TC questions

[S87]

Hi, I am currently applying for direct TCS and I have some questions.

1) How do you structure your answer to why you want to be a trainee solicitor at x fir. I would mention three points. I want to be a trainee solicitor at X firm for three reasons: practice area, type of training and diversity.

2) When you have to explain how a firm stays competitive, attract new clients without compromising its profitability, would you mention agile working?

Thank you very much

 

[Jaysen]

Hi, I am currently applying for direct TCS and I have some questions.

1) How do you structure your answer to why you want to be a trainee solicitor at x fir. I would mention three points. I want to be a trainee solicitor at X firm for three reasons: practice area, type of training and diversity.

2) When you have to explain how a firm stays competitive, attract new clients without compromising its profitability, would you mention agile working?

Thank you very much

There's no set structure to use but the one you mentioned sounds like a good one (if those are your genuine reasons for applying to that particular firm).

How do you think agile working helps in this situation?

 

[D.Cole]

For your first question, I wouldn’t *always* mention practice area, type of training and diversity as this depends on the firm - some firms are more all-rounders who don’t tend to specialise in one particular area and some firms aren’t really big on diversity (obviously all firms say they are, but there are only a few firms like Baker McKenzie, say, where diversity is their thing). I would always just try to find the things that make x firm different and mention those things, rather than having a set structure. For Slaughter and May, it might be practice area (corporate) and type of training (multi specialist). For DLA Piper, it might be international strategy. For a small US firm, it might be size. If you’ve met the firm, putting the name of the person you met and then talking about how you like their culture looks good too. Just a thought, hope it helps!

 

[Kelvin]

1)

I wouldn't focus too much on a particular practice area - after all, your exposure to the wide range of practice areas at this stage will be very little and it's best to keep an open mind (no one really knows which practice areas they'll enjoy and want to qualify into until they start their TC). However, there's nothing wrong with showing an interest in a particular practice area and relating that to the firm's expertise - this can be a good way for you to illustrate commercial awareness and an understanding of what the law firm does (by explaining why you are interested in that area and linking it to the firm, e.g. via a recent deal/award).

Type of training is quite common but can be a good one - especially if the firm is known for not pigeon-holing its trainees and having a small trainee intake (typically giving you the opportunity to gain more responsibility at an earlier stage within a more collegial atmosphere/culture). Make sure to be specific at every step and explain why that appeals to you.

Diversity can be an acceptable humanising add-on, but make sure you can relate it to your experiences and that it's something the firm actually cares about (and I wouldn't personally write as much about diversity as I would for the other reasons).

I also second what D.Cole wrote above - particularly about naming a specific person from the firm that you met at a networking event/careers fair etc.

2)

What do you mean by agile working? If you mean more flexible working conditions (working from home etc), I guess you could relate that to the firm's culture/emphasis of providing a happy working environment and thus improving the productivity of its lawyers (and thus the competitiveness of the firm).

I'd scour the firm's website and look for how they themselves sell themselves to potential clients, and try to find some recent initiatives the firm has taken (such as investment in AI or blockchain technologies etc) and link that to the firm investing in being able to provide a full-service and competitively-priced service to clients of the future etc.

(There is no necessarily wrong answer, as long as your points are logical, well-founded, relate to the firm specifically and are well-articulated and expounded upon then that will do.)