Trainee Solicitor Surgery » Training Contracts

Do You Want To Achieve Success With Your Training Contract Applications?

Matt — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:54:52 +0000

We are well and truly into the peak season for training contract applications. June and July are the two months in which most firms accept training contract applications.

Deadlines do vary however and can be subject to change so always ensure you check the deadlines on LawCareers.Net first and then phone each firm before you apply just to double check their deadline. Whilst you’re at it you can also check the name of the person to address your application to (if applicable) as the names published on the internet and in other publications are sometimes out of date. You do not want to give the firm an easy reason to reject you by writing to the wrong person!

My one to one mentoring service has become increasingly busy over the last week or two as exams start to finish and more and more people turn their attentions to their applications.

Given the increased competition for training contracts since the recession you need to work hard to ensure that your applications make you stand out from the crowd. In the current climate there are at least 2 applicants for every training contract so be sure to put the hours in on your applications.

I still have the last few places available for my application mentoring service for June and July. If you think that working on a 1-2-1 basis to get my specialist advice on improving your applications would benefit you please get in touch.

I offer an initial free 15 minute telephone consultation to discuss your circumstances, your applications and how the mentoring service can benefit you.

Book your free consultation now by submitting your details via the Training Contract Success website at www.trainingcontractsuccess.co.uk

Life of a Trainee Solicitor in a Regional Law Firm

Matt — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:20:31 +0000

Sometimes it can feel that all the attention of the legal world and the legal careers services is focused on the biggest firms, and particularly the London firms or the biggest firms in the other major cities.

However, there are many regional firms away from the major cities that offer great opportunities for trainee solicitors. A good example of this is Lanyon Bowdler in Shropshire which won the Lawcareers.net’s trainee solicitor award for “Best Recruiter – Small Firm” in 2009 for a second time. LB takes on two trainees a year who spend time in four different departments within the firm during their training contracts.

One of their trainees wrote a blog post about life as a trainee at LB which makes for interesting reading and gives a good insight into what its like to work in a more provincial firm. To read the blog post click here: Life as a Trainee Solicitor

Herbert Smith overhauls trainee solicitor selection procedure

Matt — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:41:44 +0000

Herbert Smith has emerged as the latest law firm to add an extra layer to its training contract selection procedure in a bid to expose weak candidates at the initial application stage.

For the full story on the Lawyer 2B website click here.

Law Society Webinar: The training contract – the things you need to know

Matt — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:28:35 +0000

The Junior Lawyers Division of the Law Society has hosted a webinar recently which seeks to provide a broad ranging look at the solicitor’s training contract. It lasts for 41 minutes and features the following speakers:

Tim Pearce, policy executive at the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)

Paul Rose, training principal at Halliwells LLP

Mari Griffiths, trainee solicitor at Weightmans LLP

Unfortunately it can only be viewed in Internet Explorer so not everyone will be able to access it.

To view the webinar video via the Junior Lawyers website click here.

Reminder of Closing Date for Addleshaw’s Diversity Scheme

Matt — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:46:44 +0000

National law firm, Addleshaw Goddard, is running its Diversity Access Scheme again this year for the fourth year running.

This scheme is aimed at available to anyone who has fallen below their normal training contract recruitment requirements when it comes to A-Level grades but who are able to show they have gone on to prove their academic ability at university.

The firm has a separate application form for these candidates to submit and has gone on to recruit 5 trainee solicitors from the scheme since 2007.

The scheme is run in collaboration with the BPP Law School and is open to BPP students currently studying for their GDL or LPC. Further details on how to apply for the 2010 programme can be found by contacting the BPP careers service.

The closing date for applications for the scheme is 31 January 2010.

Firms braced for flood of applicants in 2010

Matt — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:35:47 +0000

Selection criteria ramped up to cope with expected graduate backlog. Firms are toughening already tight graduate recruitment criteria in a bid to stem the expected flood of candidates returning from gap years following the legal market’s biggest-ever trainee deferral programme.

Click here to read the full article about the forecasted market for training contracts in 2010 which appeared recently on The Lawyer’s website.

Interview with Trainee Solicitor Recruitment Partner at Clifford Chance

Matt — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:31:35 +0000

In a recent interview Lynn Johansen, graduate recruitment partner at Clifford Chance, talks about the qualities needed by prospective applicants to Clifford Chance (which are applicable to most City firms), the application process and the training given to young lawyers.

She touches on what sort of work trainees can expect to do after qualification, as well as discussing the hours their lawyers can be expected to work and the opportunities for working overseas. Finally, she explains the Clifford Chance Pro Bono programme which is a major feature of the Clifford Chance ethos.

The podcast and transcript appear on the College of Law website. Click here to listen/view.

Some Pointers on Writing a CV for Training Contract Applications

Matt — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:00:13 +0000

Your CV may turn out to be one of the most important pieces of work you ever produce. That’s right, you should be looking at it as a piece of work that you take pride in rather than something that just needs to be thrown together to enable you to submit job applications.

Our latest article giving some invaluable pointers on writing a CV for training contract applications can be found here: Training Contract CV.

Which law firm to choose for your training contract

Matt — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:21:34 +0000

Spending some time researching which are the right law firms to apply to for your training contract is an important, and often glossed over, part of achieving training contract success.

Our latest article setting out the main types of firms that offer training contracts can be found here: Law Firms & Training Contracts.

Training Contracts – What to consider when deciding which firms to apply to

Matt — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:20:16 +0000

Deciding which of the many law firms to apply to for your training contract can be a daunting prospect. However, there are some key considerations which every aspiring trainee solicitor should work through when deciding which firms to apply to.

Our latest article about these necessary considerations can be found here: Training Contract Key Considerations.