2024

Please explain why you want to be a solicitor & what skills you have developed in order to be successful? (250 words) 

My interest in becoming a solicitor stems from a work placement I undertook during my A levels. During my experience, I sat in on a solicitor-client interview. I was fascinated by the way the solicitor solved the client’s problem and managed their expectations. This experience influenced my decision to study law at university. At university, I gained an interest in more commercially-minded subjects, such as intellectual property. 

Working as a [REDACTED] at [REDACTED] saw me develop strong interpersonal skills. I was engaged on a banking project bringing a resolution to complaints. I was responsible for contacting customers to clarify their complaints. I often encountered many customers who were upset due to the time taken to resolve their complaint. Using soft skills, such as active listening and empathy, I built a rapport over the phone with customers. This allowed me to clarify the points they raised and to provide clear and concise information on a satisfactory resolution.

The final year of my undergraduate degree saw me develop strong time management skills. I had to write four pieces of coursework, attend lectures, prepare for seminars and write and research a 10,000-word dissertation. I also worked 16 hours a week in a customer-facing role to support myself financially. I would begin each week by drawing up a list of tasks. From there, I would allocate specific times to focus on certain tasks, prioritising the more urgent matters. As a result of this scheduling, I successfully maintained my academic standards, achieving a 2.1. 

Q2. Please tell us why you are you applying for a Training Contract with Michelmores? (250 words) 

Michelmores’ seat options, in particular, its employment seat, have led me to apply to the firm. I have acquired experience in the employment field on a work placement, undertaking employment-related tasks. This included drafting correspondence to a client on an unfair dismissal matter. This experience influenced my decision to select Employment Law as an elective on the Legal Practice Course, for which I achieved a Distinction. I understand the firm possesses a strong reputation in this field, ranked as Tier 1 in the Dorset, Devon and Cornwall regions.

The firm’s culture, as demonstrated by its one firm approach, has also led me to apply to the firm. I attended a virtual workshop on commercial awareness in December 2023. During the event, current trainees spoke about their experience at the firm. One aspect that stood out to me was hearing about the collaborative and supportive working culture that the firm cultivates. I work within a similar environment, working closely with colleagues in my employer’s Glasgow office on a large-scale plagiarism project. 

Michelmores commitment to diversity and inclusion has also led me to apply to the firm. I was interested to read about its work in widening access to the profession. I was particularly impressed to read about its Momentum programme, running workshops with students in local state schools with the aim of introducing them to careers in professional services. Despite my state school background, I achieved a 2.1 in my degree and a Commendation on the LPC.

Which of our values do you resonate with the most and why? (250 words) 

The Michelmores value that I resonate most with is collaboration. Working as a [REDACTED] at [REDACTED], I was responsible for completing 15 cases by the end of each week. I had often met my targets towards the end of the week. However, colleagues often faced difficulties in meeting them. I gave my support to them, sharing tips on how to approach their caseload and meet their targets. On occasions, team members would fall short of doing so. I took on the added responsibility of completing more cases to cover the shortfall left by team members.

More recently, in my role at [REDACTED], I have been engaged on project investigating allegations of plagiarism by 100 trainee members. The allegations centred around statements contained within each trainee’s training record. Along with a colleague, I was tasked with analysing the level of plagiarism among the statements. Approximately 900 statements were inputted onto a spreadsheet and categorised. As I was working with large quantities of data, I divided up the work to analyse the statements with a colleague. I held daily meetings with my colleague, discussing progress, ideas on streamlining processes and any issues identified during the analysis. Along with my colleague, I completed the analysis in two weeks. It proved to be a more time-efficient and effective method of determining the level of plagiarism among the statements. As a result of this, I received positive feedback from my manager and was recognised in the monthly departmental meeting.

How do you spend your extracurricular time, including your contribution to any clubs or societies and what are the key skills you have learnt from this? (250 words) 

I am a keen sports enthusiast, with an interest in football and basketball. I played football for two different clubs over a seven-year period as a defender. This developed my team work and communication skills. I had to frequently collaborate and support team mates on the pitch in crucial situations to ensure the team succeeded.  

I also have an interest in current affairs, in particular, stories pertinent to the legal sector. Reading about commercial topics has prompted me to research areas of commerce I previously had limited knowledge of. I have since applied my commercial knowledge by participating in the Aspiring Solicitors’ 2023 Commercial Awareness Competition, reaching the quarter-finals.

I have previously fundraised money for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) by recycling printer cartridges and unused foreign currencies. I also regularly donate to CentrePoint, a charity providing accommodation to homeless young people.