Turn Heads and Drop Jaws: Command Attention in Your Next Law Assessment Presentation

Jan 09, 2024

Written By Nandini Jadeja

The day has finally arrived. You’re standing in front of a group of lawyers at your dream firm, determined to capture their attention and land a role at the firm. But how can you be sure to stand-out from the other candidates? You’ve arrived at the right place! This article aims to show you exactly how you can beat your competitors in everything from understanding and creating a captivating presentation to mastering the delivery, allowing you to make a lasting impression and help a role at your dream firm.

Understanding the dynamics of law assessment presentations

Before launching straight into the presentation, you need to understand the expectations of your assessors. Law firms use presentations as they assess a range of skills needed as a lawyer, such as organisation, communication and attention to detail. One of the biggest challenges is being able to display these skills, and also make your presentation clear, engaging and tailored to the firm’s values.

In order to properly grasp this, it’s vital that you pay close attention to the presentation brief. Remember, the firm will also be testing your ability to follow instructions! Some things you may want to consider are:

- How long does your presentation need to be?

- Is there a limit on the number of slides you can have?

- Have they specified a topic they want you to focus on?

Once you have established this, you can move onto the presentation. Keep these essential elements in mind as you create the presentation:

- Less is more. Your slides should not be filled with text.

- Transitions should be kept to a minimum or kept consistent throughout the presentation.

- Think about matching your content with your delivery. Are there particular areas you want to emphasise for example?

Bear in mind that the content is not the only thing they are assessing you on; the interplay of content, delivery and engagement is the key to creating presentations that turn heads.

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Crafting a presentation that commands attention

Once you have decided on a topic to focus on, your content needs to align with the assessment objectives. Tailoring your presentation to the law firm is the first step to doing this, and while it sounds difficult, here are some things you can include to create a relevant, tailored presentation:

- If you are presenting on a commercial story/topic, think about how it could be relevant to the firm. How will it affect their existing clients? Their business and ability to attract more business? Maybe even their business model or their national/international presence?

- You could also approach it from a ‘values’ perspective. Are there particular things that the firm values in their lawyers? Can you try and display these skills in your presentation?

You should also think carefully about the visual elements of your presentation, from slide design to images. Your presentation should be a balance of text and images, combined to deliver maximum effect. Ensure that you have a captivating opening that grabs the assessor’s attention, and close on an engaging note, with a rhetorical question or an anecdote for example.

Mastering the delivery: techniques to drop jaws

Delivery is just as important as the content of your presentation, so it is vital that you get it right. This includes things such as positive body language, vocal variety and maintaining eye contact/smiling. Not only will you look more engaged, but you’ll also feel more confident.

A stand-out presentation should be like an experience for your assessors, so you want to be compelling with your points by using interactive elements to add to your story. A tip for ensuring you maintain eye contact with several people rather than just one is to sweep your gaze across your audience as you speak rather than directing different points at different people. This ensures that you retain a connection with all of your assessors throughout your presentation.

Once you’ve delivered your presentation, ensure you listen carefully to the questions that follow and try to demonstrate the depth of your knowledge and commercial awareness when responding to them. If you are faced with a question you do not know the answer to, try to respond and offer to get back to the assessor afterwards with a more developed response.

Practical steps for preparation and rehearsal

The key to success is preparation and practice. Don’t just research around your presentation, ensure you also know about the firm’s values, culture and assessment expectations. You might want to consider things like the firm’s size and trainee intake, or how its practice areas have grown and developed over time.

During preparation, mock interviews are vital in refining your content and delivery, and the more feedback you can get from peers, mentors or careers advisors, the better your presentation will be.

Finally, consider how you can use technology strategically to enhance the impact of your presentations. For example, you could take a presenting course, or play around with different design tools and platforms.

Overcoming challenges and standing out

Some of the most common challenges faced during assessment centre presentations are things like technical issues and questions that you struggle to answer. In these situations, stay calm and remain composed and try to get back on track as soon as possible. Adaptivity and staying calm under pressure are two skills that firms love to see.

Following up after the presentation is a great way to leave a lasting impression and expresses continued interest in the firm. You could also use this opportunity to get back to the assessor about a question that you struggled to answer during the Q&A.

By following the tips and tricks outlined in this article, you can transform your chances of success and command attention in law firm presentations. This will enable you to leave a lasting impression and propel you towards your dream law career. Good luck!

Selection & Assessment