Slaughter and May First Year Opportunities

Dec 05, 2018

Written By Emily Dale trainee recruitment adviser, Slaughter and May

From open days to campus events, high profile City firm Slaughter and May offers plenty of chances for first years to get involved. AllAboutLaw spoke to Emily Dale from the trainee recruitment team to find out more.

What are the first year opportunities offered by Slaughter and May?

We run three open days for first year students at our London office during spring.

How important are open days to Slaughter and May, and are they assessed? What happens on a typical Slaughter and May open day?

Our open days focus on giving students a better understanding of commercial law and are most definitely not assessed. At this early stage, we think it is important to give students an overview of commercial law and explain what lawyers actually do, as well as proving an introduction to Slaughter and May. We aim to make our open days interactive and engaging. Students will learn about the different areas of law practiced by many large commercial firms and the roles of the trainees, associates and partners. You’ll even spend some time exploring our London office with some of the current trainees during our interactive exercise, designed to show you what tasks a trainee undertakes from day to day. Finally, offering an insight into what firms are looking for in potential trainees, our recruitment partners give tips on how to write a strong CV and cover letter so you are well prepared for future applications.

How much interaction with partners and trainees will first years have?

Partners run many of the presentations during the open days. They are always willing to answer any questions that you might have and actively encourage students to get involved, so this is a great time to interact with them. Being able to talk to trainees already undertaking a training contract is also a great way to learn about life as a commerical solicitor - that’s why trainees are there to talk to students over lunch and to guide them through the exercises.

What are you looking for in an open day application?

The best way to make yourself stand out is to tell us about you as an individual. Use your CV as an opportunity to show what you have done outside of your studies - no matter what it is. We know that as first years you may not have any university results yet, but be sure to include the marks that you do have - even if it’s just one essay result. Please give clear reasons for your application in your cover letter and explain why you would benefit from attending the open day. Selection is based solely on your application form, CV and covering letter, so make it count.

Slaughter and May hosts on-campus events. What exactly does the firm offer and would you recommend first years attend?

All students are welcome at our events, including first years. We’re happy to answer any questions - whether you’ve always wanted to be a lawyer or you just want to find out more.

We attend and organise numerous events on campus: presentations, law fairs, and skills workshops, to name just a few. Trainees, associates, partners and members of our trainee recruitment team attend and are happy to answer any questions you have about Slaughter and May. January and February.

Apply for first year opportunities at Slaughter and May here.

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