

For those that had A&O, what was the turn around from OCI --> Callback?

[Anonymous User]

Can confirm that LL is behavioral.

For those that had A&O, what was the turn around from OCI --> Callback?

For A&O I had my CB offer three days after my OCI screener.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone use Freshfields for accommodations?

[Anonymous User]

Posting to confirm that CC and A&O were your average CBs.

[Anonymous User]

Anyone familiar with Ashurst in any way?

[Anonymous User]

anybody know how long it took to from cb--> offer for freshfields? I had the weird reception thing after/before my interview.

[Anonymous User]

freshfield offers within 24 hours

[Anonymous User]

A&O and CC were like any other callback for me. Nothing out of the ordinary whatsoever.

[Anonymous User]

Were the Freshfields CBs standard this year?

[Anonymous User]

Yeah, Freshfields wasn't any different.

[TheoO]

Just recently had an AO and they were the exact experience that Jbageboy described: mechanical interviewer asking me generic behavioral questions. It was awful and I fucked it up. It also didn't help that I was facing the window and the sun directly in my face during the interview, but that's something else altogether.

[Anonymous User]

freshfield offers within 24 hours

Is this the avg turnaround for freshfields?

[Anonymous User]

freshfield offers within 24 hours

Is this the avg turnaround for freshfields?

Mine was 3 business days