01 May 2022
The elusive training contract which many aspiring solicitors dream of attaining. One of the most popular routes is to do it through a vacation scheme. Some firms, such as Herbert Smith Freehills, only provide Training Contracts after completing the vacation scheme.
Law firms on average spend £500,000 to train their future potential trainees – paying for their further education and providing them with equipment. As this is a large investment for the firms, they are extremely meticulous when choosing their future trainees. Even though you have made it to the vacation scheme, it will not automatically guarantee you a training contract: one large mistake can place doubt on whether the firm would want to invest in you.
This article will present key considerations that will help you to put your best self forward, making the firm see you as a future lawyer they would like to invest in.
General advice
Your scheme will require you to do real client based work. Some firms such as White & Case will also have one assessed written exercise task. It is the first basic hurdle you will have to pass: do an adequate job of your tasks. Do not worry and think you will have to present partner level work! They understand that this is your first legal work experience and especially for non-law students would be accommodating in providing tasks that are easy to understand.
Rather than focussing on the answer, focus on your presentation. Ensure you stick to your deadlines and proofread multiple times before sending off work. Time-management and attention to detail are the two most important traits that would demonstrate you can become a capable lawyer in a fast-paced commercial law firm.
Your scheme will also most likely have a Training Contract interview. This will be your opportunity to showcase what you have learnt about the firm, as well as understand more about the type of work you would be involved in. The interview will be structured differently to your vacation scheme interview; it will heavily be based on what you have achieved during the scheme.
Further below there will be some tips that will help with your interview and things to keep in mind throughout the whole scheme. Your performance will be evaluated throughout the whole scheme and these tips will aid you in showing the firm that you are a capable candidate.
Recording and Understanding tasks
Every task you are presented with, record it. The tasks you will be presented with may seem simple (document review, proofreading a Share Purchase Agreement) but challenge yourself to read around the task and interact with people in the office to understand:
- The importance of the task for the client and for the firm;
- Why someone of your level would be doing this task as opposed to a partner; and
- The content of the task itself. If it is a Share Purchase Agreement, what is that? What commercial situations may lead to a client wanting to use it?
This will allow you to gain a deeper insight into the type of work the firm does and whether it is something you want to pursue long-term. From the firm’s perspective, this would demonstrate enthusiasm and motivation to be engaged in the profession and a solid knowledge base of your tasks will help you in the final interview.
Make connections in the firm
During your scheme you will most likely have a supervisor and a trainee buddy. Of course, you will get to know them through introductory discussions, but do not let that be the end of it. Make an effort to meet other people in your team and also reach out to any individuals from practice areas you are interested in. Lawyers love nothing more than to speak about their area of expertise. Speaking with others will also allow you to gain a better understanding of the firm and its culture, enabling you to see whether you’ll be a good fit. From the firm’s perspective it demonstrates your proactiveness and suitability to work in the firm.
Complex commercial matters can sometimes require extensive effort -and your superiors are on the lookout for individuals they would not mind spending those late nights with.
Even if your scheme is virtual, you can still make meaningful connections by setting up regular virtual coffee catch-ups. As a tip, find out if your firm has a particular calendar system giving you access to the schedules of all of the lawyers at the firm. This would allow you to see when they are free and suggest meeting times that fit their schedule as opposed to choosing a time blindly. This is good practice for the type of work you would do as a trainee (organising meetings ) and it shows that you can work efficiently.
Organisation
As mentioned, on top of your work and virtual coffees, you will also have many events specific to your vacation scheme. Therefore, it is crucial for you to maintain a balance between these. Being late to an event would be one of the quickest ways to show a lack of professionalism.
If a particular event clashes with a work meeting or a virtual coffee with a partner, do not assume that the graduate recruitment are aware of this. If you think two of your matters would clash, make them aware that you may be 5-10 minutes late: clear communication will be greatly appreciated.
Conclusion
Whilst this is a crucial time in your career , do enjoy it as much as possible! You have worked extremely hard to get into a competitive vacation scheme, so the firm clearly sees great potential in you. Make the best out of it and learn as much as you can – they do not expect perfect lawyers walking into the door, but rather someone who is enthusiastic and has potential to grow.
