It can work as an intro (I have seen it work) but I have also seen it not work very well at the same time. Sometimes it can come across as you are just following your parent into the profession rather than truly wanting the career - that will really depend on how you talk about your motivations for the career though.
I would say use your intuition. The word count on most of these application questions/CLs is intentionally very low, so you have to immediately get to the point and only write relevant things. Always ask yourself, 'Does this convey to Grad Rec why, among other things, I'm sure I want to be a commercial lawyer and make me stand out from the hundreds of other applicants?'. I haven't personally applied to a single firm that asks that question, especially on the application; it's usually some variation of why commercial law, why you want to be a commercial lawyer, why you wish to work in the city, etc. I'm sure some firms might use why law on their app, in which case you can mention your very personal connection in the opening.
Hi thanks @Ram SabaratnamHi @elsx
You're absolutely right that this question is a bit unusually phrased. Having answered this for the A&P application myself, I’d say the key is to demonstrate how you’ve worked with others in more of a leadership or coordinating role. You'll want to focus on where you took responsibility for their contributions and ensured the overall success of the situation or project.
You could draw on examples from either your professional or personal life, but what matters is that you highlight how you ensured others were supported, motivated, and successful in delivering what was needed for a task. For instance, did you have to influence, persuade, or guide others to contribute effectively to a task or project? Were you responsible for motivating or energising a team, or perhaps finding ways to incentivise them to achieve a shared goal?
The focus should be on your proactive efforts to lead, support, or encourage others and how your contributions ensured the success of the task at hand. Hope that helps, and best of luck with your application!
Nope! I did mine 15th oct. I emailed them last week and they said they were still marking assessments
I'm sorry to hear. I completed the test on 5/11/24 and haven't heard back... that's odd
There is no right or wrong answer as to the ideal approach for this type of question, as it highly depends on the nature of your work experiences. However, I think in the majority of circumstances it is better to discuss 3 different skills rather than only 1 skill illustrated by a number of experiences.
Heya @V2002
I think @Andrei Radu @Amma Usman and @Jessica Booker would definitely have more to say here. But thought I'd add my two cents here. I think using the STAR method is a great idea for structuring your response. It can provide your answer with clarity and organisation, making it easier for the reader to follow how each experience helped you develop relevant skills.
That said, the key here isn’t just structure. It’s about depth and reflection. A common pitfall I see when applicants approach these questions is that they describe their skills in overly generic terms, like “This experience helped me develop my written communication skills” or “This experience improved my teamwork abilities.” These descriptions are a bit generic, and don’t offer enough detail or insight into how the experience shaped these skills.
For example, if you’re discussing written communication skills, try to be more specific. Did your role involve a variety of writing tasks that taught you how to adjust your tone and style for different audiences? Did you learn to organise information clearly and concisely for a professional document or email? By showing this level of reflection, you demonstrate not just the skill itself but also your awareness of its nuances.
Another example would be when describing your 'research skills'. Did you learn how to assess the credibility of different sources or distil key insights for a specific audience? Did you develop techniques to manage large volumes of information effectively? Highlighting these specifics will make your examples stand out and show how the experience you're discussing has prepared you for the responsibilities of a trainee solicitor.
Ultimately, this question is asking you to showcase how these experiences helped you grow, not just stating the skills themselves. Using the STAR method will help structure your answer, but again use some reflection to answer this question with appropriate depth. Best of luck with your applications!
This is really helpful and yes I agree with you as there is no right approach to this question. I was just worried that if I used a certain approach it might not answer the question correctly. But it is good to hear that there is no wrong way to answer this question.
I graduated in 2017. I also did a masters confused on what to do and trying to make myself more competitive - I don't think it helped that much just paid for another fancy title from a top university. I never had done a vac scheme prior to 2023 but had loads of work experience in other industries including consulting. I was so close to giving up but I got a TC at a silver circle firm in August - the end of the last cycle. It was going to be my last cycle before giving up - I literally got the TC 'last minute' because once September hit I would have not started the new cycle. I start my TC in March 2025 (so soon! I got very lucky) and I am currently working at the firm in another role until the TC starts . Long story short, don't give up, give it your all, it's not too late! I understand your frustration so you are not alone!
