2024

Please detail three key skills you would bring to the role of a commercial solicitor at Gowling WLG. Explain how you have developed these skills and why they are important to the role. (500 words) 

Firstly, collaborative working is a skill I utilised during my studies whilst proactively improving my business acumen. I participated in an employer-led extracurricular consultancy challenge by working with four other university students to produce a research report for [redacted]. We defined the scope of the project requirements at our initial client meeting, then assessed the accessibility of their website against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. I researched the inclusivity of the website for visually impaired individuals and maintained a project logbook between our weekly internal meetings. As a result, we fairly allocated tasks based on team capacity and effectively tracked our progress ahead of the report deadline. We successfully delivered a presentation to inform the client of our key findings and received excellent feedback on our cohesiveness as a team. Given the collegiate nature of commercial law firms, collaboration is essential to efficiently delivering high-quality work and meeting client expectations. It is also important that trainees gain exposure to complex legal challenges through working with more experienced colleagues. 

Secondly, resilience is a skill I developed through long-term personal challenges in my life. One of my proudest achievements is graduating with a master’s degree, despite managing undiagnosed ADHD, with limited social and academic support during the pandemic. People with ADHD are less likely to progress to higher education, and those who do are more likely to withdraw from their course, even with extra support. I overcame this obstacle without disability support and without an awareness of my deficits, through my innate tenacity and ability to adapt my approach to achieve success. For example, I used the Eisenhower matrix to combat my executive dysfunction symptoms and manage my university workload, alongside working 16 hours per week at my part-time job. Awareness of one’s personal capacity for thriving in challenging environments is important. This role demands an ability to prioritise client needs over personal preferences. I have done this in the past by assimilating new information unexpectedly and adapting my working hours to meet tight deadlines. 

My professional journey has significantly refined my interpersonal skills. Whilst working as a motor insurance retention consultant, I managed difficult situations by remaining empathetic and tailoring interaction based on customer type. I was able to retain 60% of dissatisfied customers by finding the root of their discontentment, then delivering alternative solutions within a high-pressured seven-minute time limit per customer. For instance, I reassured a distressed customer by clarifying that their insurance policy had been cancelled due to a breach of contract. With manager approval, I extended an offer for a new policy that matched the price of the original and read the terms and conditions to the customer to prevent future misunderstandings. Additionally, educating the wider public about my disability and gaining the necessary workplace accommodations has empowered self-advocacy skills and the ability to understand a range of perspectives. Overall, interpersonal skills are vital, as forming and maintaining relationships with colleagues and clients fit into the overarching company goal of attracting and retaining business. 

Why is ESG important to Gowling WLG, and how can lawyers proactively promote ESG best practices in the commercial world? (350 words)

Following an ESG framework enables Gowling WLG (“Gowling”) to mitigate longer-term risks and identify business opportunities for itself and its clients. Retaining clients and winning new business are also important factors in the prioritisation of ESG. Operating as an international law firm demands a further accountability to reflect values that consider the diversity of the business.

Environmental considerations are important to Gowling to minimise the negative impact of firm activities, including pollution and accumulating hazardous substances. As clients are increasingly using benchmarks to assess active commitment to this value, the creation of the firm’s PLANET+ goals evidence its targeted approach.

Social considerations are important to Gowling because the legal sector functions through collaboration and sustaining meaningful relationships. A key social issue for Gowling is the DE&I agenda, which is enacted through the Inclusion for All strategy. Gowling participating in initiatives like The 10,000 Interns Programme holds special significance for me; it was through this initiative that I, a black neurodivergent candidate, found inspiration to become a commercial solicitor. 

Governance considerations are important to Gowling to assess internal and external risk factors and promote consistency of strategy internationally. The Solicitors Regulation Authority intervention into Axiom Ince is a notable example of how a lack of transparency within an organisation can lead to the delayed detection of unethical behaviour. The actions of a few individuals incurring financial consequences for the profession, and collective damage to the reputation of the industry, is further reinforcement of the importance of governance within Gowling, to prevent future threats.

In terms of promoting best practices, lawyers have a responsibility to continually update their commercial awareness to provide the best legal advice on ESG regulation for clients. This can be accomplished by leveraging legal networks established across various sectors and jurisdictions, anticipating issues that the client may not have initially considered. Proactively instilling these practices into future aspiring solicitors is also important, hence recruitment events should be used as a platform to achieve this. Finally, lawyers could increase accountability to ESG best practices in the commercial world by boycotting collaboration with organisations that fail to prioritize ESG values.