Please find the final instalment of my Application Pitfalls thread! I have posted this last one a few days early in case it proves helpful over the final weekend of applications - please reach out with any questions 
JANUARY WEEK 4
Making unsubstantiated comments about a firm’s reputation
The firm has ‘top-quality work’ – in what way?
It works on ‘big-ticket deals’ – like what?
The firm has a ‘reputation for excellent training’ – in whose eyes?
Remember that you should always provide evidence to back up your claims, especially if they could otherwise come across as fawning. Providing evidence also shows that you have done your research about the firm and know what you are talking about. This could simply involve mentioning a report that outlines the excellence of the firm’s work in a certain practice area, or discussing a blockbuster deal where the firm took a leading role.
Failing to properly explain a competency
‘I managed multiple deadlines by working efficiently and prioritising my tasks’ – this is surely how everyone manages multiple deadlines? The reader wants to know how you specifically approached this and what ‘working efficiently’ and ‘prioritising’ meant for you.
Using the same word or phrase multiple times in close proximity
Often when you spend a long time editing your answers, you edit out certain words and phrases for words and phrases that you think are more appropriate in the context. In the process, you are unlikely to read through your entire answer again to double-check that the same words and phrases have not been used somewhere else where they are more appropriate in the context.
See what I did there? My repetition of ‘words and phrases’ and ‘more appropriate in the context’ strangely stick out because they are repeated in close proximity. It all just sounds…awkward 🤣
The same problem arises when you begin multiple consecutive sentences with the same word each time (e.g. ‘Furthermore’) – it can become rather enchanting (in a bad way)!
As a result, I recommend always reading over your answer when you are fresh so that you are not 'too close' to your application. This will help you uncover all the awkward phrasing that may have crept into your answer.
Not explaining a technical term or complex legal process
‘This decision confirmed the current legal approach to the same interest test’.
A legal test like this is something that a law student may assume everyone knows, but many non-litigation legal practitioners will not necessarily remember a specific point like this from their days as a student. Also remember that members of graduate recruitment have often not studied law themselves so if they are reading your application then it is better to err on the side of caution and explain any legal jargon that you want to use.
Providing an inadequate explanation of why a news story interests you
‘This news story interests me because it demonstrates the way in which laws of different jurisdictions interact’.
But why does that interest you? For example, are you a citizen of multiple countries who has been affected by the varying laws of different jurisdictions?
In order to explain how a news story interests you, you have to show that the contents of the story relates in some way to you, your experiences, background, interests or career aspirations. Doing this can feel somewhat contrived, but if you choose a story that genuinely piqued your interest then it is likely that you will be able to address these things.
It is important to consider the implications of the news story – will it have any effect on you personally? Will it revolutionise an area of law that you studied in depth? There has to be some sort of reason why you genuinely find the news story interesting that goes beyond simply stating that it interests you. Without this, your interest in the topic may seem insincere.
Worrying about including a tangible accolade when describing an achievement
I have touched on this in a previous post, but it is important to remember that an achievement can be anything that you have personally determined to be an achievement. It does not need to have a tangible prize or award attached to it in order for it to constitute an achievement.
The most important thing is being able to draw something from your achievement, so simply stating that your proudest achievement is winning a certain award and then moving on to something else is probably not the best approach.
If there is a tangible accolade that you received at the end of the achievement, then definitely feel free to mention it, but the more important component of your answer is your explanation of the challenge you faced and the journey towards the achievement. The achievement itself can be anything of value to you personally.
Notes from this week’s spelling/grammar errors
Colon vs Semi-colon
Many candidates seem to be getting these two punctuation marks mixed up. The general rule is that colons are used to introduce something following them, such as a quotation, example, or list. Semi-colons link two independent sentences or complete thoughts, indicating that the latter relates to the former. My example below includes both a semi-colon and colon as they ought to be used.
‘I am disappointed with my exam results; my percentages were as follows: 26, 34, 19 and 7’.
Judgment vs Judgement
In British English, ‘judgment’ refers to a decision by a judge in court, whilst ‘judgement’ refers to an individual’s decision-making capability, e.g. ‘she has good judgement’.
Singular or plural subject
‘The implication of the political developments, changes to business laws and generally volatile commercial landscapes arising from the pandemic are that there will be less stability going forward’.
The above sentence is grammatically incorrect. It is easy to see a lot of plural words and accidentally transpose these plural ideas into the verb of the sentence. The verb, however, should not be ‘are’ in this case but ‘is’, as it is governed by the singular word ‘implication’ at the start of the sentence.
