How do law firms score my application?

Jul 08, 2022

Written By Robert Greene

Cracking the code to the perfect training contract application is hard, if not impossible. No two firms are alike, as are no two candidates. So, there is no secret formula to the perfect application. But understanding how law firms score your application could mean the difference between a run-of-the-mill application and a standout application.

What are law firms assessing?

The application form and assessment criteria for each firm will vary. Your first port of call should be the firm’s website and any materials available on how to complete the application form.

Firms will often have a section of their website dedicated to trainee applications, where they outline the application process and the qualities, skills and experiences they are looking for from future trainees.

Another way to get a grasp of what law firms are looking for when they read your application is to attend open day events.

Most firms run events throughout the year with graduate recruitment and these are an excellent opportunity to learn more about the application process and exactly what the firm is looking for.

If you have looked at the firm’s application form in advance, you could even ask the graduate recruitment team or a current or recent trainee at the firm about how to answer a question you find particularly challenging.

If you are struggling to find answers to what you are looking for, you could always send an email to the graduate recruitment team. But be aware that they likely receive a lot of emails so they may not have capacity to answer individual questions.

Whilst most firms will have their own assessment criteria, there are some pervasive criteria that most (if not all) firms will apply when scoring individuals’ applications.

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Education

It is no secret that many firms require students to have a minimum 2:1 in their undergraduate degree. Some firms will not consider students who do not meet this requirement. However, if you do not have a 2:1 degree, do not despair. There are an increasing number of firms that are dispensing with this requirement (including firms such as DLA Piper, BLM LLP and Browne Jacobson).

In addition, most application forms include a section for mitigating circumstances, so if you have not obtained the minimum educational requirement due to compelling personal circumstances, make sure to include this information in your application. If you have not obtained a 2:1, you may find this article helpful.

Spelling and grammar

If there is one thing you can be sure of, it is that firms will be checking that you have dotted your i's and crossed your t’s – in both the literal and figurative sense!

Attention to detail is a key skill expected of any hopeful lawyer, so it is imperative that your spelling and grammar are correct.

Proofreading your own work can be hard – it's easy to miss your own mistakes. Some useful tips to spot errors include:

- Asking a friend or family member (with a good eye for detail) to proofread the application

- Printing off the application and reading it aloud to yourself a few days after you wrote it

- Using an online text reader such as Natural Readers to listen back to your application.

One mistake you should avoid at all costs is spelling the firm’s name wrong!

Work experience

Most applications include a section for applicants to include both legal and non-legal work experience. This is an opportunity for you to showcase your motivations for a career in law as well as any transferable skills you may have.

Whilst legal experience is not a prerequisite for a training contract, a lack of any relevant experience could harm your chances of making it to the next step. If you don’t have legal experience, focus on transferable skills. Do you have experiences which demonstrate problem-solving skills, writing or drafting skills, advocacy skills etc? Also, don’t forget to include firm events you attended, such as open days. These count as legal work experience and demonstrate your interest in the firm.

Research skills

Most firms are likely to assess your knowledge of the firm and motivations for training there. It is therefore important that you do detailed research for each application. Firms receive hundreds if not thousands of applications and graduate recruitment teams can spot a copy-paste answer (with a quick name swap) from a mile away. The last thing you want is for the person reading your application to think they’ve read it already!

Try to avoid generic statements about “international secondments” or “diversity and inclusion”, for example, and instead include firm-specific research and personal information that demonstrates why you would be the perfect fit for the firm. As an example, saying “I would like to train at ABC LLP because I love that you are passionate about diversity and inclusion like me” is not as strong as saying “I would love to train at ABC LLP because I found the talk by Partner Kamilah Vickery on the firm’s women's network at the open day really inspiring and, as an active member of my university’s women network, I would love to be involved in the network as a trainee”.

Communication skills

Another key skill that is assessed is communication skills. The application form usually contains a word limit for each question. This means you need to make impactful statements in a few words. Avoid “fluffy” language – “furthermore”, “notwithstanding” etc. Less is often more when it comes to application forms; if you do not need the full 200 or 250 words, do not add unnecessary words to “fill the gap”.

Also, think about structure. Your answers, whilst short, should be structured so they are easy to read. For a motivational question, you may want to adopt the rule of three – “firstly”, “secondly”, “thirdly”. For a competency-based question, you may want to adopt the STAR structure – “situation”, “task”, “action”, “result”.

A final note Do not forget, the graduate recruitment team is unlikely to know very much about you before it reads your application. As with an interview, you want the reader to walk away with a great impression and to remember who you are. That means injecting a bit of personality into your answers, especially in response to questions about your extra-curricular activities or personal motivations. Do not answer questions in the way you think the graduate recruitment team wants you to answer them, answer them as yourself. It will make your application far more memorable.

A final note

Do not forget, the graduate recruitment team is unlikely to know very much about you before it reads your application. As with an interview, you want the reader to walk away with a great impression and to remember who you are. That means injecting a bit of personality into your answers, especially in response to questions about your extra-curricular activities or personal motivations. Do not answer questions in the way you think the graduate recruitment team wants you to answer them, answer them as yourself. It will make your application far more memorable.

Selection & Assessment