Application Question Help

[SH414]

Hey guys,

I'm currently doing an application and one of the questions is:

What are the biggest challenges facing the legal sector and how do you think Shakespeare Martineau should respond?

I was planning to talk about the coronavirus, and the challenges this poses in terms of creating economic uncertainty and how the firm can try to maintain profitability, adding value etc. I was also planning to talk about the practical impact of being forced to work from home, and the challenges that come with that - staying efficient, cybersecurity risks etc, but I wasn't sure what the firm can do to respond to that particular challenge apart from finding ways to stay connected with staff, and investing in education/protection for cybersecurity risks. I'm not really sure if that's the type of answer they're looking for though.

Any help would be appreciated

 

[Jessica Booker]

I would try to make this more specific about Corona virus (as it is too big a story to discuss in one answer in a question and in itself corona virus will raise many different issues) and also more client focused rather than staff.

 

[Alice G]

Hey guys,

I'm currently doing an application and one of the questions is:

What are the biggest challenges facing the legal sector and how do you think Shakespeare Martineau should respond?

I was planning to talk about the coronavirus, and the challenges this poses in terms of creating economic uncertainty and how the firm can try to maintain profitability, adding value etc. I was also planning to talk about the practical impact of being forced to work from home, and the challenges that come with that - staying efficient, cybersecurity risks etc, but I wasn't sure what the firm can do to respond to that particular challenge apart from finding ways to stay connected with staff, and investing in education/protection for cybersecurity risks. I'm not really sure if that's the type of answer they're looking for though.

Any help would be appreciated

I’d also add, whilst it might sound strange, big global issues, like Brexit too for example, can be very troublesome for businesses but they can also present work for law firms. When the markets are in a downturn, there can be an uptake in restructuring and insolvency. So you could talk about Coronavirus and the fact it has slowed markets but you could show some perspective and make your response memorable by offering this nuance.

I agree with Jessica though, it is a big topic. Try to look into regulations which might be a threat to law firms. You can also look at the firm’s strongest practice and pick something specific about that and discuss how this would be impactful. One thing I can think for competition is that the competition authorities are increasingly interventionist and it is causing huge issues for M&A activity and the viability of deals

 

[SH414]

I’d also be cautious because, whilst it might sound weird and issues like Covid-19 and Brexit can be very troublesome, they can also present work for law firms too. When the markets are in a downturn, there can be an uptake in restructuring and insolvency. So you could talk about Coronavirus and the fact it has slowed markets but you could show some perspective and make your response memorable by offering this nuance.

I agree with Jessica though, it is a big topic. Try to look into regulations which might be a threat to law firms. You can also look at the firm’s strongest practice and pick something specific about that and discuss how this would be impactful. One thing I can think for competition is that the competition authorities are increasingly interventionist and it is causing huge issues for M&A activity and the viability of deals

Thanks, thats really helpful

 

[SH414]

I’d also be cautious because, whilst it might sound weird and issues like Covid-19 and Brexit can be very troublesome, they can also present work for law firms too. When the markets are in a downturn, there can be an uptake in restructuring and insolvency. So you could talk about Coronavirus and the fact it has slowed markets but you could show some perspective and make your response memorable by offering this nuance.

I agree with Jessica though, it is a big topic. Try to look into regulations which might be a threat to law firms. You can also look at the firm’s strongest practice and pick something specific about that and discuss how this would be impactful. One thing I can think for competition is that the competition authorities are increasingly interventionist and it is causing huge issues for M&A activity and the viability of deals

Also, on a more general note, do you guys have any advice on tackling questions like this. I always feel like I'm being too broad, but I find it hard because it's asking about the sector as a whole

 

[Jessica Booker]

Also, on a more general note, do you guys have any advice on tackling questions like this. I always feel like I'm being too broad, but I find it hard because it's asking about the sector as a whole

The issue might be about the whole sector, but the second part of the question is very much focused on the firm.

 

[SH414]

I’d also add, whilst it might sound strange, big global issues, like Brexit too for example, can be very troublesome for businesses but they can also present work for law firms. When the markets are in a downturn, there can be an uptake in restructuring and insolvency. So you could talk about Coronavirus and the fact it has slowed markets but you could show some perspective and make your response memorable by offering this nuance.

I agree with Jessica though, it is a big topic. Try to look into regulations which might be a threat to law firms. You can also look at the firm’s strongest practice and pick something specific about that and discuss how this would be impactful. One thing I can think for competition is that the competition authorities are increasingly interventionist and it is causing huge issues for M&A activity and the viability of deals

Hi Alice,

Thanks for this, I took your advice and did some research into the competition issue and it has been really interesting. Just wanted to ask what might be a really stupid question, do you think I could talk about this on an application which asks for a specifically legal issue. I think it is 'legal' but I just wanted to check it was specific enough.

Thanks

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Alice,

Thanks for this, I took your advice and did some research into the competition issue and it has been really interesting. Just wanted to ask what might be a really stupid question, do you think I could talk about this on an application which asks for a specifically legal issue. I think it is 'legal' but I just wanted to check it was specific enough.

Thanks

Competition is definitely legal . If you are talking about competition regulations broadly again, it’s probably actually too big a topic for an application. However, could you talk about competition in a particular sector, or a particularly change in regulation that will make it easier/more difficult for clients to abide by competition regulation? If you are thinking about Covid-19 and competition law, try to be specific in what you see the impact being - use examples/cases.

(I am also assuming the firm has a good competition law practice area which takes trainees/NQs - if not, think about whether this is the right example for this firm).

 

[Alice G]

Hi Alice,

Thanks for this, I took your advice and did some research into the competition issue and it has been really interesting. Just wanted to ask what might be a really stupid question, do you think I could talk about this on an application which asks for a specifically legal issue. I think it is 'legal' but I just wanted to check it was specific enough.

Thanks

Agree with @Jessica Booker! Definitely a great subject area to discuss and even better if this had genuinely interested you. Do try to pick something more specific to allow you the words and scope to truly analyse it as opposed to making broad and sweeping statements