20/04/2016

1

Preparing students for entry to

the solicitors’ profession

19 April 2016

Preparation! Preparation! Preparation! –

Everything you need to know before

putting pen to paper

Paul Gascoyne, graduate recruitment manager,

Shearman & Sterling

Diane Goodier, head of students - key clients, University

of Law

20/04/2016

2

ukgraduates.shearman.com

Preparation, preparation, preparation

SUPPORTIVE CULTURE EXCEPTIONAL WORK

Presentation by Paul Gascoyne

GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES

PREPARATION: KNOW

YOURSELF

20/04/2016

3

5

PREPARATION: YOU

1. Understand your importance to the firm

• People are a law firm’s key resource

2. Basic Self reflection

• What sort of practice area

• What sort of firm

• Why do you want to be a solicitor

3. Build up your CV

• Legal Work experience

Formal (vacation schemes)

Informal (shadowing)

Pro bono

• Commercial/Industry work experience

• Extra-curricular

RESEARCH: THE ESSENTIALS

20/04/2016

4

7

PRACTICE AREAS FIRM SIZE LOCATION

SECTOR FOCUS SALARY LEVEL OF

RESPONSIBILITY

STRUCTURE OF

TRAINING CONTRACT PRO BONO CULTURE

WORK LIFE BALANCE

20/04/2016

5

9

CLIENTS

INTERNATIONAL WORK

DEADLINES

10

WHAT SUPPORT WILL THE FIRM GIVE ME?

20/04/2016

6

11

OPPORTUNITIES TO

WORK ABROAD

12

GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES

GLOBAL CLIENTS INTERNATIONAL

OFFICES

INTERNATIONAL

WORK

SMALLER OFFICE GREATER VARIETY DIFFERENT BUSINESS

CULTURE

20/04/2016

7

13

DEADLINES

Training contracts

31st July

Vacation Schemes

15th January

14

TOP TIPS

• Do understand what you want

• Do understand your USPs

• Do get work experience

• Do get as much exposure to the firms you are

suited to

• Do understand where your career in a law

firm could take you

• Don’t chase firms because everyone else is

• Don’t focus on the wrong things

• Don’t think too much about money

• Don’t panic

• Don’t think there’s a set route to securing a

Training Contract

20/04/2016

8

Telephone

0207 655 5000

Email

graduates@shearman.com

Online

ukgraduates.shearman.com

THANK YOU

Preparing students for entry to the solicitors’ profession

Tuesday 19 April 2016

Diane Goodier, National Programme

Director, Key Accounts

20/04/2016

9

Is self funding worth the risk?

Training routes – what might you have to fund?

Qualifying

degree in

English Law

Solicitor

Legal

Practice

Course

Admission

as a

solicitor

Training

Contract

2 years

Non-Law

degree

Graduate

Diploma in Law

Barrister

Bar

Professional

Training

Course

Pupillage

12

months

Call to

the Bar

20/04/2016

10

The legal graduate

recruitment market - facts

• 10.6% growth in UK law firm graduate vacancies

• Number of available training contracts has

increased to over 5,000 in 2014

• 52% of vacancies filled by graduates who had

prior contact with the employer

• 2014 saw the highest retention rate since 2008

• 50% of practising solicitors have a law degree

Employability

20/04/2016

11

Employability

• University of Law 2014 employability statistics

97% of LPC graduates were in employment

9 months after completing the course

91% of LPC graduates were in legal related

work 9 months after completing the course

Employability – Careers support

• One to one advice

• Interview preparation

• Skills workshops

• External speakers

• Mentoring scheme

• Jobsearch – exclusive online legal

database

• Online student employability programme

(StEP)

20/04/2016

12

Research – the essentials

What skills do you need to

succeed as a lawyer?

Attention to

detail

Commercial

awareness

Team work Self-motivation

and initiative

Communicati

on

Ability to

organise and

prioritise

Research and

analysis

Interpersonal

skills

Problem

solving

20/04/2016

13

Why choose a career in law?

• Intellectually stimulating and challenging

• Variety of practice areas

• Job satisfaction

• Career progression

• Financially rewarding

Different types of legal employer

Magic &

Silver

Circle

Global &

US Firms

National

Firms

Commercial

Firms

Regional

Firms Local

Firms

Legal

Aid/Crime

Alternative

Business

Structures

Top 100 Top 500 In-house

Public

Sector

(CPS/GLS)

20/04/2016

14

2

1 Core modules – September to February

• Introduction to Professional Practice

• Business Law and Practice

• Dispute Resolution

• Real Estate

Elective modules – April to June

• Choose three from a wide choice

LPC -What You Study

LPC Electives

• Advanced Real Estate

• Competition Law

• Commercial Law

• Commercial Dispute

Resolution

• Debt Finance

• Intellectual Property

• Mergers &

Acquisitions

• Advanced Criminal

• Employment Law

• Family

• Immigration

• Personal Injury &

Clinical Negligence

• Private Client

• Public Companies

20/04/2016

15

Free Masters degree with two of the options:

• MSc in Law, Business & Management

• LPC LLM in Professional Legal Practice

LPC with Masters’ Award

2

1

2

3

4 New modular courses - Choice of 3 options

Embedded business skills

Client-focused LPC that develops your

professional skills

Applying for a Place

• Full-time (FT) courses apply online through:

lawcabs.ac.uk

• Part-time (PT) courses apply through the

University: law.ac.uk

20/04/2016

16

Fees and Funding Options

• Metro Bank Professional

Development Loan

• Other Graduate Loans

• Instalment and direct

debit options

• dies Loan

• Professional and Careers

Development Loan

• Other Graduate Loans

• Instalment and direct

debit options

Fees and Funding Options – loans and instalment plans

• Professional Studies Loan – tied in to

your LPC provider, e.g. Metro Bank

• Professional and Careers Development

Loan

• Other Graduate Loans

• Instalment and direct debit options

20/04/2016

17

Fees and Funding Options Scholarships and Bursaries

• The Profession and training providers are committed to

widening participation to those wishing to study law.

• University of Law offer a comprehensive range of

scholarships and law bursary schemes.

• September 2016 scholarships and bursaries are now live

on the website

• Register your interest by emailing

scholarships@law.ac.uk.

20/04/2016

18

Application process – Learn what recruiters

are looking for from candidates and how to

make your applications stand out

Mel Brooking, graduate recruitment and trainee

development manager, Nabarro LLP

Preparing students for entry to the solicitors’ profession

Mel Brooking, Graduate Recruitment Manager Nabarro LLP

20/04/2016

19

Presentation outline

• Before you start

• Making applications

• The questions

• Final Hints and Tips

Before you start… • Law Fairs

• University Careers Service

• Firm Publications

• Firm Websites

• Other publications

• Plan ahead – give yourself time

• Quality over quantity

20/04/2016

20

Making applications

• Each application form is unique

• Answer all parts of the question

• Make the most of every question

• Brainstorm experience and skills

• Take time and care & proof-read

before sending

Clarity Matters

• Think about the skills a law firm might be looking for : problem

solving ability, team working, motivation & drive, initiative,

business acumen, creativity, analytical skills, entrepreneurial

skills, genuine interest in legal career, attention to detail, written

skills

• Most importantly in our case, clarity; don’t lose sight of the

question you are being asked!

• Buzz words: budgeted, negotiated, achieved, co-ordinated,

initiated, organised, recommended, exceeded, assessed,

reviewed, increased.

20/04/2016

21

Getting the basics right

• Education– GCSE’s

– A-Levels

– Degree – undergraduate/postgraduate

• Relevant work experience/Volunteer work

• Interests

• Languages

• References

Open questions

• Be detailed… but don’t waffle

• Make reference to the research you have completed

• Competency based questions can be a S.T.R.O.L.L

• Use buzz words wisely

20/04/2016

22

Common mistakes

• Not answering the question

• Poor spelling, grammar and punctuation

• Cut and paste errors which still show another law firm’s name

• Poor research

• Not enough information

Final hints & tips

• Three main areas being looked at:

– Academic Performance

– Work experience

– Activities and Interests

• Don’t make multiple, general applications

• Take breaks – This way you are more likely to spot mistakes

• Check your grammar and spelling. Get someone else to read your application before submitting

• Make yourself stand out

• Don’t miss the deadline

20/04/2016

23

Selection process - Interviews and

assessment centres

Julia Sadler, editor, TARGETjobs Law, TARGETjobs

Law Vacation Schemes and Mini-pupillages, and

targetjobslaw.co.uk

Types of law interview

• Phone interviews

• Video interviews

• One-to-one interviews, with HR or partner

• Panel interviews

• ‘Article’ interviews

20/04/2016

24

Interview preparation tips

• Practise! Sign up for a mock interview at your careers

service if you have access. Get honest feedback

• Find out the format of the interview from the firm or

from websites such as targetjobslaw.co.uk

• Be up to date with current affairs

• Read business pages regularly – what is this law firm’s

perspective?

• Remember: there is no substitute for research.

Research the firm and your interviewers

Types of law interview questions

• Broadly speaking, interviewers use questions to test

three things in a candidate: motivation; commercial

awareness; and skills and competencies

• Read TARGETjobs Inside Buzz reports to research the

types of questions individual law firms have used:

– ‘I was asked to describe what route the firm should take

in the future.’ Norton Rose Fulbright trainee

– ‘I was asked why do you want to be a lawyer instead of

an investment banker if you like the idea of working on

big transactions?’ Shearman & Sterling LLP trainee

20/04/2016

25

Motivation questions

• ‘Why law?’, ‘Why this firm?’, ‘Why this type of work?’

• Legal work experience suits motivation questions (as

opposed to skills questions)

• Work experience is useful for ruling out a career path

as well as ruling it in: mini-pupillages, internships

• ‘Bags of motivation for a career in law and a good 2.1

gets an offer from us’ Elizabeth Cope, Freshfields

Bruckhaus Deringer

Commercial awareness questions

• Use your research: talk about any of the firm’s cases

that have caught your eye recently and why they

appeal to you

• In preparation, read about deals that genuinely interest

you: a football club’s administration or the merger of

two retail giants

• Take Jessica Booker’s advice in the Demystifying

Commercial Awareness session this afternoon

20/04/2016

26

Competency-based questions

• On a big piece of paper, list the competencies the firm

is looking for and match them to your experience

• If the firm doesn’t list its competencies, list the skills

lawyers need

• Use the ‘BACK’ model:

– Explain the background (set the scene and your role)

– List the actions you took

– Describe the consequences of your actions

– Reflect on the knowledge you’ve gained as a result

Why ask questions?

• To show you’re prepared, enthusiastic and interested

• To find out more information not available elsewhere

• Use them to further show your research and interest –

in a deal, a sector or an area of law

• Find out who will be interviewing you and pitch your

questions appropriately

• Advice from Hogan Lovells: ‘If in doubt, ask the

partners about themselves… how they got into their

area of law, their client base, the type of work they do

and what they enjoy about being at the firm.’

20/04/2016

27

Assessment centres

• They provide an environment to test whether you and

others have the skills to be a solicitor at that firm

• Communication, teamwork, problem-solving, time

management, critical thinking, commercial awareness

and leadership are assessed through activities

like group exercises, presentations, case

studies and e-tray exercises

• Group exercises:

– Practical exercises test your interpersonal and teamwork

skills more than knowledge

Assessment centres: group exercises

• Group exercises cont’d:

– Role play: tests technical skills as well as

teamwork/commercial awareness

– Discussion-based exercise: tests communication, critical

thinking, working to deadlines

• Don’t feel under pressure to be the leader – think of

other roles, eg timekeeper

20/04/2016

28

Assessment centres: presentations

• Think of your audience and set the right tone

• Be organised with your allocated time

• Tell the audience what you are going to cover

• Be clear, don’t rush. Speak with conviction

• Address the whole room

Assessment centres: how to prepare

• Remember: the aim of assessment centres is to see how

you cope with the unfamiliar

• Research the firm and get a feel for the type of

decisions it has to make and the clients it deals with

• Sign up for practice sessions at your careers service

• Read the TARGETjobs Inside Buzz reports to see what

current trainees have to say about assessment centres

• Wear a watch!

20/04/2016

29

Help is at hand!

• Read the advice and FAQs on law firms’ websites

• Use TARGETjobs Law pages 31 to 33 for interviews and

assessment centre advice and tips from recruiters

• Read our advice on targetjobslaw.co.uk

• Sign up to other workshops and events…

• … add this event to your CV or application

• Follow @TjobsLaw on Twitter for timely tips

• Any questions?

Tips for boosting your commercial

awareness

Jessica Booker, principal consultant, Star Potential

20/04/2016

30

What is commercial awareness?

An interest in the

commercial world

Knowledge of

commercial matters Analytical skills

3 2

1

4

What commercial awareness is

• Awareness of events in the business world

• Awareness of other current affairs

• Some understanding how companies work

• Seeing things from varying perspectives

• An ability to see well beyond the facts and make

pertinent observations

• A sense that the interest is genuine rather than it being

forced

20/04/2016

31

What commercial awareness isn’t

• Knowing lots of jargon

• Reading the news a day before an interview

• Quoting deals or client work from a firm’s website

• Making sweeping statements about the economy or political landscape

General commercial awareness

• Read regularly, follow stories

• Research firm’s work and form an opinion

• Business games / workshops

• Portfolios / shadow trading

• If you don’t understand something you read about –

look it up or ask someone to explain

20/04/2016

32

General commercial awareness (2)

• Be prepared to discuss your thoughts and opinions on

issues

– Why has the situation arisen?

– What are the causes?

– Who are the main players?

– What are the implications of the situation?

– What would you do to turn the situation around?

Using your own experiences (1)

• Work experience outside of the legal sector

• Vacation placements and other work experience

• Society / club roles

• Voluntary or charitable work

• As a consumer

20/04/2016

33

Using your own experiences (2)

Think about these questions…

• How is the company/organisation structured?

• What are the main products / services on offer?

• Who are the main competitors?

• How do they differentiate themselves in the market?

• Who are the target audience / clients?

• Strengths / weaknesses?

• What changes would you make if you were in charge?

Employers… they’re a business too!

• Visit their website

• Recent news / deals

• Trends in the market place / industry

• Issues facing the organisation

• Employers want to know you have thought about their

business and how it works

• Often links into your career motivation – why are you

applying?

20/04/2016

34

How to stand out

Pick examples in applications and interviews that have as

many of the following factors as possible:

1. Aligned to your interests

2. Aligned to the firm’s interests

3. Are specific

4. Are affected by the current economic or political

landscape

5. Has had recent developments

Summary

• It is never too late to develop your CA

• Follow news stories that you are interested in

• Research potential employers

• Think about your experiences and what you have learned

• Don’t panic – a lot of this is common sense

• Technical knowledge will be learnt through the LPC and

on the job training

• Demonstrate your enthusiasm and want to learn more