Navigating in-tray exercises at law firm assessment centres: tips and techniques

Sep 01, 2023

Written By Lewis Ogg

In-tray exercises are a mainstay of law firm assessment centres. Alongside psychometric tests and teamwork tasks, they form the main metrics by which you are likely to be assessed. Often feared by applicants because of their strong practical focus, in-tray work is a great way to prove you could work effectively within the firm. Follow these simple tips to improve your in-tray output and ace your assessment centre.

What are in-tray exercises?

For those that are unfamiliar with the term, in-tray exercises refer to a type of mock work given to applicants. It looks to imitate the kind of work that a trainee at the firm might expect to be given.

In-tray work tests your practical application of the law, with tasks such as writing client memos, contract reviews, or research assignments.

As they simulate real work, in-tray assignments are a fantastic opportunity to show you could be an effective trainee for the firm. So remember to strike a balance between quality and time.

Experience programmes

In-tray exercises are a test of your ability to apply the law practically; but, few of us have much experience with this by the time it comes to our first assessment centre. Despite this, don’t panic!

There are loads of resources available online to increase your exposure to the type of practical experience firms are looking for. Take, for example, our contract review exercise masterclass. This is a great way to familiarise yourself with how to approach this specific type of in-tray task.

Some large firms such as White & Case, Slaughter and May, and Herbert Smith Freehills run their own virtual experience programs, which will give you a great insight into what type of tasks trainees are expected to do and what practice areas the firm focuses on. These individual programs are especially useful if you have an assessment centre with that firm.

Developing commercial awareness

Commercial awareness is one of the major buzzwords that applicants will have heard recruiters repeatedly reference, however you may not know what it actually constitutes. Generally, commercial awareness just means understanding a combination of the law firm’s practices, the wider legal market it operates in, and how economic trends impact that market.

Developing commercial awareness is simple. Start by keeping up to date with legal market news, as well as broader economic developments. Add to this a well-researched account of the firm you have applied to, and your understanding will fall into place.

Being commercially aware is a fantastic way to elevate your in-tray tasks and impress during the assessment centre. It gives you the ability to make informed judgments about the relevancy of information within the task, and more effectively consider what a client's priorities may be.

Quality of written work

Equally as important as having the experience to know what to write is knowing how to write it in the appropriate fashion.

It will come as no surprise to any law student that firms are immensely detail oriented, so being thorough in your SPAG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) and general content is vital to produce any impressive piece of in-tray work.

Remember to be time conscious, as while this should not be a source of stress, you must be aware that the task needs to be completed within the time. It will be obvious to markers if you have had to rush the ending or, conversely, if you haven’t made use of all the time you have been given.

Understanding the task

Assessment centres are intense, and every assessment is designed to demonstrate something valuable to the recruiters. When it comes to in-tray exercises, try and understand what that may be.

For example, suppose you are given the task of writing a client memo that outlines the structure of a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA). In that case, it is important to consider both what information is relevant to the client and what wording would be most effective.

Law students often fall down by inserting too much legal jargon in an attempt to impress when it shows they haven’t understood the task. So, take note of the intended audience!

Depth of legal research

Regardless of what task you have been given, some degree of legal research will be valued. Remember, it is okay not to know from memory what a SPA is or how to frame an injunction. The important thing is that you remain calm and use the resources available to do appropriate research.

In terms of contextual research, remember that you need to cover all areas of the question asked. Often applicants will go down a rabbit hole of a particular issue they find interesting at the expense of the overall argument. Again, be aware of who you are writing for; this will drastically impact how detailed or broad your research needs to be.

Summary

In-tray tasks don’t need to fill you with fear. If you prepare by using experience programmes and developing a base level of commercial awareness, you can go into your assessment centre feeling confident.

Once there, focus on gaining a thorough understanding of the task, maintaining your quality of work, and demonstrating your breadth of appropriate research. Good luck at the assessment centre!

Selection & Assessment