The Guardian
Getting back into the swing of work at the beginning of the year can can be tough for any student. But for second-year law students there’s the added stress of upcoming vacation scheme application deadlines to contend with.
Vacation schemes – a period of two to four week’s work experience with a commercial law firm – are a “stepping stone to a training contract,” according to Matthew White, a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills. But the application forms are multifaceted and probing, and fill many law students with dread.
Sarah Burson, graduate recruitment and development manager at Holman Fenwick Willan, says there is no “magic formula” for writing successful applications. However, firms are looking for you to display certain skills. Hereare some you should demonstrate in your application:
1) Analytical and evaluative skills
Every legal problem requires analytical and evaluative skills. Clients present their solicitors with a fact pattern, and expect their lawyer to deconstruct it and explore the different legal solutions available, and provide the respective merits of each.
There may be gaps in the existing information and a lawyer needs to know exactly the right questions to ask. Thomas Williams, an associate at Slaughter and May, says being able to “appreciate the small details when constructing and thinking about the big picture” is essential.
By organising mock court trials and pro bono work, universities are always offering ways for students to help show – and hone – these skills in a legal context. Simon Johnson, a partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, says such activities offer the perfect chance “to start applying your theoretical knowledge in practice and demonstrate an interest in and commitment to law”. Alongside this, joining a debating society is a must for any law student getting to grips with the big issues facing society.
2) Teamwork
The lonely life of a barrister contrasts starkly to the collaborative effort expected of a solicitor. Rick Jones, senior partner of Jones Mitchell, says: “Teamwork is important because the type of work that we tend to do is so big in scale and complexity that you’re unlikely to be working on a project by yourself.”
Often, entire departments will be tasked to solve one legal problem, and it’s vital for a lawyer to draw on all the expertise and talent available and bring the best out of whoever they’re working with. In your application, draw analogies with productions you’ve undertaken as part of theatre casts, challenges you’ve faced in sports teams and events you’ve organised as a part of society.
3) Written communication
A large proportion of a solicitor’s life will be spent drawing up documents. “{art of being a good commercial lawyer is being able to convey information in a succinct way,” says Caroline Sarson, graduate and trainee engagement manager at King and Wood Mallesons. Indeed, it’s vital to be able to understand how and when to alter a written register, whether that be for writing concisely and clearly to explain a complex legal issue to a client or to write formally and in a structured manner to opposing counsel, or to a judge.
No matter what subject you write on, writing articles for your university’s student newspaper or publications such as Keep Calm Talk Law and The Political Review are not only a good way to show your writing ability, but also your aptitude to time-manage, work in a team and meet deadlines.
4) A global mindset
The work of many solicitors is cutting-edge, at the forefront of many major deals, and can cross global borders. Clients can be behemoths of the international business world and site visits, client meetings and deal closures can take place anywhere and everywhere.
Don’t be afraid to mention trips and expeditions you’ve been on – lawyers need to be able, and willing, to survive in far-flung destinations across the world. After all, as law firm CMS explain on their website, “being an expert on a particular culture could give you an edge that other students don’t have”. Mention your foreign language skills but don’t worry if they’re non-existent; Sarson says “speaking another language fluently is an advantage [but] not essential by any means”.
5) Commercial awareness
For law students, understanding the definition of commercial awareness can be the major problem, before issues of demonstration arise. As Lily Walker-Parr and Luke Taylor – second-year law students at Bristol and King’s College, London respectively – suggest, commercial awareness seems “too abstract to be achieved” and is “the most circular phrase ever”.
Law students: are you ‘commercially aware’?
But commercial awareness is a critical concept to understand. In essence, commercial awareness is about recognising two ideas: first, that a law firm is a business like any other, and second, that all the trials and tribulations of the business world drive your client’s legal needs and you must be able to understand and react to them.
Try to keep track of developments across the business world: new deals, changing international legislation and emerging global markets. Martha Jeacle, legal recruiting and associate development manager of Davis Polk, says it’s crucial “to demonstrate that you understand the wider political and economic implications of a transaction or case”.
6) Organisational skills
The life of a solicitor is a busy one. There is court to attend, client meetings to organise, contracts to draft and tea to drink. Samantha Hope, graduate recruitment manager at Shoosmiths, says: “Trainees are always juggling a number of things at once, whether that’s case files, netball matches, or arranging the summer social”.
Mentioning any events you’ve helped organise or your membership of a society committee is a must when trying to demonstrate these skills.
7) Passion for the law firm
There are numerous law firms out there, many of which offer aspiring solicitors vacation schemes. Law firms know it’s highly unlikely that you’re applying exclusively to them. And while you can be the very best candidate academically, firms still want people who are genuinely interested, even excited, about working with them – after all, working as a solicitor is tough and requires 100% commitment.
It makes sense therefore to only apply to firms you genuinely want to work for and know inside out. A “Hail Mary” approach may work for a select few, but for others it can be a laborious exercise that may not even bear fruit. Passion is best shown through sincerity, and a vac scheme application full of empty statements and declarations of “a love of the firm” can be seen through easily.
