Sorting the wheat from the spin

We also have a survival guide for assessment days, a focus on the evocatively named white collar crime, a Downton Abbey blog post from Victoria Symonds at Brechers, a profile of a Shearman & Sterling trainee and an Ask Lawyer2B on whether it is best to become a paralegal in the magic circle or try to rise to the top with a training contract at a regional firm.

In the news this week, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher is the latest US firm to launch a training scheme in its London office, Simmons has established a ‘promotions school’ for associates and Slaughters has decided to cut trainee bonuses in line with economic uncertainty.

P.S - Lawyer 2B’s Not Too Late for Law free careers evening aimed at career changers and mature students is being held on 28 November in association with the College of Law. Top firms such as Addleshaw Goddard, Bircham Dyson Bell, DLA Piper and RPC will be attending. Sign up here.

Firm grounding – Laura Manning explains that law firm-specific business qualifications could be the next big thing. But what exactly do they offer?

Data: Keeping it real - Retention rates are a good way of gauging a law firm’s success, but only if you know how to cut through the spin and decipher the figures

Survival Guide – Assessment days - Assessment days at your prospective firm can be a daunting experience but the opportunity to turn the eye of judgement around is there to use to your advantage.

Victoria Symons, head of boutique firm Brecher’s corporate team, examines the contractual ambiguities for downstairs staff in this week’s episode of Downton Abbey.

Practice area focus – White collar crime, now also commonly referred to as “business crime”, encompasses areas such as cartels, extradition, mutual legal assistance, corruption, market abuse and insider dealing.

60-second interview – A Shearman and Sterling trainee on why she loves working on cross-border deals at the international firm.

Tweets -

@LinklatersGrads We offer work experience to first year law students

@BPPNews Wondering how to fund your postgrad career in law? BPP’s webinar on 5 November at 1.00 pm can help: Join as a guest

Ask Lawyer2B - What’s better: regional TC or magic circle paralegal? I’ve been offered a training contract at a large regional firm and a paralegal role at a magic circle firm. I have no idea what to do. Obviously a training contract is more attractive but even if I start at a regional I wouldn’t want to stay there for long and I don’t know how easy it would be to move on. Would paralegalling at a magic circle firm open up opportunities for something more?