Are You Making These Fatal Written Exercise Mistakes? Find Out Now

Oct 26, 2023

Written By Nandini Jadeja

Law firms use written exercises to gain an idea of one of the most important skills you will need as a lawyer. However, the written exercise can be one of the most daunting aspects of the application process if you are unprepared about how to approach it. This article aims to change this and help you avoid the common pitfalls that students fall into when completing a written exercise.

The critical importance of written exercises

Law firms will use written exercises for a variety of reasons, the most important of which is to test your ability to communicate logically, clearly and appropriately in a range of environments. Lawyers need to write every day, in different ways and for a range of audiences, so mastering the core skills of legal research, communication, analytical thinking and attention to detail are essential.

These exercises can offer the law firm a practical glimpse of an applicant’s capabilities beyond traditional interviews as they give the firm an idea of the candidate’s ability to respond to the demands of legal work, write clearly and persuasively, research proficiently and pay attention to detail. Written exercises also test your ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure, which is crucial for a practising lawyer.

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Fatal mistake 1: Misunderstanding the task

The first thing to do in a written exercise is to read and re-read the question, any instructions that are provided to you, and any further information in relation to the question. You want to ensure that you do not miss part of the question, or interpret it too narrowly as failing to grasp the nuances of the question can lead to misinterpretation and thus poor responses. If you are confused, it is best to seek clarification before jumping into the exercise. If you are still stuck, spend five minutes brainstorming the question and the ways it can be interpreted.

Fatal mistake 2: Poor Time management

It can be tempting to rush through the written exercise, but this is not the most effective use of your time, and can result in incomplete and low quality work. One way to manage your time is to roughly plan how long you intend to spend on each section, and leave time at the end for a strong conclusion. You should also leave time to proofread and edit.

It can also be useful to practise written exercises in advance, and you can test strategies to see which one works best for you. Remember, each written exercise you do is an opportunity to learn, so do not be disheartened if the first time you do one it does not go as well as you had hoped.

Fatal Mistake 3: Failing to follow instructions.

Failing to follow instructions is the first pitfall and the simplest one to avoid. If for instance you are told to use only the information provided to you and you use other information, you will be penalised. Lawyers, especially trainees, need to be able to follow instructions and respond with accurate information; written exercises are testing this skill. To avoid this pitfall, highlight keywords in the question, thoroughly read the instructions and ask for clarification if necessary. Being confident with the instructions will enable you to think critically and showcase your skills.

Fatal Mistake 4: Neglecting proofreading and editing.

Typos, grammatical errors and unclear sentences can undermine an answer that scores well in every other category, because it shows a lack of attention to detail and poor time management. Leaving enough time to proofread is therefore crucial. Read your response out loud if you can, as this can highlight errors better than if you read it in your head, and try to read it twice to double check you haven’t missed anything. You can also break your written exercise into chunks and check that each section corresponds to/answers the question as you want to avoid unnecessary waffle.

Fatal Mistake 5: Failing to adapt to the firm’s style and tone.

An underlying part of the written exercise is to adapt your writing to fit with the firm’s culture and communication style. The written exercise presents an opportunity to show a cultural fit with the firm which can be tricky, but it is important to consider as overlooking it can be a dealbreaker for the firm. There are several ways to research the firm’s culture, style and values. These include looking at publications or articles on their website or watching videos from their youtube. A general rule of thumb is to write formally and in full sentences for a professional audience, unless you are told otherwise.

Conclusion

The five key mistakes to avoid are: misunderstanding the task, managing your time poorly, failing to follow instructions, neglecting proofreading and editing and failing to adapt to a firm’s style and tone. By avoiding the pitfalls addressed above, you can put yourself in the best possible position to succeed at this stage of the application. Ensure you ask for feedback following the exercise if you are unsuccessful, and use this feedback to improve for next time. If the firm doesn’t offer feedback, you could meet with a careers advice professional or lawyer to see where you went wrong. Now that you are aware of these common mistakes, you can start your next written exercise with confidence!

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