Pillars of the Application Process

[rn7]

Hello everyone!

Rather than thinking of any one employer in particular, I've been reflecting on what it is graduate recruiters want to see on applications generally. I feel there are a few main points to satisfy. Obviously, there are various degrees to which it is necessary to satisfy them, depending on the firm (I imagine a firm like Latham & Watkins will set a higher bar than a regional one).

Therefore, by way of discussion, the general idea I'm getting is that there are three main 'pillars' to the application process. Do feel free to correct me on this, as I'm far from experienced... this is just what I've glued together from my own applications and the experiences of friends who are further along than me:

1) Meet the academic requirements. Every single firm whose A-level requirements I did not meet rejected me. I had hoped that the shortcoming would be discounted based on the strength of the application in other areas, but that is seemingly not how it works. Competition is brutal and exceptions look to be non-existent. I imagine the absolute same goes for university grades. Avoid having below 2:1 in any module.

2) Have a solid (legal) CV. After academia, I imagine the next point grad recruitment scrutinizes is the work experience. If you have legal/commercial internships, your application will receive a massive buff. If you've only worked in retail for the past year and done nothing more specific (or transferable) to law, I can see how it wouldn't exactly be a competitive application.

3) Have the professional and personal aptitude necessary. This is mostly tested at ACs and face-to-face interviews. The job is challenging and not everyone has it in them to succeed. An applicant needs to have a solid commercial and legal knowledge base, and have a fair idea of the demands placed on the business a law firm conducts. Further, innate people skills, true motivation and interest in the field, and simple likability go a long way.

In my case, my ABB grades have limited my options, but you play the hand you're dealt.
As for the CV, I've worked extensively in administrative/receptionist positions. While helpful, I do think my CV could use some diversification - a point I'm working on at the moment with various placements.

I'm curious as to which of the above problems other users have experienced, and how they've worked on them. Feel free to share!

 

[Abstruser]

Another really important 'pillar' that I thought graduate recruiters looked for was real motivation to join that specific firm! Motivation could be evidenced by thorough research in your application form, or just by interacting with the firm as much as possible (open days, law fairs, campus events etc). Lack of firm-specific motivation has been a stumbling block for me before, in one of my earliest ACs.

 

[Jaysen]

I agree with all of the above. You did allude to this, but I'd also add that you need to clearly demonstrate your motivation for commercial law. If you do this well, you can somewhat make up for limited commercial/legal work experiences, especially if you are applying for a vacation scheme. You can also back up your points with open days/firm events you have been to. By contrast, if your motivation for commercial law isn't clear, few firms will give you the benefit of the doubt.

 

[rn7]

Absolutely. In the first interview I bombed (at BCLP), the grad recruitment person giving feedback told me my motivations were unconvincing.
I suppose it's important to not only have the right type of drive, but also be able to clearly express it to the interviewer.

In my case, my interest for commerce generally started out around my parents' businesses (both small-time entrepreneurs facing legal issues). However, over the last year (and partly due to reading certain books related to these areas), I've found finance and investment funds to be areas of particular interest.
I'm currently educating myself further, but it's easy to imagine how this sort of 'interest' could be disregarded by an assessor, as it isn't derived from personal work experience or placements (i.e. I haven't been exposed to it). I'm unsure how to better present it, which is perhaps why it has been doubted before.

 

[Alice G]

What I would say is that I don't entirely agree with the second pillar. Though an application may be buoyed by having legal experience to show your commitment, I do not think that lacking it is a hindrance at all. Everyone has to start somewhere in their legal journey and recruiters appreciate that. What you DO need to do, however, is to discuss your other work experience examples in a way that makes them relevant to the law and formulate your own personal narrative as to why you are now pursuing law. I had editorial work and I also worked for a start-up doing their operations and finance - none of which are directly related to law. What I do though is discuss how I have always wanted to pursue a career that is centred around analysis and the written word but that I was disillusioned by the lack of client contact and relationship management in editorial work. I also discuss how I had very early responsibility at the start up which has made me keen to learn more about US firms because of their typically less structured training program. Regardless of your experience, you need to apply it to the law and allow for it to make up your narrative in order to capitalise on those experiences and to really impress people on apps and at interview.

What I would suggest if you apply for next year is to go to every event and open day that you can to prove your commitment - that is all I had to do this cycle and to get to the AC stages at a few firms. If you do this and really nail how to leverage your past experience I think you will be on to a winner.

 

[PHT]

What I would suggest if you apply for next year is to go to every event and open day that you can to prove your commitment - that is all I had to do this cycle and to get to the AC stages at a few firms. If you do this and really nail how to leverage your past experience I think you will be on to a winner.

Couldn’t agree with this more. I’ve found going to open days and legal cheek events so so useful. As Alice says, not only does it show a commitment to the firm and a career in law, but it’s pretty much a free ticket (with lunch and drinks) to ask questions and gain as much information as you want to use for your application. Personally, when you answer ‘why this firm’ and you want to talk about the culture, an open day/event really helps to substantiate the point and show that you’ve had that first hand experience that not everybody else is going to have. They also really helped me to develop a ‘passion’ and a genuine interest in the firm.