Why commercial law, and why this law firm – these two questions will always come up at some point in your training contract applications, whether it’s on the application form itself or at an assessment centre/interview.
So being able to convincingly tell your audience why you want to be a commercial lawyer, and how you can prove you find the firm’s differentiators attractive, should be a key focus throughout your training contract applications!
Answering “Why commercial law?”
This is one of the simplest questions you will be asked – and yet answering it articulately can be so difficult! Authenticity is key. Tell the reader the story of how your interest in commercial law developed.
Don’t: Simply state interesting facets of a legal career – “challenging work”; “pre-eminent clients”; “deals which make the news.”
These can apply to many fields – not just law.
Do: Dig deep and prepare personal responses which give an insight into you and your life.
Try this structure for your answer:
- What first sparked your interest in commercial law?
- How did you explore this further?
- What was it that you enjoyed about these encounters?
- How have you continued to build on this, to show commitment?
Answering “Why this firm?”
Whereas your answer to “why law” should feel innate and obvious, this one is going to require extensive research! (Hopefully my law firm research guide is a useful starting point.)
Once you’ve identified the type of firm you’re interested in, it can sometimes feel difficult to differentiate (seemingly) very similar firms from each other.
To do so, and to respond to this question well in general, you will need to speak with people from the firm. Apply for Open Days/Insight Schemes or attend networking events and law fairs. If those aren’t possible/you’re not successful, you can always reach out to trainees on LinkedIn!
I then used these four “pillars” or aspects of the firm, in structuring my response:
- The work
- The people
- Strategic considerations
- Causes I care about
The work
Identify the firm’s core practice areas (using Chambers), and key clients (by asking the people you speak to and keeping an eye on the legal press).
My reasons: I identified that my firm has a strong sector approach and dominates in one key area. This appealed to me as it provides workflow, regardless of practice area. It is also a sector I have a strong interest in. My firm has high profile private and public clients, and I wanted a mix of both in my practice.
The culture
How do the people you speak with talk of the firm? How large is the firm and how many trainees are there?
My reasons: My firm is large but has a moderate trainee intake, which I wanted – enough so you’re not alone in a seat, but not so many you’re fighting for work and don’t get much responsibility. Everyone I met from my firm was also lovely and really down to earth, which is the vibe I wanted.
Strategic considerations
Show an understanding of the firm’s position in the market. For example, its geographies, how it is developing some practice areas and consolidating others, what it is successful at.
My reasons: My firm is international, but not at any cost; it doesn’t have offices everywhere. It focuses on doing what it does, well, in select locations. As mentioned, it is the market-leader in a key sector. It knows this and plays to this strength.
Causes I care about
This will obviously be very personal! Research the firm’s D&I initiatives, pro bono clients and CSR programmes.
My reasons: At the time, my firm was managed by a woman (she is now co-chair) which was really aspirational. My firm also makes a real effort in various D&I strands and is renowned for initiatives relating to recruiting black applicants and non-Russell group students.
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I hope these tips are useful for tacking these two questions in your training contract applications! You can find some more general tips on how to make your application form stand out here.