Amira Awan
Balancing applications whilst completing studies and managing other commitments can be extremely overwhelming and hard to manage, therefore doing extra preparation over the summer when you have more free time is a great idea.Additionally, one of the biggest contributors to a successful application that stands out the recruiters is demonstrating a thorough and developed knowledge of a firm
One key recommendation for aspiring legal professionals is to make a list of all of the firms that you would like to ideally apply for in the incoming application season, once you have made a list, it is helpful to create concise and informative research profiles of all of these firms as this will be a useful, time effective resource when it comes to preparing written answers. This blog posts aims to provide a key outline of the most important things to look out for/ make a note of when gathering firm research.
The guidance has been structured into 4 steps and we hope that you find it helpful Inshallah.
Step 1; Making a List of Firms to Apply for.
When making this list it is very useful to consider the following:
• A firm’s key practice areas.
• A firm’s rankings (Legal 500 and Chambers Student) as well as their reputation.
• A firms Office Locations: Think about factors such as whether you would prefer working in a smaller regional firm or a big city firm.
• A firm’s culture and values; ask yourself whether these align with your own values
• Recent developments and growth strategy i.e., how does the firm expect to keep up in the changing climate considering things such as reaching net zero or changing working processes in line with the increasing reliance on Artificial Intelligence.
Taking these factors into consideration is super important as you are increasingly more likely to be a successful candidate and demonstrate convincing applications when you have a genuine interest in and excitement towards a firm. Additionally making an extensive number of applications can sometimes have a reverse intended effect, so it is important that your list is not overly long.
Step 2: Where to Start your Research
Online Resources
Chambers Student: https://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/
Chamber Student is excellent for providing insights into training contract applications, a firm’s culture, and rankings across key departments.
Legal 500: https://www.legal500.com/
Legal 500 provides a great way of keeping up to date with firms and gaining an insight into current and previous trainees experiences and personal insights.
In-Person Opportunities
Open Days and Insight Events: It is particularly helpful to attend these in order to get a feel for different firms’environments and overall ethos. Additionally, many organisations like Aspiring Solicitors and Up Reach provide the opportunity for exclusive open days and insight events so make sure to get involved with these organisations if you are eligible.
Networking: Whenever you get the opportunity be it online via LinkedIn or in person during a careers fair or other networking event, it is incredibly helpful to speak to current trainees, fee earners/ lawyers and any other staff including the likes of Early Careers staff. This can help you to not only get a better understanding of the firm but also allow you to name drop and demonstrate a direct linkage with the firm during both the initial application and subsequent stages.
Step 3: Understanding the Firm’s Practice Areas
It is particularly important to research the type of work that a firm does.
Make sure to identify what their speciality may be regardless of the kinds of sectors or practice areas that a firm may operate in. This could be anything from Corporate M&A to insurance to family.
Additionally, it is important to identify the following:
a) Who are the firm’s clients, i.e., are they start-ups / small businesses, large corporations or perhaps even thegovernment
b) What kind of cases/ deals does the firm handle, try, and decipher whether the firm has been involved in any interesting recent deals or transactions.
c) Is the firm expanding into any new practice areas (that you may be intrigued about) or is the firm becoming involved with any new regional or international markets.
Step 4: Understand the Firms Broader work.
Many firms go beyond merely ‘billable’ (paid legal) work. It is particularly useful and insightful to look into a firm:
-Pro Bono Initiatives (this refers to providing free services to individuals or organisations who cannot afford to pay for them).
-Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability projects.
-Diversity and Inclusion (D & I) projects and programmes.
It is really important that when picking a firm, you consider whether or not it will fit into your own personal values and beliefs. As much as the legal employment process may be highly in demand /competitive, only applying to firms that align with your values to an appreciable extent will guarantee you a much more enjoyable and successful working experience.
Additionally, this will be a great support when answering interview/ Assessment Centre (AC) questions about your own personal motivations/fit.
Step 5: Prepare to share and demonstrate your insights:
It is particularly useful to use your insights in order to develop strong answers to commonly asked application and interview questions including:
-Why do you want to work for this firm?
-Why commercial (or other relevant area) law?
-Tell me about a recent case or deal that caught your interest?
-Which of our values is most important to you any why?
-How will working at this firm support your future motivations?
-What differentiates us from our competitors?
Having detailed and personalised answers will allow you to stand out from competitors and additionally this will allow you to sound more convincing.
Another key tip when collating your notes is to ensure that your research notes/draft answers are as clear and concise as possible, many law firms heavily prefer this over overly descriptive or ‘flowery’ language.
Other Key Tips: https://www.theforage.com/
-Forage Virtual Internships:
Many law firms (especially bigger ones) offer virtual internships through the platform Forage, completing this can be a great way of enhancing your knowledge and understanding of a firm aswell as highlight your commitments and motivations.
Overall, we hope this blog post has been insightful for you and remember to stay organised, determined, and open-minded in order to ensure future success in applications.
Also more importantly, please remember that although the application process can be tough and gruelling, regardless of things such as your age/ education and current circumstanceshowever steadfastness in your faith and belief in Allah’s plans will allow you to keep pushing. All it takes is one yes!
Websites Used:
Muslim Lawyers Hub ™️ 
Leave a comment