APPLYING FOR LAW FIRM TRAINING CONTRACTS
TIPS FOR APPLICATIONS AND INTERVIEWS
There is strong competition for training contracts, for example, in one year a City firm received over 2000
applicants for 80 vacancies. Follow the tips below to help you sell yourself effectively to firms, and avoid the
common pitfalls that often lead to rejection.
Please note that more detailed information on application and interview preparation is available in Careers Network and
on the websites shown at the end of this leaflet. *The handout referred to in this leaflet is Careers in Law – Information
Resources available from Careers Network.
APPLICATION PREPARATION
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Check closing dates. For large firms this is usually 31 July two years before the start of the training contract, but
this varies between firms so you must check their websites.
Smaller firms don’t recruit so far ahead, so closing dates vary
Sources of vacancies. See the handout* for directories and online sources listing training contract vacancies. See
also vacancies on the our website www.intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/careers
Research. Think carefully about the type of firm you want to work for and which areas of law interest you. All firms
expect you to be convincing about why you want to work for them. See the blue handout for resources
Take stock of your skills and experience. Reflect on your skills and experiences before tackling application forms
or your CV
APPLICATION FORMS
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Follow instructions and read questions carefully. This might sound obvious, but many applicants don’t do this,
therefore indicating poor attention to detail – not a good thing for a lawyer!
Give yourself plenty of time and don’t think you can rush a pile of applications in the last couple of days before the
closing date. A leading City firm recently said that the applications they receive close to the closing date are often
poorer quality than those received in good time, the main reason being that they have obviously been done in a rush
Avoid cutting and pasting from one online form to another. The phrasing of questions varies even if they look
similar from one form to another. Also there is the risk of pasting one firm’s name into another’s form (feedback from
law firms tells us that this does happen)
Answer questions in full using full sentences and a concise, formal, clear style. Impeccable written
communication skills are essential for a lawyer – make sure you demonstrate this. Try to use the full space or word
count available
Use recent and varied examples when answering questions about how you’ve demonstrated particular skills.
Make sure you get across your contribution, level of responsibility and any achievements or outcomes – don’t
expect recruiters to read between the lines, you need to sell yourself in your answers. Use active words (managed,
led, organised, negotiated etc)
Take care with the “career motivation” question. It’s not sufficient to write “I want to work for you because you
are a dynamic, international firm who can give me a good training…”, nor should you quote the recruitment
brochure/website back at them. Thoroughly research the firm. Go beyond the recruitment information and look at
e.g. annual reports, articles in the legal press, reviews and profiles in directories. Think about what attracts you to
that firm in particular and refer to any contact you may have had with them e.g. at the Law Fair, work experience,
open day or presentation. Make your answer personal and genuine – the firms are not looking for clones
Check spelling and grammar. Again, it sounds obvious, but mistakes are not looked on kindly by law firms who
want to see accuracy and attention to detail, as well as perfect grammar, in their future recruits (think of the
importance of clear communication with the firm’s clients!). Don’t just rely on the spell checker on your computer
Keep a copy of the form to refer to when you are preparing for interview
Get some feedback on your draft application. You can come to the Advice Desk in Careers Network (check
opening times during vacation) or get a family member or friend to read it through
CVs AND COVERING LETTERS
The points mentioned above also apply to CV’s. The main difference with a CV is that the format is more flexible. Some
firms specifically ask for a CV and letter so that they can also judge your written communication style. Some additional
tips:
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There is no standard format, but you can get some ideas from Careers Network. Ideally 2 sides of A4 maximum,
your CV should look professional and be clear and easy to read including clear headings and sections
Avoid long, wordy paragraphs and ‘flowery’ language. Keep the style professional and concise, but with full
sentences
Make sure you highlight your most relevant skills and experience. For example in the work experience section you
can include any legal related experience under one heading and group other jobs under “other work experience”
In addition to academic and work experience, law firms like to see applicants with a wide range of activities, so make
sure you include your extra curricular activities e.g. social, sporting, voluntary work and societies. Make sure you get
across your contributions and achievements
Covering letter – The letter is part of your application. This is your opportunity to highlight what you can offer the
firm and why you are interested in them. Make it positive and focussed to that particular firm. Ideally it should be no
longer than one page of A4 (around 3-5 paragraphs)
PREPARING FOR INTERVIEWS
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Research on the firm. As for the application stage, thoroughly research the firm – training and development, type
of clients, culture, recent awards, deals, press comment, annual report etc. Also make sure that you keep up to date
with what is going on in the legal profession through the national and legal press. See handout* for useful resources
Commercial awareness. Large corporate firms will expect you demonstrate commercial awareness. This does not
mean you have to have studied business or economics. It does mean that you should be reading the business
pages of a quality newspaper on a regular basis (some Sunday supplements have a business review of the week) to
understand what’s going on in the corporate world, as well as legal journals. Think about the role of a lawyer in a
business story in the news (e.g. a recent company merger or takeover) and the issues involved. The firms are
looking for a genuine interest in business – after all, this is where their clients come from
Career motivation. Why do you want to join the firm? What makes them different? What do you understand about
the day to day job? You need to be able to give convincing answers to this type of question
Go through your CV/application form and prepare for questions about your skills and experiences in relation to
the firm’s recruitment criteria
At the interview
- Remember you are selling yourself – be positive, enthusiastic and get across your strengths and achievements
- Be confident and friendly, but be yourself. Be aware of your body language – listening, eye contact, relaxed but
business-like. Don’t be afraid to smile. Confidence will impress, arrogance won’t!
- Answer questions concisely and clearly. Listen carefully and ask for clarification if you’re not sure. Take your
time – pauses are OK
- If asked for examples of where you’ve demonstrated a particular skill, give your best examples and make sure
they are relatively recent and drawn from different areas of your life
- If you don’t know the answer, be honest and say so. You could tell the interviewer how you would go about
finding the answer
- Have some questions to ask the interviewer
- Vacation scheme interviews should be treated as seriously as training contract ones
After the interview
Reflect on what went well and what didn’t to help you for any further interviews with this or other firms. Reflect on
what you liked or didn’t like about the firm. If you are unsuccessful, it’s OK to request feedback to help you with other
interviews, but you should try not to sound as though you are questioning the recruiter’s decision
FURTHER INFORMATION
Careers Network has reference material, books and training videos on applications, interviews and assessment centres
as well as information on Commercial Awareness.
There is also useful advice on the following websites:
www.prospects.ac.uk and www.targetjobs.co.uk