Personal Referee?

[6Demetris]

Hello! Within the Sidley Austin VS application, the referee section requires 1 academic referee and provides the option of providing another, either personal or professional referee. My question is, is the application stronger if you provide a second referee? Logic says yes. If that is so, what does personal referee mean? What are some examples? Is a university academic mentor an example or something much more personal is needed?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hello! Within the Sidley Austin VS application, the referee section requires 1 academic referee and provides the option of providing another, either personal or professional referee. My question is, is the application stronger if you provide a second referee? Logic says yes. If that is so, what does personal referee mean? What are some examples? Is a university academic mentor an example or something much more personal is needed?

Yes - definitely better to provide two referees. Everyone should have one academic and one “other” person they should be able to get a reference from.

Appropriate references:

Anyone you have worked for (professional reference) - could be legal work experience, other work experience, part-time work, volunteering work (literally any work experience)

Another personal referee:

1) someone in a “profession” who can verify your character
2) Anyone you have worked with who can’t provide a n employment reference for (maybe they have left the organisation since)
3) an old academic reference (eg sixth form tutor/head of sixth form)
4) less relevant but someone who held a position of responsibility in a club/society you worked in who can provide detail on your roles/responsibilities

 

[hashneevvora]

Hello Jessica,
I have a quick two quick questions:
1) Detail your extra-curricular activities and interests and positions of responsibility. Please state what you feel you have gained from them and how others have benefited from your involvement- What would you suggest the structure should.
2) In your view which personal qualities make a successful lawyer?- I am really confused about answering this question if you have any suggestions.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hello Jessica,
I have a quick two quick questions:
1) Detail your extra-curricular activities and interests and positions of responsibility. Please state what you feel you have gained from them and how others have benefited from your involvement- What would you suggest the structure should.
2) In your view which personal qualities make a successful lawyer?- I am really confused about answering this question if you have any suggestions.

1) no set structure - it really depends on the content you have. Just make sure there is some form of logical structure or flow to it

2) it is not a trick question. It really is as simple as you focusing on what qualities you think make a successful lawyer. Clever candidates tend to weave in (very succinctly) how they have demonstrated/developed those skills though

 

[6Demetris]

1) no set structure - it really depends on the content you have. Just make sure there is some form of logical structure or flow to it

2) it is not a trick question. It really is as simple as you focusing on what qualities you think make a successful lawyer. Clever candidates tend to weave in (very succinctly) how they have demonstrated/developed those skills though

Answering the second question in a way to include where I developed those skills feels forced and surely amounts to not answering the question at hand but rather answering a different one, i.e. what are the skills of a successful lawyer and do you possess such skills. Is such an understanding wrong?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Answering the second question in a way to include where I developed those skills feels forced and surely amounts to not answering the question at hand but rather answering a different one, i.e. what are the skills of a successful lawyer and do you possess such skills. Is such an understanding wrong?

You have to answer the question first. But if done super concisely and weaved into it, some candidates can cleverly show they have those skills. Other candidates show how they hope to develop those skills further in their career. It isn’t a necessity to do either of these in your answers though.

If the answer became predominately about your skills, then yes it wouldn’t answer the question.