Ask Reed Smith Anything! (2026-27)

[RikPalmer-ReedSmith]

Hi Rik,

Thanks for answering my previous question. Just another quick one - can we reference events we attended with the firm 1-2 application cycles ago in this application cycle? For example, I attended an AS Reed Smith Open Day and still remember the valuable insights from the day - so does referencing it now look bad? (The event was not referenced in an application anytime before)

Hi - Yes please do. There are events from years ago that I would still reference. As long as you show you have done other things since as well, thats fine.

 

[Hollie - Reed Smith]

Hi there I'm Oli, I have a couple questions

For the future future trainees, was there anything you learnt from meeting people at Reed Smith or attending an open day that you wouldn’t have found through online research and that helped confirm the firm was the right fit for you?

When reviewing open day applications, what are you hoping to understand about a candidate that might differ from what you would look for at the vacation scheme application?

Hi Oli, thanks for your question!
I think the most important thing that you can't necessarily find through online research is passion. When you have the chance to speak to people at Reed Smith about their work, their clear passion for their clients and subject areas translates quite clearly. This shows that the work is exciting, but that everyone is invested in their work and excited to come to work every day. I also think it was clear to see their passion about the firm itself and how much they enjoy working here. Both of these definitely confirmed that Reed Smith would be the right fit for me.

 

[ReedSmithBecca]

Hi @RikPalmer-ReedSmith, thank you for this opportunity. I attended the Legal Cheek Law Fair, and I really appreciated your insight on answering the Open Day application questions for Reed Smith.

My question today is about the eligibility of foreign-qualified lawyers to apply for training contracts at Reed Smith. Is the training contract open to foreign-qualified lawyers, especially given that I have not qualified in the United Kingdom and did not practice in any of the seats that I am now interested in at Reed Smith?

Hi, as outlined on our FAQs: "If you are qualified in a different jurisdiction, we may be able to accept an application from you, but this will depend on your experience level. Please contact [email protected] to confirm if you are eligible to apply."
So I'd recommend emailing us with some more details about your background and PQE level to allow us to confirm.

 

[RikPalmer-ReedSmith]

Good morning Rebecca and Rik!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to answer our questions. I am mostly interested in knowing more about how you assess the video interview stage. It's my third time applying and I want to make sure I can finally get to AC as Reed Smith has been in my top three for the last two cycles.

1. Strength-based questions: How much space should our experiences take in these answers? Would you expect just a brief mention of a time we faced a similar scenario as a way of backing up our reasoning or are we expected to give a detailed explanation of how we dealt with xyz?

2. Motivational questions: How much are we encouraged to speak about Reed Smith's culture compared to the type of work we would be expected to do and what we may learn at Reed Smith? I have found it hard to balance this as there's so much to talk about and I often felt I ran out of time.

Additionally, are we marked down if we reiterate something we put in our written application in our video interviews? A lot of it may overlap, would you say to hold off some points in either stage so it paints a bigger picture holistically or would you say it's fine to have some common themes?

And finally one for Hollie, how much support has the firm given you from the point of offer? Do you find that your knowledge of the firm has grown massively compared to when you were going through the application stage, and what is one thing you would do differently having more knowledge on the firm?

Hi there - good morning to you too

For most of the question my key piece of advice is going to be to only answer what we have asked. Keep this in your mind the whole time. For example, your first question. If you have previously spent the video talking about an experience but the core part of the question didn't ask for one, and it doesn't really answer it, this wouldn't score well.

Your second question - We need to see what motivates you to work your best. The balance would be specific to the question. The culture and support might help you work harder and happier, but what the end product and experience would be motivating for role passion . So I would mix it, and make a judgement based on the question wording

Don't worry about repeating from your written. Its good to share new things where possible, but at times the best answer might be something you used in your written, so go with that.

 

[NN9!!]

Hi, thank you for taking out your time today. I have 2 questions please.

1) how important are a level grades?

2) for the work experience section, how many words should we aim to write for each section? Should we also link each experience back to the firm/ law?

Thank you!!

 

[Hollie - Reed Smith]

Good morning Rebecca and Rik!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to answer our questions. I am mostly interested in knowing more about how you assess the video interview stage. It's my third time applying and I want to make sure I can finally get to AC as Reed Smith has been in my top three for the last two cycles.

1. Strength-based questions: How much space should our experiences take in these answers? Would you expect just a brief mention of a time we faced a similar scenario as a way of backing up our reasoning or are we expected to give a detailed explanation of how we dealt with xyz?

2. Motivational questions: How much are we encouraged to speak about Reed Smith's culture compared to the type of work we would be expected to do and what we may learn at Reed Smith? I have found it hard to balance this as there's so much to talk about and I often felt I ran out of time.

Additionally, are we marked down if we reiterate something we put in our written application in our video interviews? A lot of it may overlap, would you say to hold off some points in either stage so it paints a bigger picture holistically or would you say it's fine to have some common themes?

And finally one for Hollie, how much support has the firm given you from the point of offer? Do you find that your knowledge of the firm has grown massively compared to when you were going through the application stage, and what is one thing you would do differently having more knowledge on the firm?

Thanks for your question!
I do feel really supported by the firm and I feel as though they want the best from me and for me. Having a specific supervisor and point-of-contact for the PSQE Interns ensures that we feel we have someone to talk to if we need additional support or if we have any questions. The firm has also really encouraged us to bond as a cohort as we can rely on each other for support (especially with the SQE and forming study groups), which I believe will make all the difference once we start our training contracts.
My knowledge of the firm has certainly grown as I have had the chance to meet more people from the firm and ask about their practice areas. Being able to speak to trainees, associates, and partners has given me the opportunity to find out more about the kinds of matters I may eventually work on in my training contract depending on my seat choices. I've also picked up lots of legal business skills and some more expert or niche knowledge on certain areas just by having the chance to talk to people at the firm.
One thing I would do differently is broaden my horizons a bit more. I had researched the firm as a whole and completed some detailed research into an Industry Group that had initially attracted me to Reed Smith. However, since having the chance to speak to more people at the firm, there are other Industry Groups that interest me just as much that I would have never expected! I think it's important to have an open mind in the trainee process and, to an extent, the application process. I wish I had explored some of these areas more in my initial research as I could have written just as confidently and passionately about them.

 

[RikPalmer-ReedSmith]

Hi, I hope you’re all doing well! I had a question for current trainees. How often do you get to do work in the entertainment and media sector (e.g. in relation to film & TV, music, gaming, etc.)? And is this work more transactional-based, non-contentious, or a mix of both?

Hi there - We don't have any trainees on today but I can share. The work you receive would be department specific. So anyone sitting in Entertainment, or an adjacent dept such as corporate would be potentially working on this. Our team is a mix of both.

If your goal is to work predominantly on Entertainment deals or litigation you are more likely suited to a boutique firm that specialises in that. We would not be able to guarantee that practice work to trainees as we expect all trainees to have movement around the different practice areas

 

[AtarahCC]

Hi Rebecca and Rik,
Hope you're well.

I am an international applicant interested in applying to Reed Smith’s Vacation Scheme and wanted to ask whether there are any restrictions on applying. I have been qualified as a lawyer in another jurisdiction for about two years. Would this affect my eligibility for the scheme.

 

[Sooho]

Hi, I'm a first year at QMUL! I have a couple of questions.

1. I have virtually no work experience right now. How bad is this and how would I go about fixing it?

2. What does Reed Smith look for in a candidate that makes them stand out?

Thank you in advance!

 

[RikPalmer-ReedSmith]

What makes the firms training contract unique?
Would you describe the training processes as formal classroom based learning or is it more centred around learning by way of osmosis through being surrounded by excellent lawyers.
Thank you

Hi there - Lots of things we think make our TC unique to us. The access to our clients and work is a big pull. The things we receive recognition of are our secondments (having won the legal cheek award last year for this) and Pro-bono participation is always 100%.

With learning we want as much of this as possible to be hands on, so we give Trainees experience as much as possible. However, we have at the beginning of every seat vigorous training from our knowledge management lawyers. The great thing about this is that you could have a department you are passionate about and have commercial interest in but less technical knowledge that we can help you thrive in.

 

[Grace - Reed Smith]

Hi there I'm Oli, I have a couple questions

For the future future trainees, was there anything you learnt from meeting people at Reed Smith or attending an open day that you wouldn’t have found through online research and that helped confirm the firm was the right fit for you?

When reviewing open day applications, what are you hoping to understand about a candidate that might differ from what you would look for at the vacation scheme application?

Hi Oli,

For me, Reed Smith's culture was best felt through meeting people who worked at the firm and learning more about them as individuals. There was no singular moment that 'confirmed' it was the right fit, rather, it was through continued interactions with the firm from law fairs, to interviews then to my Vacation Scheme that made me realise Reed Smith was genuinely interested in my professional and personal growth (even before I was an employee of the firm). Given that a legal career will often be challenging, I realised I wanted to work for a firm which would support and nurture me through the challenging moments and my experiences with Reed Smith reflected such a workplace environment.

As for the Open Day application, we are looking for individuals who answer the question on what they hope to takeaway from the Open Day specifically as opposed to focusing your entire application solely on why you would like to train at Reed Smith. I appreciate there will be overlaps but always being able to bring your responses back to the Open Day itself will help you better target the question being asked.

Hope this helps!

 

[RikPalmer-ReedSmith]

Hi, I'm a first year at QMUL! I have a couple of questions.

1. I have virtually no work experience right now. How bad is this and how would I go about fixing it?

2. What does Reed Smith look for in a candidate that makes them stand out?

Thank you in advance!

Hey there - this is a great time for you to be figuring this out. Don't worry too much about work experience. For legal work experience you can use things like TCLA events, Firm open days etc. Actual legal work experiences isn't a requirement. Work experience I see referenced well is usual student roles with good transferable skills (My example at Uni would have been that I worked on a supermarket customer service desk). The main thing is to make sure your commercial awareness and understanding of the trainee role is good, which you don't need work experience to figure out. These are the things we look for.

 

[RikPalmer-ReedSmith]

Hi Rebecca and Rik,
Hope you're well.

I am an international applicant interested in applying to Reed Smith’s Vacation Scheme and wanted to ask whether there are any restrictions on applying. I have been qualified as a lawyer in another jurisdiction for about two years. Would this affect my eligibility for the scheme.

Hi there,

You would need to check your access to the profession with the SRA. If you have exemptions from the qualification route you might be not be eligible. If you are required to complete the full SQE and QWE then you are likely eligible. We will be able to determine this in your initial eligibility application

 

[Hollie - Reed Smith]

Hi there! Two questions for the trainees:
1. What made you choose Reed Smith? Was there any moment where you realised that this is where you want to train?
2. Would you have any advice on preparing for and performing well in the video interview? I have previously found it awkward meaning that I haven’t answered in the best way I can.

Thank you for taking the time to do this!

Hi - thanks for your question!

I chose Reed Smith for a number of reasons, but the ones that most stand out are the work on offer and the culture of the firm. From the firm website alone, it's clear that Reed Smith works on a range of exciting and complex matters, so I felt this would challenge me and my skillset. However, having the chance to talk to people at the firm showed me just how exciting some of this work can be and how passionate people are about their work at the firm. This suggested to me that the culture is one where people are excited to come to work each day, which was a decisive factor for me! I think getting to speak to people at the firm really helped me to make my decision about both applying and accepting an offer.
Video interviews can definitely feel a little awkward! I recommend just practising beforehand and trying to recreate the environment as best you can. Try filming yourself answering some questions to your camera and then you can rewatch to see where you can improve. I used to try to not look at myself on the screen and instead just look straight into the camera. Try and be as comfortable as possible as this will help calm any nerves too.

 

[RikPalmer-ReedSmith]

Hi, thank you for taking out your time today. I have 2 questions please.

1) how important are a level grades?

2) for the work experience section, how many words should we aim to write for each section? Should we also link each experience back to the firm/ law?

Thank you!!

Hi there,

These are not going to be considered if you meet the degree requirement. For work experience, these will be different lengths. Be concise and only talk about the relevant elements of the roles. Some will be longer because of this, always try to relate back to the role you are applying to

 

[NN9!!]

Thank you so much for your time today! And good luck to all other applicants too!

 

[RikPalmer-ReedSmith]

Hello everyone! Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. My question was what is the key difference between a good, a great, and an outstanding application? Once again, thank you for being here today!

Hi Henry - The application we are looking for is one that answers the question we have asked, not what it thinks we want to see. The things to focus on are research, commercial awareness and motivation for the role. We want to see that this application could only be made to us and not a copy and paste to another firm.

Something I tell people a lot is - If you answer an application question about why you want the job and don't know what to write. Step away for a bit, spend sometime listening to podcasts, reading blogs, attending events. After a while of doing this you will start to be excited about the prospect and the answers will come to you easier

 

[ReedSmithBecca]

@RikPalmer-ReedSmith @ReedSmithBecca

One more please! On our work experience section, would you say you like to see candidates speak more about impact compared to what they did on a given job?

I am a career changer from quite a technical background and I find it hard to communicate what my job is without eating up a lot of space explaining my role. Also would grouping be recommended in instances where the job has been the same but with a different company on fixed-term contracts?

Our process is skills focused, so we'd recommend briefly outlining what your role was, then the skills you gained and how they would translate to a Trainee role at RS.

 

[Winifred]

Hi, as outlined on our FAQs: "If you are qualified in a different jurisdiction, we may be able to accept an application from you, but this will depend on your experience level. Please contact [email protected] to confirm if you are eligible to apply."
So I'd recommend emailing us with some more details about your background and PQE level to allow us to confirm.

Thank you, Becca. This is duly noted. I'll send an email right away.

 

[PhoebeB]

Hi Rebecca and Rik,
Hope you're well.

I attended Reed Smith’s London Open Day in 2023 and am currently completing my application for the 2026 Open Day. Could you please confirm if reapplying after previous attendance might affect my application in any way?

Thank you very much!