Ask A Graduate Recruiter Anything!

[Brandon93]

Hi Jessica, on law firms' application forms where they ask if you ever had to do a resit. Is this in general or just at university? Thanks in advance.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica, on law firms' application forms where they ask if you ever had to do a resit. Is this in general or just at university? Thanks in advance.

Any academic resit should be covered.

 

[Brandon93]

Any academic resit should be covered.

Thank you

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Hello @Jessica Booker hope you are doing well. How many pointers do you think should suffice for the question "What do you think is the role of a trainee?" Also, the role has great variation from doing DD to representing the firm at Employer Presentations for different universities, so what is it that we should talk about in our answer to the question? I'm obviously aware that legal work is going to make up 99.9% of the role but should we still talk about these extra-curriculars that we get to do as a trainee?

Thanks

Hello @Jessica Booker I'm sorry but I think you've missed this. Would be great if you could please answer this.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hello @Jessica Booker I'm sorry but I think you've missed this. Would be great if you could please answer this.

There isn’t really an set number of points, but focus on what the day job is. That isn’t really going to employer events in all honesty - that’s just an extra responsibility that staff can get involved in, just like they can get involved in CSR activities, pro Bono or even things like charity fundraising events.

Just focus on what a trainee is paid to do and think about why people will utilise trainees rather than qualified lawyers or even paralegals.

Think more about a value that the trainee brings to a firm rather than just processes they are responsible for completing.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Hello @Jessica Booker hope you are doing well. Could you please tell me, is it okay to not talk about a firm’s international approach? It really doesn’t bother me if the firm operates as a global one-stop shop or it concentrates in a few key strategic markets or whether or not the firm has a global brand or not?
Basically, does skipping the above details make it look like I’m not bothered about the global nature of the work? Or is the interest in multi-jurisdictional work, different from the interest in international strategies?

Thanks.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hello @Jessica Booker hope you are doing well. Could you please tell me, is it okay to not talk about a firm’s international approach? It really doesn’t bother me if the firm operates as a global one-stop shop or it concentrates in a few key strategic markets or whether or not the firm has a global brand or not?
Basically, does skipping the above details make it look like I’m not bothered about the global nature of the work? Or is the interest in multi-jurisdictional work, different from the interest in international strategies?

Thanks.

Not an issue at all if it is not important to you.

An interest in international work would be separate from the firm’s international strategy in a lot of instances.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Not an issue at all if it is not important to you.

An interest in international work would be separate from the firm’s international strategy in a lot of instances.

Thanks a lot for the clarification.

 

[futuretraineesolicitor]

Hello @Jessica Booker hope you are doing well. Could you please tell me, how does the Grad Rec view work experiences that were done with a family member/friend for example being a waiter in your uncle's restaurant? Surely this experience would've been easy to procure and it could also happen that your uncle didn't really make you work as hard as the other staff members and was lenient on you etc. Also, who knows, you might not have even worked there but your uncle could still lie on your behalf? Basically, does it look bad?

Thanks.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hello @Jessica Booker hope you are doing well. Could you please tell me, how does the Grad Rec view work experiences that were done with a family member/friend for example being a waiter in your uncle's restaurant? Surely this experience would've been easy to procure and it could also happen that your uncle didn't really make you work as hard as the other staff members and was lenient on you etc. Also, who knows, you might not have even worked there but your uncle could still lie on your behalf? Basically, does it look bad?

Thanks.

It doesn't look bad - working in a family business is exceptionally common.

I think it would be pretty presumptuous to assume people got an easier ride in a family job. It can often be the opposite!

Yes, someone could lie on your behalf when it came to references, but the same could be said for many references given from anyone you know and who likes you. It's a small risk for law firms though, especially when multiple references will be sought and not all of them will be from friends/family.

 

[michal98]

Hello @Jessica Booker! Hope you are doing well.

I was wondering whether it is necessary to provide the breakdown of all academic results in the CV for S&M, if I am including them in the "Education" part of the application anyways. Thanks.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hello @Jessica Booker! Hope you are doing well.

I was wondering whether it is necessary to provide the breakdown of all academic results in the CV for S&M, if I am including them in the "Education" part of the application anyways. Thanks.

Not necessary to include a breakdown if it’s being included elsewhere, but I might try to keep any highlights in (eg any particularly strong module results/electives related to the firm’s type of work).

 

[LL]

Hi @Jessica Booker. Do law firms expect you to take commercial law modules at postgraduate level? Or is it not something that is usually taken into consideration? Thanks.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker. Do law firms expect you to take commercial law modules at postgraduate level? Or is it not something that is usually taken into consideration? Thanks.

It’s not an expectation as such. Firms recruit non-law grads with no commercial law modules, and so it isn’t a necessity to have them. They don’t require postgraduate study either (obviously excluding the LPC/GDL - but even those aren’t needed for much longer) so even a PG course isn’t a necessity.

However, studying a commercial course/modules can potentially show your interest and pursuit of the topic. If your profile has very little exposure to commercial law, studying those types of subjects can potentially help to demonstrate your interest.

 

[LL]

It’s not an expectation as such. Firms recruit non-law grads with no commercial law modules, and so it isn’t a necessity to have them. They don’t require postgraduate study either (obviously excluding the LPC/GDL - but even those aren’t needed for much longer) so even a PG course isn’t a necessity.

However, studying a commercial course/modules can potentially show your interest and pursuit of the topic. If your profile has very little exposure to commercial law, studying those types of subjects can potentially help to demonstrate your interest.

Thank you.

I have taken a few commercial law modules during my undergraduate, but I would like to use my postgraduate as an opportunity to explore some areas of law that I never had the opportunity to study (environmental law, human rights law etc).

So am I correct in saying that commercial modules might help an application in certain situations, but a lack of commercial modules would not necessarily harm an application?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you.

I have taken a few commercial law modules during my undergraduate, but I would like to use my postgraduate as an opportunity to explore some areas of law that I never had the opportunity to study (environmental law, human rights law etc).

So am I correct in saying that commercial modules might help an application in certain situations, but a lack of commercial modules would not necessarily harm an application?

Exactly.

Really is dependent on the rest of your profile and how it fits in though.

 

[Dwight]

Hi @Jessica Booker,

I hope this message finds you well.

I intend to apply to A&O this application cycle, but I am torn between the summer vs and the direct TC route.

My motivations to apply to the VS: (1) I have had very little contact with A&O (done a society event a long time ago and that's pretty much it) so I am worried grad will think I have no interest in the firm if I apply for the TC

My motivations to apply via the direct TC route: (1) already have prior scheme experience (VS and insight) (2) faster process - would be great to have a TC signed by March next year rather than summer.

In essence, the deciding reason for me is my little contact with the firm - I don't think grad rec have an idea who I am whereas they will know students from A&O first and other initiatives.

Therefore, shall I just apply for the summer vs?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker,

I hope this message finds you well.

I intend to apply to A&O this application cycle, but I am torn between the summer vs and the direct TC route.

My motivations to apply to the VS: (1) I have had very little contact with A&O (done a society event a long time ago and that's pretty much it) so I am worried grad will think I have no interest in the firm if I apply for the TC

My motivations to apply via the direct TC route: (1) already have prior scheme experience (VS and insight) (2) faster process - would be great to have a TC signed by March next year rather than summer.

In essence, the deciding reason for me is my little contact with the firm - I don't think grad rec have an idea who I am whereas they will know students from A&O first and other initiatives.

Therefore, shall I just apply for the summer vs?

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here - you have to weigh up what works best for you.

Enough people will secure a TC without a clear connection/experience with the firm though.

Wouldn't the winter scheme give you an opportunity to secure a TC earlier though?

 

[Dwight]

I don't think there is a right or wrong answer here - you have to weigh up what works best for you.

Enough people will secure a TC without a clear connection/experience with the firm though.

Wouldn't the winter scheme give you an opportunity to secure a TC earlier though?

The winter scheme deadline is in 10 days, basically 9 since it's night time now. Therefore I am too late - they have already started offering ACs and rejections. I also haven't started drafting my app for them.

 

[Jessica Booker]

The winter scheme deadline is in 10 days, basically 9 since it's night time now. Therefore I am too late - they have already started offering ACs and rejections.

I don't think you are too late. I'll bet they haven't received half of their applications yet.