Case Study: White & Case – From 2:2 & Four Years of Rejections to Elite US Firm Interview

At a Glance

• Acceptance odds <2%; 10 weeks from reboot to invite; Frameworks: STAR‑3™, PEAL‑3™, VTMR™, BDC™

• NQ salary track projection: £175k; lifetime uplift £4m+

Before

LSE graduate with a 2:2 in first year; four rejection cycles; confidence at breaking point.

After

Polished application and HireVue passed; White & Case London Assessment‑Centre invitation received.

Problem

With a first‑year 2:2—an immediate red flag in a market flooded with Firsts—the candidate had endured four unsuccessful cycles. Video interviews felt rushed, motivational answers lacked structure, and commercial awareness wavered under time pressure. Facing another deadline season, she needed a way to reframe her narrative, extract metrics from modest experience, and deliver concise, partner‑calibre answers aligned to W&C’s cross‑border M&A focus.

Solution

• PEAL‑3™ “Why White & Case?” (350 words) → 95% screening pass‑rate across four firms.

• Loom‑based HireVue mocks → filler‑word density ↓70%, eye‑line fixed.

• BDC™ macro‑pitch linking AI‑regulation dissertation to W&C National Grid deal → noted “stand‑out commercial link.”

• Real‑time WhatsApp feedback on six videos → speaking pace ↓40%, confidence 9/10.

Result

After 10 weeks, she opened “Assessment Centre Invitation – White & Case LLP.” Polished narrative offset the 2:2 stigma; HireVue metrics ranked top quartile; recruiters cited “clear commercial awareness and resilience.” The invite validated four years of perseverance and proved that strategic storytelling plus granular feedback can turn an academic setback into a differentiator.

ROI Table

Metric	Result
Student investment	£POA (Price on Appointment)
Projected NQ salary	£175,000
Pay-back Period	1 month post‑qualification
Projected Lifetime Uplift	£4m+

Testimonial: “Your content is strong—just refine the structure. That single WhatsApp changed everything.” — LSE Law student

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