2025

The firm no longer asks application questions. Instead, you only need to fill in your personal details, education and work history (I have included my CV below, which shows what I submitted). 

Education

GCSEs: A*, A*, A*, A*, A*, A*, A*, 9, 9, 9, 9 

A Levels: A*, A*, A*, A* 

BAHons (University of Oxford), First Class Honours

Work experience

Podcast Presenter

I am a presenter on the graduate-run podcast, [REDACTED], which provides insights from legal professionals to aspiring lawyers. I reach out to and interview legal professionals. The podcast has grown, with one recent episode gaining over 3000 LinkedIn impressions. I received feedback from one firm that my interview with their partner was mentioned in training contract interviews, showing that the podcast connects applicants with law firms. 

This role has transformed my communication skills: I have become confident discussing commercial topics with legal professionals. I have improved my awareness of how commercial issues affect businesses and law firms. I build friendly rapport with each interviewee as well as productive working relationships with my colleagues. Finally, this role has taught me determination as, understandably, not every lawyer I contact will have the time to appear on the podcast. I keep working steadily in the face of setbacks. 

Preschool Assistant

I worked on a team of three nursery workers to create an enjoyable and educational environment for 24 children, aged from 2 to 4 years old. I supervised mealtimes, nap time and play. I set up a 'messy tray' and learning table each morning, finding varied and inventive ways for the children to explore their senses and build their numeracy and literacy skills. I modelled kindness, enthusiasm and politeness to the children at all times and tackled behavioural issues with confidence and empathy. 

I was dedicated to ensuring the preschool room was well-organised and the children’s routine ran smoothly. This included taking a proactive approach to organising Fathers’ Day, preschool graduation and sports day events well in advance. To do this, I communicated clearly with my colleagues. I had strong working relationships with colleagues as well as engaging with the children in my room to build close, trusting relationships. 

Legal Cheek Spring Virtual Vacation Scheme

I attended the Legal Cheek Virtual Vacation Scheme. I took part in sessions on deals, real estate, projects, private equity and disputes. I also participated in the virtual networking with a range of law firms, learning more about life as a junior lawyer and strengthening my motivation to pursue this career. 

I also completed two case studies which accompanied the deals and disputes sessions. I learnt from the lawyers leading each session to put myself in the clients’ shoes and try to understand their priorities. I used critical thinking to decide how to achieve these priorities and made sure to take every detail of the scenario into account when drafting my response. I compared my response to the model answers distributed after the scheme to learn where I could have improved.  

Waitress

I worked as a waitress at [REDACTED]. I managed a section of six to twelve tables: greeting guests, taking orders, upselling specials, attentively maintaining tables, serving food, clearing tables promptly and taking payment. 

I worked effectively under pressure, maintaining high standards over long, busy shifts. When serving up to twelve tables at a time, I used an organised and methodical approach to ensure all tables received attentive service. I used careful attention to detail to take my service to the next level, replenishing water and crumbing tables when needed. This role developed my communication skills as I learnt how to build relationships with guests. I also collaborated with my team members, asking for help when my section was busy and offering help when it was quiet. I learnt about how businesses function by upselling special menu items to improve the restaurant’s weekly average spend-per-head – as a team we consistently met targets set by central management.

Inhouse Legal Work Placement

I completed a two-week placement in the legal team at [REDACTED]. I assisted with reviewing marketing communications, ensuring they did not leave the business open to undue legal or regulatory risk while considering the business's commercial aims. This required careful attention to detail and critical thinking to decide whether the material complied with regulatory guidelines.

I attended a meeting with external counsel, preparing the business for the implementation of the [INCOMING LEGISLATION]. I admired the external firm’s detailed understanding of [REDACTED] business model and the practical, commercial advice they delivered. I was keen to get involved with as much as I could and attended a meeting with legal diversity representatives, reviewing data from the UK Model Diversity Survey to discuss the diversity of the law firms [REDACTED] instructs, providing further insights into the relationship between law firms and in-house legal teams. 

This experience developed my interest in the [REDACTED] sector. I learnt about the challenges these businesses face, and how lawyers can help them navigate increasing regulation and fierce competition from new startups in the sector. Most importantly, I gained an insight into what clients value in the law firms they instruct. This insight has motivated me to deliver client-focused in my future legal career. 

Forage Virtual Job Simulations

I have completed six virtual job simulations on various areas of commercial law: A&O Shearman: Technology and M&A Law; Linklaters: Commercial Law; Freshfields: Law and Fintech; Herbert Smith Freehills: Global Disputes; Norton Rose Fulbright: Law; and Jones Day: Commercial Law. 

These programmes honed my critical thinking as I applied legal principles to real life commercial situations. I was interested to learn about the roles of lawyers working in intellectual property, corporate transactions, real estate disputes, and joint ventures. I am excited for my future legal career, having enjoyed all of these programmes. I was careful to consider every detail before drafting my submissions to ensure they were of the highest quality. I strove to improve my performance by reviewing my submissions against the model answers provided and was pleased to see clear development over time.

Host Staffing – Agency Hospitality Staff

I worked for a hospitality staffing agency, completing shifts in plate waiting, bar service, and hostess roles. I learnt to be adaptable when applying my skills to a range of events including silver service dinners, corporate events, music festivals and major sports matches.  

This role involved taking on tasks I had never done before, including silver service waiting. I was eager and willing to learn these skills and complete my responsibilities to the highest standard. Working busy shifts at festivals and large sporting events taught me to work calmly and efficiently under pressure. I also developed valuable customer service skills which I would apply to build client relationships as a solicitor. 

Student Paper – Section editor for Food and Drink, Style and Gen Z

I worked as a writer and editor for three sections of my university's student newspaper. As section editor, I led a team of journalists to write, commission and edit articles before each issue went to press.  

I worked effectively under pressure to deliver a full section of high-quality, interesting pieces in advance of each print deadline. This involved effective project management, delegating tasks fairly to members of my team and being organised and methodical in my approach. The leadership experience I gained during this role developed my verbal communication skills as I led section meetings, explaining my ideas clearly to my team. Writing my own articles developed my clear and concise written style. As section editor, it was my responsibility to pay attention to detail and ensure the pieces in my section were accurate and free from mistakes.

University – Gender Representative

I was elected as one of three gender representatives for my college at university. I was responsible for providing free-to-use period products and sexual health supplies for undergraduates, organising free emergency contraception for students who required it as well as hosting social events. As part of my team, I also organised safe travel to and from the ‘It Happens Here’ protest. 

I collaborated effectively with the other representatives and distributed responsibilities productively, using an organised approach to ensure we delivered. I demonstrated business acumen in this role when managing our tight budget. We communicated with undergraduate students regularly by email, advertising our upcoming events. 

Waitress

I worked as a waitress at a busy London gastropub. I provided polite, professional and customer-focused service in a fast-paced environment. I built rapport with a variety of customers, particularly our regulars. I was responsible for taking orders and serving drinks and food to customers, taking payment and maintaining a clean and attractive restaurant space. 

As this was my first hospitality role, I demonstrated enthusiasm and a willingness to learn new skills. Working in a busy pub developed my ability to remain calm under pressure. I also learnt to organise my time effectively to best deliver on my responsibilities, paying attention to detail to ensure each table received top-quality service. I enjoyed forming positive relationships with customers by delivering friendly and engaging service. 

University English Faculty – LitHits Intern

I was selected to work on the LitHits app project for my university's English Faculty. The app aimed to introduce readers, particularly young readers, to classic literature. I presented my research on the TikTok phenomenon 'BookTok'. I used this research to develop a social media marketing strategy for LitHits on TikTok which I presented to the team. I also collated literary excerpts to add to the LitHits app library. 

Being involved in a business venture at this early stage developed my understanding of how businesses operate and the challenges they face. I analysed current social media trends and thought critically about how LitHits could use them to reach their target audience. I took the initiative to research the potential of this idea and share it with the LitHits team. I developed my verbal communication skills when pitching my marketing proposal to the team in an engaging and persuasive way.

2024

Linklaters had completely stripped-down its application process into a straightforward and efficient nine-step process on their portal. 

• The first step, the application questionnaire, simply asks for education and background details (this took around ~30 minutes to complete). Once you've submitted this information, you won't be able to access this section again. This is not an issue since the HR interview during the assessment centre is CV-blind anyway.
• Once this information has been reviewed (this is a quick turnaround), I believe all applicants are then invited to complete the CAPP assessment by the main application deadline (there might be some exceptions where people have extenuating circumstances). 
• After completing the CAPP assessment, you are then sent a Watson Glaser test (my deadline for this was five days). 
• If successful, you will then be invited to selected a date for your assessment centre.

I strongly recommend attending Linklaters' Application Masterclass in Autumn to get to grips with their application process.

Here is the information I submitted:

Examinations 

Secondary School 14-16 year-old examinations       

Secondary School 16-18 year-old examinations 

UCAS points: 176

 BA History Undergraduate Modules                         

 Overall classification: First    

MSc [redacted]                                                                         

Class: Distinction