Reed Smith Open Day Feedback

[wrpark]

Hey all,

I'm relatively new to corporate law as a whole and I wanted to find out more about a couple firms through going to their Open Days. I recently submitted an Open Day application to Reed Smith only to get rejected, and therefore I'm left confused about how an Open Day application should look like. I couldn't find successful Open Day application examples so I ended up structuring mine modelled after Vacation Scheme application answers, which might have been the problem. I thought Open Days were for those with little to no legal experience, which is what I am, so it'll be helpful if anyone can provide any feedback or insight as to my answer didn't work. Thanks!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hey all,

I'm relatively new to corporate law as a whole and I wanted to find out more about a couple firms through going to their Open Days. I recently submitted an Open Day application to Reed Smith only to get rejected, and therefore I'm left confused about how an Open Day application should look like. I couldn't find successful Open Day application examples so I ended up structuring mine modelled after Vacation Scheme application answers, which might have been the problem. I thought Open Days were for those with little to no legal experience, which is what I am, so it'll be helpful if anyone can provide any feedback or insight as to my answer didn't work. Thanks!

Hi @wrpark !

Thank you for sharing, and I completely understand your confusion. Open day applications can feel a bit unclear, especially when you are new to applying and haven’t encountered a lot of them. Open days tend to be very competitive as well, as there are often very limited spaces and a lot of applications!

You’re absolutely right to say that Open Days are designed to be accessible to those who have little to no legal experience, and experience isn’t expected at all.

The key difference between Vacation Scheme applications and Open Days applications is that the latter is less about showing your suitability for the firm and more about showing why you’re interested in that firm, and what you hope to gain from attending.

Firms want to see that you’ve thought about what they offer (i.e. practice areas, culture, recent work, USPs) and that you have specific questions or elements that you are curious to learn more about.

Therefore, instead of focusing on your career aspirations or your previous experiences, I would frame your answer around what you’re hoping to take away from the day - advice from trainees, insight into the firm’s work, exposure to the environment and culture, etc. This should be the main bulk of your answer

Don’t be disheartened - as I mentioned, Open Days are extremely competitive, and you’re clearly approaching it thoughtfully and remaining open to feedback. You got this!