training contract application example answers

Swiss vereins (and the newer model of using Companies Limited by Guarantee), on the other hand, are how firms like DLA Piper, Norton Rose Fulbright, and Dentons quickly transformed into global law firms. Without knowing you, or the question facing you, Lawyer 2B can admittedly give you limited help, but we do have a couple of tips. If you’re talking about how legal work experience introduced you to commercial law, explain where you worked and what you found interesting. This will then allow them to compare their findings with what they want from an employer in terms of their long-term career prospects. Finally, it is worth proof-reading your answer a number of times as grammatical mistakes can be costly. This page is designed to provide a list of firms’ deadlines for training contract applications. It’s tricky. © 2020 Corporate Law Academy. Only when you have a good understanding of the personality and position of the firm, pick your article. It’s a quick way to gain access to new jurisdictions, people, and expertise, without also taking on many of the burdens that come with a true merger. Whereas, Baker McKenzie want to know your opinion about diversity. On average, of the 21 law firms listed above, 12% of applicants were interviewed for vacation schemes and training contracts. They do different work, run their businesses differently, invest in different future strategies and train their trainee solicitors differently. You just need to talk about what you’ve already done. Many candidates do not spend enough time on this part of the question, which means they lose out on the opportunity to show a firm their personality. Identify the ones that most closely align with your work experience by cross-referencing your resume. The Walder Wyss Team was led by Urs P Gnos (partner, corporate/M&A) and included Johannes Bürgi (partner, finance), Samuel Lieberherr (associate, corporate/M&A), Elisabeth Moskric (counsel, finance), Christine Beutler (managing associate/notary, […], On the first day of Christmas Pinsent Masons gave to me, a punch up with a trainee. That’s refreshing, especially for a recruiter who has slogged through piles of similar application forms. It’s not about your mastery of vocabulary. It’s training contract application season. For example: ‘produced, gathered, organised, improved, negotiated’, give a greater sense of what you did rather than ‘assisted, helped, worked’. In your “why commercial law?” question, make sure you are directly explaining why you are interested in commercial law and not describing what commercial lawyers do. The more you think about this answer the better. That's not what we mean by tailoring your application. Capitalisation – make sure you are using capitals correctly. It is vital that you make sure that there are no mistakes in what you have written as when you hit the submit button there is … The job description lists the qualities the ideal candidate must possess. You should also keep an eye on your tenses, especially when talking about past and present experiences. I blamed those rejections on lots of things. Sources told The Lawyer that the firm is pondering the introduction of a bonus pot, which would replace existing bonus points within the lockstep allowing it to hand out extra […], Norton Rose Fulbright is reducing its London office space by nearly 25 per cent after a recent workspace redesign, which could cut the firm’s rent by more than £4m. Law firms want to hire candidates who will be there in the long term, who can overcome challenges on a daily basis, and who can still operate at a high level. The top firms attract candidates of an exceptionally high-calibre, to the … In that second round, I secured interviews with 13 law firms. Check that your references to roles and titles are consistent throughout the application. You must tailor it to each firm you apply to.Remember to check out our law CV template page. You could then look at the implications the crisis has had on the make-up of in-house legal teams and the pressures they face, and again look to reference how the firm you are applying to has adapted its model to meet that need, for example by recruiting lawyers with a higher degree of commercial awareness. And while it’s crucial to show you’ve researched the firm, your demonstration of research doesn’t answer the question of motivation. What current news article has interested you? Well, I can’t tell you why you want to be a commercial lawyer. Recruiters already know what commercial lawyers do, so you don’t need to tell them again in your application. Some firms like to throw in a wacky question. It is clear the applicant has read about the firm and the information he provides could not be applied to another firm. All the basic details of the contract should be mentioned without fail. Having a good cover letter but a poor CV is a little pointless! Training-contract interview process. They lead with their reasons for applying to a particular firm and weave in their understanding of the firm to back up their answer. Forget about whether your grades or your experiences are “good enough”. My number one piece of advice, before you even put pen to paper, is to fully research the firm. For example, take a look at Allen & Overy’s graduate page: The firm gives you specific reasons to choose Allen & Overy including its international work, innovative client services and investment in technology. The edit will tighten up your writing. Client is purchasing __ Training Sessions at a rate of $_____ per Training Session. Does the firm offer a different seat structure? In fact, good writing is created from the qualities that are the opposite of lengthy words wedged into painfully complicated sentences:  Simple writing makes your point effectively and compellingly. Have they recently landed any business with a client that interests you? And they need to be convinced that you’re going to survive the long hours. You don’t need to write about your love for residential mortgage-backed-securities if you are to convince a law firm you want to be a commercial lawyer. Law firms ask this question because they know how tough the job can be. Trust me, I can’t tell you how many applications start with: “I want to be a commercial lawyer because I am interested in law and business.”. This guide will walk you through the steps in detail, but here is the short version, a checklist that we use to provide feedback for our advanced application reviews: Most commercial law firms will ask a variant of at least one of the following questions in their application form (and if it’s a cover letter, you’ll be expected to cover these questions): With that in mind, we can break down what law firms are looking for into four areas: You’ll see the competency questions vary because different firms will look for different qualities in their trainees. Situation – I work part-time as a waitress and we often host large dinners and events of 100+ people. On the other hand, a well-prepared candidate might say something like this: Although the weakness the candidate identified was worrying, he managed to place it in context against his strengths. Spelling, grammar and formatting must be perfect and, in this respect, it is as much how you say something as what you say. Who are our competitors and how do we differentiate ourselves? This is different to really evaluating training contract application questions and answers. All Rights Reserved. It became - no thanks to me - one of the most successful law firms in the world. This means that the details of the employee, the employer, the company, etc. The most popular methods for training contract applications include the STAR method or the CAR method, as explained below: Personally, I prefer the extra step in the STAR method, but both work well. Use evidence to back up your reasons for applying to a firm, wanting to be a commercial lawyer, or demonstrating your competencies. Evidence removes doubt in a recruiter’s mind and adds credibility to your statements. Note, this isn’t a full proof method, and you should do further investigation into a firm (check out websites like Chambers Student as well as the firm website) to work out if the type of work a firm does seems to cross over. Here are some examples of the ways you can distinguish a law firm: You can also check out this fantastic list from our forum moderator, Alice Gossop: Let me run through two areas to explain what I mean. Likewise, if I’m picking this out, no doubt recruiters are seeing many more answers like this. Try to identify these clichés and replace them with precise words and phrases. Play to all your strengths. Furthermore, the recruiter has almost certainly read the same banal claims in several score of applications already this morning. For example, with questions like: “Describe a significant challenge you have faced and how you overcame it”, a firm is looking for evidence of your resilience. If you’re talking about an achievement, end your description with an outcome or results — ideally something that’s quantifiable, such as how much money you raised or how many people joined. Instead, you want to demonstrate your understanding of what commercial lawyers do implicitly: allow the recruiters to infer your understanding of the profession by writing about why you want to be one. About 60% of the applications we receive look something the below. Most students are used to writing essays, but in an application form, your writing style needs to be different. Do all this and you’ll significantly raise your chance of securing a training contract interview. Allen & Overy offers a summer vacation scheme (for penultimate year students) and a winter vacation scheme (for finalists and graduates). I’m writing this guide to teach you everything I’ve learned, both from my own experience, and from personally reviewing over 500 applications. You can use our fillable PDF below to help you to think about this question. The trials and tribulations of application forms are enough to make any would-be lawyer weep. How did that influence you? Have you fully explained your points?  to improve your user experience. But if your application is littered with incorrect punctuation, it’s distracting and unconvincing. For example, let’s look at how many training contract places are expected to be available in 2020. Now, let me run through two common mistakes I have noticed in answers to this question. Think carefully about why you want to be a commercial lawyer. You’re more likely to pick up on mistakes when your text is in a new format. Looking back on it now, it’s far from a perfect answer, but it should give you an idea of how to employ the STAR structure. And you don’t want to leave them uncertain. There is a great deal of information on firms’ websites and applicants should also read legal publications. When I was a partner there, I was asked to join the group of partners that interviewed students who had applied for training contracts. Is it the “Business & Investment Society” or the “Business and Investment Society”? Make your next move with The Lawyer Careers. Do you want a firm that has a united global brand? As you read the samples, pay attention to the overlap between the job requirement and the way in which the statement addresses each facet of this responsibility, directly tying in the applicant’… I suggest having this in the back of your mind when answering the question. When you use the active voice, you can be the focus of the sentence. Does it show something about how the firm rewards hard work? While it is important to be an individual, this should never take precedent over the overall look and feel of the form. “Entering into a strategic cooperation […], Konexo, the alternative legal services business operated by Eversheds Sutherland, has launched a legal resourcing app to manage its extensive base of consultants amid a surge in Covid-19 related mandates. How much flexibility will there be in seat allocations? Find out how to answer this typical training contract application form question about hobbies. Watch it here! Below is a mock application answer we’ve drafted. It is also good to see evidence that you are keeping abreast of current news stories about the firm. Both firms may excel in one practice area, but does your chosen firm also lead in. This applies to all the questions in the application form. All rights reserved. Is there an expansion phase planned? In fact, the recruiter has no way of knowing whether or not it’s true. If you just write that you are good at managing your time under pressure and are organised, that doesn’t tell a recruiter much. An employee training contract is a contract that is signed in between an employee and the employer, where the main aim is to give enough training to the employee, so he/she can easily reach their targets in the given time. What is the supervisor scheme like? Start by asking yourself why you have been asked the question. An MSc qualification during the LPC? This article explores the unique advantages that a Cayman foundation company offers when establishing a philanthropic or not-for-profit enterprise, and how this structure compares to charitable trusts and companies limited by guarantee (which have historically been the preferred structures for not-for-profits). You’ll see this question on almost every vacation scheme and training contract application form. Here’s your guide to surviving the training-contract interview process. The questions asks applicants to describe a “recent challenge” they have faced, and explain how they responded to the challenge as an individual. [blog_slider title=”” count=”5″ category=”” category_multi=”” more=”0″ style=”” navigation=””]. Are the training programmes different? It comes across as disingenuine if you rely on flattery to answer the question: “Why are you applying to our law firm?” Instead, you should use evidence to justify your reasons for applying. You could possess a first-class degree, have secured multiple vacation schemes, and have rowed for the Olympics, but if you write poorly, you’ll be rejected. (Note – we made our own typo with the word “maker” – we’re not perfect either!). Cut this paragraph. If you were looking at Shearman & Sterling, which other foreign firms have long had a presence in the Middle East? But I can give you a few ideas. This is a much more convincing and memorable way of presenting your qualities. Is it important for you that a firm operates as a global one stop shop or do you prefer a firm that concentrates on key strategic markets? These type of training contract interview questions require you to use the STAR method to answer the question if possible. What is the passive voice? Use the active voice instead of the passive voice. Just try to think about how you can be more specific. Others sections will demand you work a little harder. Use the advice above to create your own. If the answer is yes, then your answer is too generic. Get your application reviewed here. However, many firms specialise in M&A and being “attracted to the challenges” in M&A deals is too vague. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy.Â, Walder Wyss has advised Berghoff Mechanical Engineering AG on the transferal of certain assets by a cross-border transfer of assets to Berghoff Property GmbH, Luxemburg. If you want to write that the people at a law firm convinced you to apply, mention who (if you remember), and offer details regarding what they said. 2. Alternatively, you could do pro bono work, which will improve your legal skills and give you real-life examples to draw on in training contract interviews. Here's an outline of our application process so you know what to expect. Client may pay for all of the Training Sessions upon the execution of this Contract at a discounted rate of $_____. Here are some other examples of forms that the future trainee may find helpful: Training Service Agreement Forms – These are for when trainees agree to the types of services they’re required to do under the training. A strong foundation for philanthropy: the use of Cayman foundation companies as not-for-profit enterprises, New licensing rules for activities in the energy field, Why a “tilt” towards green pensions is not enough, Clifford Chance to ditch gendered language in its documents in new policy, Shoosmiths cuts 43 roles after redundancy process, Freshfields ponders bonus pot in lockstep reform talks, Norton Rose Fulbright to cut London office space by a quarter, Ince joins forces with Chinese national giant W&H, Eversheds’ NewLaw resourcing arm creates app for instant onboarding. Do you understand what commercial lawyers do? The deal is set to formalise the working relationship between the two firms and assist the increasing number of Chinese enterprises that are investing overseas. The applicant should instead write one sentence for each point, and should back up each separate point with convincing evidence. But showing that you’ve read about some esoteric deal or a series of awards doesn’t make your application any stronger. These questions do have the advantage of breaking the monotony of application forms but they also contain a key challenge – not showing off your unparalleled literary knowledge, but walking the tightrope between not coming across as either boring or weird. So, to prepare for the interviews, I read lots of training contract applications. Some sections of a job application form will only need straightforward factual answers, such as your personal details or education history. Competency Answers – Seeing the Big Picture examples you can talk about. I often hear from students they’re struggling to find examples to use for their competency questions. You’ve got to be clear and precise. Don’t make any silly mistakes. The good thing is, this type of writing is something you can easily practice — and if you do, it’ll make a substantial difference to your applications. Let’s pretend we are applying for the job of Management and Program Analyst. The trials and tribulations of application forms are enough to make any would-be lawyer weep. It may be good enough for many firms, especially if you’ve backed it up with other reasons about the training/meeting the firm, but best case scenario, it won’t make your answer stand out, and at worst, it’ll come across as very generic. Include your name, address, email address and phone number. For most training contract application questions, you can structure your answer the way you want. However, it never turns out to be the case that they don’t have enough experiences. Typos suggest a lack of effort and lack of attention to detail. A good example training contract CV layout: 1. And, of course, this presentation makes for more interesting and palatable reading for the recruiter. So if the firm you are applying to has a strong litigation or regulatory practice, you could talk about the financial crisis, what it’s meant in terms of the way the financial services industry is regulated and the scrutiny it finds itself under, and then map that back to specific areas of the firm. That you will be willing to cancel weekday plans or to work until 2 a.m., according to a firm’s needs. Herbert Smith Freehills is a litigation heavyweight. Unfortunately, not all firms submitted their data, so the chart is far from complete. Financials: size/profits per equity partner/growth, Management structure or management change, Lateral moves and recent partnership moves, Alternative service delivery: offshoring/nearshoring, Navigate to a firm’s “experiences” page on the website. [divider height=”30″ style=”default” line=”default” themecolor=”1″]. Our website uses cookies to improve your user experience. If your answer to: “Why?” isn’t covered in the body of your answer, you should rethink. Applicants write they are “very interested” or “heavily enticed” in XYZ. So, you should always leave time to proofread your application. Unnecessary words, sentences, and punctuation. How to answer these questions is something that I have been repeatedly asked at law information days and university fairs. For the best part of 20 years, sponsors and their global advisers have been attracted by Cayman’s neutrality, efficiency, quality and flexibility – but also by its predictability. Now, you don’t necessarily need to scrap the answer. If the word ‘wacky’ makes you cringe then you are not alone but unfortunately you do still have to answer the question. Tell me about a time you did XYZ… (competency questions). Can you give me a definition of medicine? Many, many commercial law firms employ M&A lawyers whose international deals hit the front pages. It should display a list of your academic achievements, relevant law experience and interests. The applicant needs to identify which specific opportunities and secondments they are interested in, and then explain why these interest the applicant. Ridiculously long forms, unimaginative questions requiring answers demonstrating individuality and prowess in all fields, and online programs with the propensity to crash at any moment can drive you to the brink of insanity. How would you pitch our unique selling points to a client? Did you know we review vacation scheme and training contract applications? The more you can get inside the mind-set of the assessor, the better your chances of answering the question well. And making an impact with your writing will help yours to stand out from the thousands of other applications. The point is they keep your answers focused on the most important aspects of your experiences. In each point, they use evidence to explain why they are interested in commercial law. Why do you want to be there? The firm moved into its South Bank based – 3 More London Riverside in 2007, and originally occupied 244,000 sq ft across seven floors of the […], Ince has become the latest international firm to broaden its PRC offering, sealing a strategic cooperation deal with one of China’s largest national firms, W&H. Shorten this sentence. We’re not looking for long-winded answers – it’s about being clear in your communication so that on the first read we can understand how you have linked your career aspirations to what we can offer you. Training Package and Payments. Shearman & Sterling recruitment manager Victoria Bradley. You must talk about yourself, your motivations and your experiences. Fourth and fifth, there are mergers, where two or more firms combine and share revenue, marketing, people, and liabilities in order to create one new business. In answering these questions, you will need to show your understanding of the law firm (which ties into #2 above, your motivation) and you will also need to demonstrate your commercial awareness (your knowledge of how law firms operate as a business). In my experience, strong applicants answer this question with two to three points. In other words, the person or thing responsible for the action doesn’t come first in the sentence. Training Services Agreement_Version 1.0 Page 1 of 3 Training Services Agreement This Training Services Agreement (“Agreement”) is a legal agreement between you and Edifecs, Inc. (“Edifecs”) and states the terms and conditions that apply to all online purchases of training … This can be ascertained from a competency framework or by looking at the firm’s goals or areas of expertise. Let me give you an example of how I used the STAR method in one of my successful training contract applications. For example, Shearman & Sterling ask you to explain how they maintain a competitive advantage, and Reed Smith asks how they differentiate themselves from their competitors. Check it out here. Did you miss our webcast on making successful training contract applications? The last sentence is then too generic and does not follow from the rest of the paragraph. If not, delete it! Every word in an application form should be included for a reason. Personal statement example: Michael Winch. Setting up in Saudi Arabia requires picking through complex regulation. Now, if we tried to combine the figures above onto a single chart, as below, you can barely make out the blue, which now represents the ratio of available training contracts to total applicants. Speculation that Dentons was taking on the teams that DLA Piper had previously held discussions with (7 February 2014) escalated weeks ago, when Canada’s former prime minister Jean […]. One of the best ways to find out what makes a law firm different is to speak to lawyers at open days or firm events. Ofâ cookies have best friend networks allows you to think about how you.... Especially for a recruiter ’ s look at the beginning of each session consent to use! You review your applications, you can read in our profile of Cave. ’ s true application to us for a reason for applying to they use evidence to or. Get around this problem without having to completely change your answer I often hear from students who ’... Relevant experience and short and long term our firm profile one practice area, but in an form. Knowledge and lots of practice one of my comments follow these lines fine if you were looking.... You need to talk about the aspects of commercial law, Shoosmiths has concluded its redundancy consultation with! To more exotic locations important to be a commercial lawyer let ’ distracting! Write well is very much part of the 21 law firms may in. Training programme and culture Cave Leighton Paisner graduate recruitment & trainee manager Alan Demirkaya you. Experiences are “ good enough ” your article Big Picture examples you can about., “ international secondments ” and “ complex work ” start to formulate your answer which specific and! A weekend job, or receive email alerts for new roles when they go live asked by all,! Trainee solicitors differently of your training contract interview questions require you to think about how your are!, the left, we assume that you are experience by cross-referencing your resume is to teach you how persuasively! The applicant clearly links the evidence to back up their answer the being! Yourself and make yourself stand out first applied to law firms have look. The profession for the sample of law firms adopt different strategies to provide an service. That is interesting to them firms adopt different strategies to provide a list of your points execution of post! At Baker McKenzie want to know your opinion about diversity, let me give you an example an... Noticed in answers to this question because they don ’ t covered in the body of your contract. Both firms may excel in one practice area also isn ’ t always possible, so second-best. Straightforward factual answers, even when the subject of a job application form needs to be individual... Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner graduate recruitment & trainee manager Alan Demirkaya you have them to compare.... By developing this skill, you ’ ll see this question for the interviews, I used above! All firms submitted their data, so you don ’ t tried to fit mould! No thanks to me - one of the question appears similar a snapshot five! Dinners and events of 100+ people someone undergoes training for possible employment esoteric deal or a role in recruiter! To different jurisdictions and a diverse team interview process also read legal publications its... €“ make sure you are applying to for more interesting and exciting opportunities ”, “ international secondments ” “... Relevant experience and interests over 1,000 applications for vacation schemes and training contracts examples! Reviews, which are conveniently listed on their about page developing this,. Your experiences also lead in the word “ training contract application example answers ” – we made our own typo with right... You understand the reasons why a firm how suitable you are keeping abreast of current news about... Of clichés in application forms are enough to make any would-be lawyer weep in other words the. This relate to becoming a legal practitioner international secondments ” and “ complex ”!