Applying for early careers opportunities can feel daunting, but standing out isn't about having the perfect CV or extensive legal work experience. We're looking for candidates who are curious, motivated and able to demonstrate their potential through their experiences.
1. Develop Your Commercial Awareness
Commercial awareness is about understanding what matters to businesses and how lawyers help clients achieve their goals, manage risk and respond to change.
When following the news, don't stop at what happened. Ask yourself:
Why does this matter to businesses?
What opportunities or challenges could arise?
How might a law firm support its clients?
Example: If a company invests in AI technology, think about the business benefits, potential risks around data protection or intellectual property, and the legal advice clients might need. A simple framework to use is:
What happened?
Why does it matter?
What could it mean for clients and their lawyers? How will I be involved in this as a trainee?
2. Showcase Your Strengths Through Your Experiences
You don't need legal work experience to demonstrate valuable skills. Strong examples can come from:
Part-time jobs
Student societies
Volunteering
Sports teams
University projects
Caring responsibilities
The key is explaining what you did, what you learned and the impact you had.
Instead of:
"I worked in retail and gained communication skills."
Try:
"Working in a busy retail environment, I regularly resolved customer issues and balanced competing priorities during peak periods, strengthening my communication and problem-solving skills."
Instead of:
"I was Treasurer of a society."
Try:
"As Treasurer, I managed a £5,000 budget, monitored spending and helped organise fundraising events, developing my commercial awareness and organisational skills."
3. Reflect on What You've Learned
Strong candidates don't just describe experiences; they explain their development. Ask yourself: What challenge did I face? What actions did I take? What was the outcome? What did I learn?
Being able to reflect on setbacks, achievements and lessons learned often creates more compelling answers than simply listing accomplishments.
4. Prepare for Assessment Centres
By the assessment centre stage, we already see potential in your application.
In interviews:
Explain why you're interested in commercial law.
Be ready to discuss a commercial topic that interests you.
Use specific examples to demonstrate your skills.
In case studies:
Identify the key issues.
Consider different stakeholders.
Assess risks and opportunities.
Explain your reasoning clearly.
There is rarely one right answer. We're interested in how you analyse information and communicate your thinking.
There is no single route into a career in law. The strongest candidates are often those who can clearly explain their experiences, demonstrate an interest in the business world and show how their skills could contribute to a collaborative, high-performing team.
Every experience has the potential to strengthen your application. Focus on the impact you've made, the lessons you've learned and the value you can bring.
