Typical recruitment process for a law and legal apprenticeship
Law firms come in all shapes and sizes. Whether you're interested in specialist firms in areas of commercial property or criminal law, or you're looking at working for a segment of a larger business – there's going to be an application process you'll need to follow. Typical journeys can look like:
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CV, applications, and cover letters
Submit a CV and fill out some application questions or a cover letter. These tend to include your goals and aspirations, as well as your outstanding qualifications and work experience. This does not need to be legal experience. In online applications, there is sometimes also one short question to complete, where we will be looking at your motivations for becoming a solicitor apprentice. Pay attention to the word count: it is there for a reason. Ask someone to proof read your application. When you’ve spent so much time on it, it can be easy to miss mistakes.
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Pre-interview tasks
Some of the largest law firms also add an online immersive assessment as part of the online application which will probably contain scenario-based, numerical and verbal questions that aim to test areas like your adaptability, digital intelligence, applied intellect and creativity. These assessments may require you to give answers by video as well as inputting information by keyboard – the applicant provides a video response to a series of pre-recorded questions. A good tip on one law firm website is to have a calculator, pen and paper to hand before you begin.
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Interviews
Face-to-face, phone, or virtual interviews withlegal and/or HR professional at the employer. The larger law firm interviews tend to take place in two stages. The first interview may be documents-based and the second scenario-based. In a documents-based interview (sometimes called a ‘case study’), you will be asked to review some documents and then discuss points arising. Some law firms send out written or video instructions in advance to help level the playing-field. In scenario-based interviews you are asked a series of questions based on scenarios you may encounter, so, in this case, as a solicitor apprentice working in a law firm. The interviewers understand that you will likely have no experience of offices, they are simply looking for potential.
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Assessment centres and psychometrics
Every legal firm we consulted mentioned an additional recruitment phase at an assessment centre. This centre typically features various components such as a group debate, an interview with a firm partner, and an examination which evaluates capabilities essential for studying law. Furthermore, there is a chance to connect with existing solicitor apprentices and learn from their journeys. Collectively, these activities provide employers with a deeper understanding of your legal insight, communication abilities, and teamwork proficiency.
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Legal checks
It's important to note that with the sensitivity of the legal profession, you will be required to either undergo or demonstrate a clean Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check as part of the application process.
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Skills
Skills are important, especially in client-facings law and legal roles. Legal professionals need to have the ability to retain complex information, stay calm under pressure, and have a keen eye for detail. Things you may have learned from project work, creative hobbies, or extra curricular recreational sports.
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Resilience
Although it's unlikely you will have any direct legal experience, employers will still want to know about your professional and personal background, and how the skills you've picked up, such as communication, organisation, commitment and resilience, are transferrable to a high stress legal environment. For instance, the pressures of working in hospitality in a busy seasonal period will build skills in time management, efficient multitasking, and maintaining composure under pressure.
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Hobbies and interests
What better way to display transferable legal skills than an insight into your hobbies and interests? For example, if you’re a keen reader, you hold the ability to focus and retain large quantities of written information, or if you're a sportsperson, you're ability to perform under pressure could be a star quality.
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Extracurricular activities
Working outside the classroom is a great example of your overall character, and if that's in a legal environment, even better. However, if you're involved in a sports team, you volunteer for a professional service, or you've undertaken recognised schemes like Duke of Edinburgh, it can be a perfect display of your commitment to achieving a difficult goal.
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Understanding
Law and legal firms are not expecting you to know the legal system inside-out. However, what they are expecting is a candidate who has thoroughly researched the specific apprenticeship, and the responsibilities it entails. So, make sure you do your research before applying, and if there's a contact on the application form, be sure to drop them a line and ask any questions that may have arisen during your research.
Examples to wow an employer
An example of a cover letter section
From an early age I've been interested in the legal profession. What started as an obsession with UK and US courtroom dramas has since expanded into a keen interest into real-world aspects of law. My passions lie specifically in the area of property law, helping to ensure that transactions, exchanges, and contracts are correctly prepared for clients.
While I have worked in retail part-time over the past three years, I have gone out of my way to uphold policy documents and ensure that both the company and its employees are adhering to regulations whilst delivering a best-in-class service. This trait has led me to become a trusted source of knowledge, often providing training for other members of staff and regular stock check responsibilities across the business.