Competing at a young age in a challenging full scholarship competition held between The Oxford Times and St Edward’s School, was rigorous and demanding, but securing the much coveted place to study by being awarded the unique anniversary bursary demonstrates that I am able to endure the pressures of competition and thrive. My academic commitment and excellence was recognised after my first year at the school, when I was awarded an Academic Exhibition award.

[Feedback: As this question only asks for academic scholarships or prizes, some candidates might have quite a short answer. If this is the case for you, an answer with fewer academic scholarships/prizes is perfectly acceptable, provided that you supplement your answer with some additional development.

Whilst both the candidate’s awards are appropriate, the answer comes across as slightly rushed and unclear, especially in the first sentence. When writing your answer, make sure that you take full advantage of the word limit to clearly and concisely explain your examples or arguments. If need be, you should use short, simple sentences to communicate your answer as accurately as possible.] 

Please give details of any prizes, scholarships, position of responsibility and any other noteworthy achievements that will support your application. (250 Words)

As an avid football player, I founded and trained the [redacted] Football neighbourhood team. During my university summer vacation, I returned to [redacted] to train the all-girls teams. My job as founder and trainer is actively working with people to plan training schedules and decide on practice locations before all tournaments. By collaborating and actively listening to my team, I developed a more robust skill set in organisation and team working.

[Feedback: This is a nice summary of a really unique experience. Law firms are looking for well-rounded candidates with a variety of interests who can contribute to the social side of the firm too.

Be mindful of giving precise times and using accurate tenses. This candidate’s example is in the past; however, it switches to the present half way through, before going back to the past tense. By explicitly stating the date of the experience, you will avoid any mistakes with tenses, and it will be clearer for the reader.]

While at university, I developed a key interest in commercial law. To keep up with trends, I created an online commercial law blog known as [redacted] after graduation, where I discussed both broader commercial issues and market trends that stem from them. My blog has seen over 6,000 views. I aim to have it up to 20,000 by the end of 2020. This blog has allowed me to harness better drafting skills, as well as, developing a good eye for detail as I have to proofread my articles at least a few times before uploading it to my blog.

[Feedback: Once again, this is a nice example. The candidate uses this answer to demonstrate their commercial awareness, entrepreneurship, and interest in commercial law. When writing these kinds of answers, it is always worth bearing in mind the core competencies that a commercial lawyer is expected to have. Although the firm might not explicitly ask you to demonstrate such competencies, these kinds of questions that ask you to detail your extracurricular experiences are a great opportunity to show off those skills.

As an aside, be mindful of grammatical errors. Law firms will be assessing the quality of your writing throughout your answer, and no exceptions are made for international students. Therefore, ensure that you avoid typographical and grammatical errors as they will count against your application.]

Additionally, I have consistently been volunteering for ‘7 cups’ which is a site dedicated to helping at-risk suicidal individuals who I am passionate about helping. My role is to actively listen, ask questions, and advise individuals on how to tackle these problems. I have received a few awards such as the Active Listener award, Loyal Friend award and the Open-Door award. Through this experience, I have learned how to listen actively and influence them positively.

[Feedback: The candidate does well to talk about a topic which touches on a sensitive area. If possible, avoid writing extensively on such subjects; however, if you choose to raise an example akin to the volunteering experience this candidate has detailed, ensure your writing is tactful. Furthermore, the answer is substantiated with some evidence which demonstrates the candidate’s participation and engagement with their experience.

Finally, once again, avoid excessive adjective or adverb use. Using too many descriptors makes the answer seem disingenuous or overly stilted.]

Please give details of any prizes, scholarships, positions of responsibility and any other noteworthy achievements that will support your application.

I received an academic scholarship for the PGDL at BPP. This was awarded for consistently excellent academic results. I also received a career commitment scholarship for my demonstrated commitment to a career as a solicitor in commercial law.

Feedback: These achievements are not only impressive in and of themselves (scholarships generally tend to be perceived as such), but they also highlight the candidate’s upstanding academic record as well as their commitment to pursuing a career in commercial law – two aspects that law firms tend to frame as eligibility requirements within their recruitment materials. To make this answer even more persuasive, the candidate could have provided precise figures in relation to the scholarships themselves, e.g., “I was one of 10 students to receive an academic scholarship” and/or in relation to the process of obtaining the scholarships, e.g., “After undergoing a competitive application process, I received a career commitment scholarship”.

I was a finalist out of more than 400 competitors in the Linklaters’ 25 innovation pitch for my presentation on blockchain and smart contracts. Here I discussed the benefits of using blockchain for smart contracts, namely the security benefits and automated execution, and then explained how a smart contract for a call option would work. In the finals I worked in a team to produce a presentation on how law firms could use technology to further develop their client relationships.

Feedback: This achievement showcases the candidate’s commitment to pursuing a career in commercial law as well as their willingness to utilise and develop their commercial awareness within a pressurised environment such as a large-scale competition. If you do not have a noteworthy achievement that is directly related to commercial law, do not feel pressured to fabricate one; the purpose of prompts related to noteworthy achievements is twofold: to check whether you are a well-rounded candidate and to humanise the application process by allowing the recruiter a glimpse into your personality. As long as your answer is well-structured and well-written, recruiters are just as happy to read about e.g., your participation in chess tournaments, your involvement in an altruistic cause, etc. To make your answer as persuasive as possible, explain the context behind it and provide precise figures in relation to your chosen achievements, as the candidate does in this case, e.g., “I was a finalist out of more that 400 competitors”. In doing so, you will likely impress the noteworthy nature of your chosen achievements upon the reader.

I received an academic scholarship to my school. This was awarded for consistently strong academics.

I received a prize for best Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in my year. My project was based on the ethics, economics and science of a cure for ageing. I found this fascinating as this allowed me to examine industry trends, understand how smaller companies were often acquired by larger competitors and form a basic understanding of regulatory issues surrounding drug development. This helped develop my interest in commercial law.

Feedback: These achievements are relevant to the prompt insofar as they are noteworthy in and of themselves. However, they could be perceived as outdated for a candidate that has graduated university and is currently undertaking a post-graduate course given that they related to that candidate’s time at school. To ensure that your application is as strong as possible, we recommend limiting your “pool” of examples to the past three years. For instance, if you are a second-year university student, you should choose examples from your time at university and from your final year at school (or from your gap year). 

Please bullet point anything else you’d like to add which you think is relevant to your application. This can be positions of responsibility, extra scholarships. (100 word limit)

• ‘Pro’ writer for The Business Update; UCL x TBU Presenter (2020). • Writer for ‘in.coming’ (2020).
• Enactus Bristol Consulting Director (2020).
• Bristol Law School Vis Moot Team (2020).
• Online course certificates: Harvard, Contract Law; Wharton, Corporate Finance; Bocconi, Private Equity & Venture Capital (2020).
• Bristol Law Society Non-Law Subcommittee (2019).
• (As a non-law student) Runner-up in the Oxford University Press Essentials of Criminal Law Video Competition (2019).
• Bristol Philosophy Society Vice-President & Treasurer (2019). • 95% average across my A-Levels (2018).
• Inter-House Debating Winner (2018).
• Shortlisted twice in the Herbert Smith Freehills The Times Advocacy Competition (2014 & 2015).

[Feedback: Good range of examples which demonstrates that the candidate is actively involved in extra-curricular activities while at university.  The list format works well given the short word limit.]

Please detail all your key achievements and interests to date. Use this section to tell us about any academic prizes, events, societies or roles with community programmes that you feel are significant in supporting your application.

Durham Philosophy Society (2019)

●      Elected as [redacted position]

●      Increased the annual budget by 36% within 90 days post-election.

●      Promoted to [redacted position]

●      Enacted a successful rebranding of the Society along with a new marketing campaign.

●      Promoted to [redacted position]

●      In the process of negotiating a new budget with our prime departmental sponsor: predicted to treble the current budget.

[Feedback:  The bullet list format works well here, but we think the candidate could reduce down to 2 - 3 points.  Something the candidate does well is quantifying his experiences.  You must put achievements in context: it’s meaningless to say you were awarded a scholarship; you must say “X scholarship awarded to the top 4 students out of a class of 1,000 students”.  This is particularly helpful if you are an overseas candidate and the interviewer is not familiar with your achievements.]

Pharos Magazine (2019)

●      Hired as a blogger.

●      Promoted to [redacted position]

●      Within Q1 & Q2 of 2019, I generated a 55% increase in the views of Pharos Magazine's website posts, as a result of my articles.

●      Promoted to [redacted position]

●      Starting a mentorship program for budding First Year students.

[Feedback:  Again, useful experience but good to reduce number of points.  The candidate could indicate the quantity of articles produced for Pharos Magazine, which (if favourable) demonstrates it’s an extra-curricular activity that he has dedicated substantial time to.]

Oxford University Press Essentials of Criminal Law Video Competition (2019)

●      Came Runner-Up in a nationwide competition.

●      The video in question is now used for promotional and educational material.

●      Especially notable considering my non-law background.

Herbert Smith Freehills The Times Advocacy Competition

(2014/15/16)

●      Shortlisted three years in a row due to exceptional applications.

●      Was the youngest candidate to have been shortlisted.

[Feedback:  It would be better if the candidate phrased the second point as “Youngest candidate shortlisted”.  It’s fine to use shorter language for bullet points.]

Avid Debater

●      Won intra-school House Debating 2018.

●      ESU Residential Debating Course 2017

 Actor/Director/Writer

●      Lead role in school production Woyzeck 2018

●      Personally directed winning Duologue production 2017

●      Co-lead role in school production Dr. Faustus 2016

●      Personally directed winning House Drama Production 2015

●      Lead role in school production The Tempest 2014

Ex-County Level Chess Player

Excluding work experience, please detail all the events you have attended/organised which demonstrate your commitment to increasing your understanding of a career as a Solicitor.

Other than my work at Allen & Overy LLP, I have attended the following events:

●      Travers Smith 'Meet the firm' event 2019

●      Slaughter & May Insight Day 2019

●      Taylor Wessing Insight Day 2019

●      Linklaters Virtual Experience Internship 2019

●      White & Case Virtual Experience Internship 2019

●      Rare Recruitment Candidate 2019

●      SEO London Campus Ambassador 2019

●      Herbert Smith Freehills Advocacy Presentations 2014/15/16

[Feedback: This section is concise and using bullet points is fine here. Very good events listed, which is helpful for demonstrating that the candidate’s decision to pursue a career as a commercial lawyer is a carefully thought out decision.]

Please give details of any prizes, scholarships, positions of responsibility or other relevant information that will support your application.

For the [redacted organisation], I have been chosen to lead a team of volunteer legal assistants. I am responsible for communications between the Steering Committee and my volunteers, and for coordinating their legal research work, designating tasks and ensuring deadlines are kept. I recently completed the UK101 leadership development programme which has further improved my leadership skills. The course focused on strengthening the traits which will make us strategic and resilient young leaders.

[Feedback: This is a good example which demonstrates a breadth of competencies, such as leadership, resilience, communication, and organisation. You should remember that not all of your examples or extracurricular activities need to be law related. Although law related examples are excellent, any examples which showcase your competencies are valid, provided that you explain and link them back to the career at hand correctly.

To improve this answer, the candidate could have been more specific in their writing. First, as with standard academic and professional writing practice, the candidate should have spelt out the name of the tribunal before forming an acronym (you should note that you should only create an acronym if you then use that acronym again). Second, the candidate could have explained what exactly the ‘Steering Committee’ is, as it would have allowed the reader to better understand what their role entailed. Third, the candidate could have developed on what the leadership programme actually entailed.

Furthermore, you should remember to avoid using ‘we’ or ‘us’ in your answers when ‘I’ or ‘me’ would be as appropriate. The law firm is only interested in what you did and what you achieved. Although you might do things in teams or groups, your actions are the only ones that the law firm is particularly interested in.]

My academic record has been consistently high, and I was in the top 15% of my cohort on the GDL at City University. I have successfully juggled my strong academic performance with part-time work, so I have excellent time-management skills. At school I was in a professional string quartet, performing at weddings and events, and at university, I worked part-time as a waitress and for [redacted organisation].

[Feedback: There are some great points in this paragraph. First, the candidate’s academic performance is an excellent thing to note, especially in conjunction with their part-time work. Law firms are sensitive to the fact that candidates come from a variety of backgrounds and socio-economic statuses – having high academic performance whilst working to sustain yourself is something that firms will definitely want to hear about and will be impressed by.

The candidate could have been a little clearer with their third sentence, as, at first blush, it appears that it does not link to their previous sentences. However, on a second reading, the candidate is attempting to show that they have worked throughout their academic career and so have constantly had to balance their academic performance with working to sustain themselves. The candidate could have made this clearer by providing a linking or introductory word/phrase at the beginning of their sentence.

For example, they could have written: ‘Whilst at secondary school, I worked during weekends and holidays as part of a professional string quartet, performing at weddings and private events. During university, I worked part-time as a waitress, and as a [insert role here] for [redacted organisation]’.]

Last year, I was offered a Career Commitment scholarship to study the LPC at BPP University, which I did not take up as I could not afford the remainder of the fees.

[Feedback: We think that this is an important thing to have included. This a great achievement for the candidate, and whilst it is a true shame that they were unable to make use of it, it is nonetheless important to show to law firms.

This example evidences the candidate’s determination, resilience, and ability, notwithstanding their extremely challenging circumstances. You should remember that law firms are sympathetic to candidate’s struggles; therefore, if you have achieved something, but due to personal circumstances you were unable to make full use of that achievement, it may be worth mentioning in these sections of an application form. However, you should remember that the standard rules of professionalism and appropriateness apply – you should not overshare personal information; if appropriate, you should communicate your personal circumstances tactfully.

Finally, you should note that you can use slightly different phraseology to draw out certain connotations of what you have written. For example, instead of the candidate saying that they ‘did not take up’ the scholarship, they could have written, ‘which I was unable to accept as I could not afford […]’. This amendment alters the tone of the answer to better communicate that the candidate was unduly barred from acting on their abilities and academic ability.]

If you have any additional information that you consider relevant to your application, please enter it here. (300 Words)

Bristows’s is relatively well-known for employing trainees with a science background. Despite being a graduate from a law background, I have a strong science knowledge background from having done well previously in secondary school. I received the highest grade in chemistry throughout my consecutive years at [redacted school]. Additionally, I have done several internships at hospitals in [redacted location] – specifically at Mt Alvernia where I shadowed doctors in the surgical, cardiological and respiratory department. Through these experiences, I improved my ability to understand scientific medical knowledge which I believe will serve your firm well.

[Feedback: This is an excellent contribution to this candidate’s application. Always remember that these sections allow you to expound upon whatever you wish, so long as it is relevant to the application. The candidate is aware that Bristows has a speciality in life-sciences and so has included additional relevant experiences to improve her application.

Once again, be mindful of imprecise writing, and spelling and grammar mistakes. The candidate makes the same mistake of writing Bristows’s, and their phrasing in the second and third sentences is a little unclear and verbose.

Finally, the last sentence is a little presumptuous. Avoid addressing the firm directly or using the second personal pronoun. You do not know who is reading your application, and it is best to use your answers to talk about yourself, your experiences, and so on, rather than directly addressing the reader.]

Furthermore, I have participated in several scientific competitions such as the [redacted location] Elementz competition where I came in second out of the whole of [redacted location]. Throughout this competition, I research extensively on the properties that the element calcium can have on the human body. I wrote a report and subsequently a paper on how the element could be used in both medicine and dentistry, as well as construction. I developed strong organisational skills during this process and additionally I learned how to read scientific reports.

[Feedback:This is a unique and impressive example. Remember, if you have experiences that are unconventional but relevant to your application, make sure to include them. Even if it is not directly related to law, consider whether it can be used to evidence your competencies.

Again, law firms will not make exceptions for spelling and grammar mistakes, so make sure you reread your answers carefully to find hard-to-spot mistakes like the typo ‘I research extensively’, where it should have been ‘researched’.]

With these skill sets coupled with my transferrable skills noted elsewhere in this application form, I would be the perfect candidate for a training contract with your firm. I would be able to build strong client contact and understand relatively difficult scientific principles from a legal angle and contribute to the firm’s success.

Thank you for considering my application.

[Feedback: This last bit is a little unnecessary considering that it is situated within a 300-word answer, rather than a cover letter or personal statement. Nevertheless, the candidate seems to have had extra words to spare and so used them to have a concluding paragraph. This is done relatively well, and produces a simple but effective summary of why they should be taken on by the firm.]

If you have any additional information that you consider relevant to your application, please enter it here. (300 words)

I have volunteered for a charity called [redacted], which is a charity that listen to people who wants emotional support online. I have completed their listening and communication course and have listened to people from January to March.

Feedback:This is a good contribution to the candidate’s application. These sections allow you to write about whatever you wish, provided it is relevant to your example. The candidate already addressed this volunteering experience during the “tell me about a time” section, so they do well to contextualise the experience and provide a general overview here.

The candidate makes a grammatical mistake by saying “people who wants emotional support” when this should be “want”. In any case, “want” reads as informal and should be replaced with “need”/”require”. Their final sentence is also quite verbose and would benefit from being split up into separate sentences.

Last year, I volunteered to speak at SEO London's webinar for 100 sixth formers with ethnic minority and low socioeconomic backgrounds on how to best navigate their university lives. I coordinated with the other volunteers to go through the content. This was a successful event, where I received positive feedback from the sixth formers on LinkedIn, thanking me for my insight into university life.

Feedback:This is a unique and impressive example. You should note how we are given specific details which quantify the achievement. We know exactly who attended the presentation and how many attended in total. We are also given some insight into the outcome, namely that this candidate had students specifically reach out on LinkedIn to offer their thanks.

That said, the candidate should once again watch out for informal language such as “sixth formers”.  Ideally, the candidate should have said “sixth form students”. Though it might seem like a minor point, recruiters tend to be cynical about informal language because it suggests you do not have the required professionalism or writing abilities to be a successful lawyer. As such, you must read through your writing carefully and make sure it comes across in a professional tone.

In 2019, I attended a coding session with General Assembly, where I received an introduction to HTML and CSS. Furthermore, I attended a webinar on data analytics last month, as I understand that data and technology go hand in hand. I hope to further progress my knowledge and contribute in providing innovative solutions at Baker McKenzie.

Feedback: Again, this is a decent addition to the answer and it is relevant to Bristows’ own strengths in IP and technology.

Nevertheless, the candidate commits a very serious error by naming the wrong firm (Baker McKenzie instead of Bristows). This must be avoided by all applicants. Though this application was successful, most firms will automatically reject candidates for this mistake because it is beyond sloppy. It demonstrates a lack of attention to detail, calls into question the candidate’s motivation for the firm, and in any case makes it clear that the candidate has just copied and pasted this answer from another application form. Whilst you can reuse elements of other applications, you must carefully proofread these to ensure there are no typos or mentions of other firms.

Having danced ballet for seven years, I decided to venture out to different genres of dance and so have enrolled to City Academy’s street dance lessons. I have also partaken in Bollywood and Contemporary dance.

Feedback: This is a fair addition to the application, but it might have been more appropriately placed in the previous section so that the candidate could discuss any achievements and specific experiences. With that in mind, it does demonstrate that the candidate is a well-rounded person with a variety of positive qualities they could bring to the firm.

If applicable please state any additional information which you think is relevant to your application or which you think has not been covered adequately in this form. (300 words)

I participated in the University of [redacted - non-London Russell Group university] Negotiation Competition, where I finished first out of 100 participants. During the event, I was tasked with fictitious dispute scenarios between parties and had to negotiate an outcome that was most favourable to my client. This experience allowed me to appreciate the intersection between law and commerce. Scenarios were drafted where parties were from a specific industry, and thus the perspectives of different stakeholders had to be cared for. I enjoyed the critical thinking associated with these tasks by opening myself up to challenges in areas I was previously unfamiliar with.

[Feedback:  Similar to the previous question, candidates often leave this section of the application form blank or underutilise it. Treat this section as a space where you can mention anything that you feel you would have liked to bring up in the application form but were otherwise unable to. You should also remember that this space can be used to mention any mitigating circumstances or factors that have hindered your academic performance (which will then be considered by the recruiter).

The candidate has chosen a good activity to mention: this is an excellent achievement which demonstrates their commitment and suitability for a career in commercial law. Notably, the candidate has not just mentioned their activity, they have gone into detail about what the activity demanded of them, and what they took away from it.

Furthermore, the candidate has employed specific facts and statistics to flesh out their answer. For example, the candidate mentions that they came ‘first out of 100 participants’. To further improve the answer, the candidate could have provided some more detail regarding the activity. Instead of mentioning that the ‘parties were from a specific industry’, it would have been better to state what industry it was (for example, the parties were engaged in the energy industry’). Additionally, the candidate could have described (briefly) what one of the ‘scenarios’ was, and how they approached it.]

Following this experience, I was selected to join the Negotiation Committee the following year. My role was to promote and organise workshops on campus as well as coordinate the logistics of the competition for that year. I suggested creating a bigger social media presence for the Committee as this was a more efficient method of getting exposure and provided an accessible means of communication for participants to reach out to us. I also hosted a number of taster workshops for students to work on a simulation as practice for the competition. My team and I were commended by the Law School for successfully increasing the number of participants in the competition by 56% from the previous year. As a result, the 156 participants that year was the highest sign-up figure to date, where 36 of these were non-Law school students (where previously, there had not been any). This experience highlighted the importance of teamwork and the commitment to perform accordingly to execute a task successfully. Similarly, working at Dechert as a trainee places a large responsibility on the trainee to effectively carry out a task in order to deliver the high quality of service expected by my colleagues, and the client.

[Feedback: This answer, for the most part, is excellent. Rather than having this paragraph stand alone, the candidate has successfully linked it to the previous paragraph, and, in doing so, created an engaging, flowing answer. Additionally, the structure of this answer is robust. The candidate has employed the ‘STAR’ (situation, task, action, result) structure to guide the reader through what they did, how they did it, and what the results of their actions were. Finally, the candidate has incorporated a decent level of detailed facts and statistics into their response. You should note how the candidate uses percentage changes and specific numbers to evidence the impact of their actions.

The only point of improvement for this answer concerns the last few sentences. The candidate writes that ‘this experience highlighted the importance of teamwork and the commitment to perform accordingly to execute a task successfully’. This is quite a vague and unsubstantiated sentence. If the candidate wishes to claim this, they must detail why teamwork was important for this specific activity and how the candidate fostered good teamworking skills.

Additionally, the statement that ‘this experience highlighted the importance of […] the commitment to perform accordingly to execute a task successfully [emphasis added]’ is far too vague – it does not make a concrete claim. Instead of writing this, the candidate could have used the word count to further flesh out their example, or explain how, specifically, they would draw on this experience (and the skills fostered as a result of it) as a trainee (as briefly touched on, but not fully developed, in the last sentence).]

Please tell us about any awards, scholarships or prizes you have been given.

My current financial scholarship came from the University of Durham, where I won the Canadian Scholarship, a three year renewable scholarship awarded to the Canadian student with the highest academic standing.

At [redacted school] in Toronto, Canada, I was the first recipient of the [redacted] Debating Prize, for outstanding performance in debating and exhibiting leadership qualities. This was given to me based on my success in debating: Ranked 5th in Canada, and 1st in the Province of Ontario at the Canadian Debating Championships; Winner of the University of Toronto High School Debating Tournament; Top speaker at the York University High School Debating Tournament; and Semi-Finalist at the North American Debating Championships.

As well, I won the [redacted school] Principal’s List Prize for strong academic achievement, and graduating in the top fifteen percent of my class at school.

In the field of community service, I received the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award, along with the Silver Community Service Award at UCC for performing hundreds of community service hours. This included running bingo sessions over three summers for those with Alzheimers and dementia, along with teaching ice-hockey and basketball skills to underprivileged children.

[Feedback: Law firms look for high-achievers (i.e. the top 5-10% in virtually any field).  The purpose of this question is to give candidates a chance to evidence this.  In this case, the candidate does a wonderful job of communicating that he is in the target catchment of potential high-achieving employees through a long history of accomplishments.

Achievements are meaningless unless you put them in context.  It’s not enough to say you were awarded a scholarship; you must say “X scholarship awarded to the top 4 students out of a class of 1,000 students”. 

The candidate could improve his second paragraph by leading with his national ranking for debating.  This is an objective ranking which is more impressive than an award by a (presumably) private school - which are typically much more well versed than state schools in the value of generously awarding their students various awards.  We like that the candidate then went on to list out his historical debating achievements.  If we rewrote this, we would incorporate the Debating Prize into this list together and add quantifiable context (e.g., peer group size) to clarify the example. 

In this section, the candidate has evidenced that: (1) he is a strong academic performer (Principal’s List Prize); (2) he is national-standard at debating (ranked 5th in Canada) and (3) he has at least a passing interest in community service (Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award).  That’s a good start.]

Please detail below any further information that you would like us to consider when reviewing your application in the light of the many others we receive? What makes you stand out from the crowd?

Growing up, I spent the majority of my time after school on our farm with my parents and siblings, working on a multitude of different dynamic tasks.

As a result of this, I have found that in any endeavour I undertake in relation to my legal career, be that in leading firms in Dublin, London or Paris, the common sense and pragmatic approach I bring to problems has allowed me to hit the ground running and integrate quickly into new environments and teams. I know that consequently I can bring this strong analytical approach and resourcefulness to the complex and internationally focused work undertaken by Hogan Lovells.

[Feedback:  This question allows the candidate to detail and discuss anything else they would like to include on their application form. Whilst there are many approaches to this kind of question, we would recommend choosing two to three areas for discussion and using a PEEL structure for each area. Importantly, these areas can involve academia, extracurricular activities, or other personal experiences.

These first two paragraphs detail the candidate’s personal experience of working on their parent’s farm. The candidate explains how their experience demonstrates particular competencies and how those competencies would be useful in the context of being a trainee solicitor at Hogan Lovells.

Overall, this is an excellent response. The candidate provides a good argument for why they have the necessary skills to thrive as a trainee solicitor at the firm. You should notice how the candidate draws on their unique background to evidence particular, relevant competencies. They then explain how those competencies have aided them when working at different firms before concluding that, therefore, they know they can bring these competencies to the trainee solicitor role and add value to Hogan Lovells.

Although the candidate could have elaborated on how they employed their skills in their work at previous firms (by giving some specific examples), we recognise that the candidate needs to talk about some other topics in this 250-word answer, and so brevity is required.]

Volunteering with the ShoutOut organisation through college has been a highlight of my [redacted University] experience. ShoutOut provides educational talks in schools about the LGBTQ+ community and inclusivity. As someone who personally benefited greatly from the work of ShoutOut, I felt very privileged to be given the opportunity to help out in the organising and functioning of school events which really make an impact on students.

[Feedback:  This paragraph serves to highlight the candidate’s volunteering experience and a cause they are passionate about. This a good experience to talk about as it demonstrates not only the candidate’s charitable nature but also their commitment to helping their community. Many candidates who have these experiences may feel that they are not “good enough” to be put on their application form. However, these experiences are very important and impressive. You must remember that law firms are looking to hire all-rounded, diverse individuals. Therefore, you should be proud of your volunteering experiences and the causes you are a part of.

To improve this answer, the candidate could have added a sentence at the end of their answer describing how they would continue their passion for ShoutOut and their cause at Hogan Lovells. For example, the candidate could have linked their experience to the firm by claiming they would want to get involved with the firm’s global LGBT and allies network, ‘Pride+’. When you write your answers, you should consider how you can link your experiences and passions to the firm you are applying to. By doing so, you will show the recruiter that your interests are authentic and that you really are passionate about what you claim to be. It is also a great way to showcase some additional research you undertook concerning the firm.]

I was awarded the [redacted University] Prize 2020 for obtaining the highest grades throughout the academic year and consequently being ranked 1/17 in my class. Furthermore, I was awarded the Certificate Suprieur de Droit International et European for my results during my year studying at [redacted University]. As a result of my Irish Leaving Certificate results, I was awarded the 2017 [redacted College] Entrance Scholarship.

[Feedback: This final section focuses on the candidate’s academic achievements. This section reads more like a list than a discussion; however, this is appropriate given the number of achievements and the style of question it is in response to. You should note how the candidate continues to include specific information in their answer. They do not simply state that they were ranked first in their class; they state how many students that was out of. Furthermore, they specify what university they were attending when they achieved the Certificate Suprieur de Droit International et European and the reason why they earned their 2017 Entrance Scholarship.

If you have any scholarships, prizes, or exceptionally high rankings or marks, you should include them in your answer. Many candidates will be intelligent; however, you can stand out from them by showcasing your awards and consistently high performance. Law firms do not just want to hire candidates who got a first-class undergraduate degree. They want to hire candidates with a consistent track record of achievement (not just academic) that stretches back several years. Therefore, you should ensure you include your best achievements, present and past, provided the word count allows for it.]

Tell us about any open days and events that you have attended in the legal sector

During a virtual Hogan Lovells evening reception held by the [redacted top tier university] Law Society, I spoke to Trainee Ryun Pang. We discussed the firm’s wide ranging practice areas, and international presence, maintaining 51 offices in nearly 30 offices. I also enjoyed exploring the firm’s unique opportunities for training, such as through its BaSE Programme. I discovered the opportunities for trainees to help to advise social enterprises, providing a unique level of client-exposure unavailable at other law firms.

During a week’s work experience at Pinsent Masons in 2019, I researched GDPR laws and used this information to suggest practical business advice for a tech client looking to expand its online platform. Helping a partner proofread documents relating to a live construction dispute also drew me to the collaborative environment of commercial law, which allowed me to quickly learn from senior lawyers.

During a first-year scheme at Freshfields, I helped present a due-diligence checklist on a merger between two fictitious footwear companies. I enjoyed developing my understanding of how firms operate, and seeing the scope of issues which arise from M&A transactions, such as the contractual obligations of target businesses. At a Simmons and Simmons first-year scheme, I helped review the Civil Procedures Rules to determine whether witness statements needed filing in absence of specific directions. I enjoyed exploring both the commercial nature of corporate work, such as the differences between asset and share acquisitions, as well the in-depth legal knowledge needed during disputes.

Feedback: We recommend that candidates take questions like this at face value. You should (1) summarise what the open day/event involved, (2) how you achieved a place at that event (i.e. did you apply, were you selected to attend against X number of other candidates, could anyone sign up, etc), before summarising (3) what you took away from the event and how it strengthened your interest in commercial law at a global City law firm.

Though the candidate offers no insight into how they secured places at these three events, the candidate otherwise answers the question well. Each paragraph concisely outlines (1) the name of each firm, (2) what each event involved, (3) what the candidate took away from each experience and (4) how the experience contributed to their interest in commercial law.

The candidate also does well by leading with their discussion of the Hogan Lovells evening reception. In particular, the candidate provides a named example of a trainee they spoke to as well as specific facts and details they learned from the firm by attending this event. To improve, the candidate should have drilled down on how this event prompted the candidate to apply to Hogan Lovells. The candidate tells recruiters facts they already know about the firm, but does not explain why these interest the candidate.

Please detail below any further information that you would like us to consider when reviewing your application.

I enjoy the intellectual rigour of problem solving and understanding complicated concepts. For instance, I was “highly commended” in the [redacted top tier university] Peter Cane Legal Reasoning Prize out of over 50 entries. I also ranked within the top 5% of my cohort at [redacted top tier university] out of 175 students.

Feedback:This is a good contribution to the candidate’s application. You should note that these sections allow you to expound upon any topic you wish, provided that it is relevant to your overall application. You should note the candidate goes into a high level of detail when discussing their award. We are given detailed numbers, percentages and statistics. These contextualise the candidate’s academic awards and add substance to them. You should aim for a similar level of detail when discussing your academic accomplishments.

That said, it is not enough for the candidate simply to assert that these achievements demonstrate their “problem-solving” skills and their ability to “understanding complicated concepts”. The candidate needs to provide further context by explaining how their problem-solving skills led them to achieve these awards.

As Legal Advisor for [NGO], I compiled the tax section of a legal report for a client. I compared Transfer Pricing laws across African jurisdictions, and suggested solutions for a healthcare business looking towards overseas expansion. This developed the analytical skills I would need for tasks like legal research and drafting documents like board meetings. I also developed my commercial understanding of the risks businesses face when entering contracts. Given Hogan Lovells’s sector strategy which sees its lawyers act as both legal and business advisors, this would allow me to better understand client needs when undertaking trainee tasks like due diligence.

Feedback: This is a fair addition to the candidate’s answer. The candidate’s legal experience at this NGO helps demonstrate their overall commitment to a career in law, as well as their overall understanding of what the career involves day-to-day. We are also given some insight into the analytical skills this candidate developed by working on the tax section of a legal report for a client. That said, the candidate should have provided details on the overall outcome their work achieved for the client (including any specific numbers where possible). This would have helped contextualise the candidate’s work and made it more impactful overall.

The majority of this paragraph lacks substance. Firstly, the candidate asserts that they developed “commercial understanding of the risks business face when entering contracts”. We are not given any concrete examples from the candidate’s experience as an advisor to back this up. Secondly, the candidate shoehorns in some underdeveloped points about Hogan Lovells without it being called for by the question. The candidate asserts that they would be good at “undertaking trainee tasks like due diligence” at Hogan Lovells, but the candidate neither ties this point back in with their own experience nor demonstrates any understanding of what due diligence involves. The candidate’s point that “Hogan Lovells’ sector strategy which sees its lawyers act as both legal and business advisors” is also redundant. All commercial lawyers act as both business and legal advisors, not just those at Hogan Lovells. As such, the candidate demonstrates no understanding of Hogan Lovells’ sector strategy. Given the tight word count, we recommend focusing this section on your relevant experiences not covered elsewhere in the application. You should quantify these achievements in as much detail as you can, whilst outlining how you achieved them. There is no need to tie your points back to the firm.

You should also be very careful not to make any typos or grammatical slip-ups. The candidate unnecessarily capitalises “transfer pricing” whilst also misspelling “Hogan Lovells’s” (where it should be Hogan Lovells’). Law firms may reject candidates automatically on the basis of grammar/spelling mistakes, so you must stamp these out.

As Brand Ambassador for [redacted multi-site global law firm], I was tasked with creating original content to promote the firm’s events, with a termly target of 200 clicks. Realising the limited reach of my text-based posts, which had only attracted 20 clicks in a week, I taught myself to use digital software platforms like Canva to create graphic-based resources. I later reached my termly target within three weeks. I thus have the resilience needed to overcome day-to-day challenges as a trainee, as well as the innovative mindset which Hogan Lovells embraces, such as through its use of technology in creating LIBOR toolkits.

Feedback: This is another good contribution to the candidate’s answer. You should again note the candidate’s high level of detail. We are given a concise outline of the candidate’s role and objectives, before the candidate provides a quantified achievement and explains exactly how they achieved this. The candidate is aware that Hogan Lovells specialises in legal technology and so offers a relevant experience to strengthen the application.

That said, we would recommend avoiding shoehorned links back to the firm. The candidate asserts that Hogan Lovells has an innovative mindset and that it uses technology in creating LIBOR toolkits. These examples are unsubstantiated and add little value to the answer. Instead, the candidate should have drilled down on how this resilience would help them to succeed as a trainee.

Is there anything else you would like to add in support of your application? (200 words)

I would like to clarify the reason behind my lower performance in my A-levels.

During my A-levels, I was a part of the England Hockey AASE programme and the England U18 squad which meant I had to dedicate upwards of 20 hours per week training and travelling to and from the Lilleshall National Sports Centre amongst other locations. This meant that, despite my best efforts, my A-levels suffered.

[Feedback: This is important to include and, by including this, the candidate has demonstrated that they are self-aware. We would always recommend detailing any mitigating/personal circumstances surrounding your academic results. Law firms are sensitive to such circumstances and do make substantial allowances for those with proper explanations. Remember, do not feel embarrassed – you will not be looked down upon for mentioning such circumstances/difficulties and, on the contrary, law firms may be more lenient at this stage in the application process.]

However, whilst representing my country, I completed the 1st4sport Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Sports Performance and Excellence which was worth 85 UCAS points. This means that together with my other A-level results, my UCAS points total is 385 UCAS points, equivalent to grades of A*AA at A-level.

[Feedback: This is great – the candidate demonstrates that despite them sacrificing their academic results they took action to ensure that they made up for it. You should bear in mind that law firms do not demand a candidate with a perfect record – they are looking to see continuous improvement and recovery from setbacks. Just as an aside: this candidate has calculated their UCAS points using the old tariff system.]

I achieved excellent GCSEs and am predicted a strong 2.1 degree, which demonstrates that my A-Levels, when judged on their own, are not representative of my academic ability. I hope the above is acceptable to you and that you will take this into account when reviewing my application.

[Feedback: A nice end to the section. The candidate makes a sincere case for their academic ability and demonstrates such ability either side of their A-Levels.] 

Is there anything else you would like to add in support of your application? (200)

Feedback: In response to this question, we recommend following the candidate’s example and discussing a variety of extra-curricular activities that you have pursued, positions of responsibility that you have held and, if applicable, accolades you have received (e.g., prizes, awards, scholarships, etc.), preferably within the past three years. To demonstrate your well-roundedness and allow the recruiter a glimpse into your personality, we recommend discussing at least three distinct examples of such extra-curricular activities, positions of responsibility and/or accolades.

During Sixth Form, I created the school's first ever Law Society. In this role, I organised 10 guest speakers for the 30 members and adjudicated the mock-trial competition. My personal highlight was liaising with local high-street firms and building a relationship with them on behalf of the school. As a result of the close rapport I built with three firms, the school saw a 25% increase in legal representatives at the annual careers fair.

I am a recipient of the Vesey Award which recognised my commitment to extracurriculars, leadership and volunteering. I also received the Tom Healey Geography Award which recognised an ability to outperform targets set for my A-level performance.

Outside of academia, I was selected to represent [redacted] Tigers rugby at regional level. This involved ten hours training each week and fortnightly matches. My role as vice-captain meant I led our team-analysis sessions where I would pitch our game strategy. In my first away game, we were losing 15-0 and I noticed this was because we were attacking too narrowly. At half-time, I suggested we implement a more expansive kicking game. My suggestions were welcomed by the captain and I was proud to contribute to our 20-30 victory.

During university, I have led a series of virtual events. I spoke as a first-year representative for [redacted university]’s M&A society alongside two future trainees to an audience of 250 students. I have also delivered a presentation as Careers Officer of [redacted] University Law Society on methods to improve commercial awareness and how to demonstrate it in applications.

Feedback: The candidate presents a good variety of extra-curricular activities, positions of responsibility, and accolades, showcasing their well-roundedness as well as their multidimensional personality. At the same time, they provide the recruiter with sufficient background information to enable them to understand the context behind each one of the extra-curricular activities, positions of responsibility and accolades presented in their answer (e.g., “the Vesey Award […] recognised my commitment to extracurriculars, leadership and volunteering”, “My role as vice-captain meant I led our team-analysis sessions where I would pitch our game strategy”, etc.). What makes their answer particularly effective, however, is the fact that they provide the recruiter with precise figures throughout (e.g., “I organised 10 guest speakers for the 30 members”, “the school saw a 25% increase”, “an audience of 250 students”, etc.), which does not only lend credibility to their claims but it also highlights the magnitude of their achievements.

Extra information: Is there anything else you'd like to tell us in support of your application? Don't feel obliged to answer this question!

Feedback:In response to this prompt, we recommend that you discuss a variety of extra-curricular activities that you have pursued, positions of responsibility that you have held, and accolades that you have received (e.g., awards, prizes, scholarships, etc.), preferably within the past three years. To show the recruiter that you are a well-rounded candidate and that you have a multidimensional personality, we recommend that you discuss at least three distinct examples of such extra-curricular activities, positions of responsibility and/or accolades.

I am currently a [retracted university] Student buddy which involves providing academic and emotional support to four first year law students to assist with their transition into the new environment.

I also actively partake in volunteering opportunities. I have previously worked closely with my local borough as a youth councillor which involved leading a team of 20 young adults in developing youth-led projects in [local area] alongside the Young Mayor team.

I led a campaign for a Young Mayor 2015-17 candidate, who successful secured the position of deputy Young Mayor. I planned and organised all of the campaign events (e.g. school assemblies), created merchandise and managed all social media platforms throughout the campaigning period and post elections. This experience allowed me to further develop my leadership and public speaking skills which I believe will be of significant help during my training contract.

Through my university's pro-bono society, I had volunteered to assist with Denton's PopLaw clinic where I was responsible for registering clients upon arrival which involved checking whether they have previously using the clinic's service and if so, locating existing files or creating new client files for first time clients and providing an overview of the clinic’s services.

Feedback: The candidate presents a good variety of extra-curricular activities and positions of responsibility and provides the recruiter with a reasonably clear outline thereof. To make their answer more persuasive, the candidate could have provided the recruiter with more details and precise figures in relation to their achievements, e.g., “After undergoing a competitive application process, I was selected to work as a Student Buddy at my university”, “I planned and organised fifteen campaign events”, etc. In doing so, they could have boosted the credibility of their answer and emphasised the magnitude or noteworthiness of their achievements to the recruiter. At the same time, the candidate could have limited their “pool” of extra-curricular activities and positions of responsibility to the past three years; two of their examples, namely their involvement in “youth-led projects […] alongside the Young Mayor team” and in the Young Mayor campaign itself, could be perceived as outdated given that they happened between 2015 and 2017.

For the sake of consistency, the candidate could have mentioned the transferable skills they developed and the relevance thereof to the role of a trainee solicitor at Lewis Silkin in the context of all the extra-curricular activities and positions of responsibility they discussed, rather than just their involvement in a campaign for a Young Mayor. Equally, they could have omitted the foregoing in the context of all the extra-curricular activities and positions of responsibility they discussed. Following one approach over the other in your answer is unlikely to place you at a significant disadvantage given the liberal wording of the prompt.

Is there any other information not included elsewhere in this form that you would like to tell us about (for instance positions of responsibility, other interests etc)?

I have always had an interest in debating and explored this interest in the Oxford Schools Debating Competition. I participated in the University of Warwick’s Model UN and Debating Union. I enjoyed the challenge of a debate and strengthened my ability to communicate effectively and persuasively.

[Feedback: This is a great addition to the rest of the application. You should remember to make full use of these sections to showcase your other talents, competencies and interests. The candidate does well to mention specific examples demonstrating their interest and ability in debating and public speaking. To add to this, the candidate could have linked this back to the role of a trainee solicitor, specifically, how such mentioned competencies would assist them with dealing with specific tasks. However, this is just a bonus point to include if the word limit allows.]

I am a keen sportswoman and played for the University seconds’ lacrosse team. I have taken part in two Olympic triathlons this year to maintain fitness and achieve new goals. I am also a keen skier and worked as a disability snowsports instructor since the age of 18 where I obtained the award for “New Hire of the Year” in acknowledgment of my positive attitude and team work.

[Feedback: This is another great paragraph – the candidate has evidenced their interest and ability with specific examples, and has alluded to some more competencies, such as teamwork and determination.

As a point of improvement, the candidate should be careful with spelling and grammar – ‘team work’ is one word. Furthermore, make sure to explicitly state any competencies that you are attempting to imply in your answers. ‘Buzzwords’ should be used when appropriate to ensure the reader acknowledges your suitability – if you do not write explicitly, you run the risk of the reader missing what you are trying to communicate.]

One of my key interests outside of academia is singing. I was a member of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, 2009-2014. I received Grade 8 Singing with Distinction and was awarded the Vocal Scholarship at [redacted school]. I am currently an active member of London choir, “Some Voices”.

[Feedback: Once again, this is a great paragraph – the candidate is using this section to its fullest, highlighting a wide variety of interests, talents, and achievements. What is especially good is the candidate’s answer’s specificity regarding dates, names, and rank of achievement. Even when it comes to more personal matters and extracurricular activities, the specificity of your answers remains paramount.

You should remember that not all of your extracurriculars need to be related to law. Law firms want to hire all-rounded, relatable individuals; hence, examples like singing, skiing, and so on, are very worthy inclusions to an application form.]

I have also worked as a volunteer with Students in Classrooms where I delivered music sessions to displaced children in the Calais “Jungle”. I have encouraged greater participation in this scheme as a member of the Pro Bono Committee at [redacted law firm]. As a member of the Pro Bono Committee I have participated in the Horizon Legal Advice clinic. As part of this, I have already implemented new procedures to ensure the client experience is positive.

[Feedback: We are amazed with the sheer breadth and quality of this candidate’s activities. This answer in particular is very impressive and highlights the candidate’s ability to pursue their interests in tandem with and as part of their professional legal work. This paragraph links the candidate’s musical ability, as mentioned in the previous section, with their volunteering experience and their current employment as a paralegal – this is excellently done.

The only point of improvement would be regarding making the last sentence a little more specific. Instead of writing ‘new procedures to ensure the client experience is positive’, the candidate could have specified the ‘new procedures’ and explained specifically how the client experience was improved. Nevertheless, this paragraph, and the preceding ones, are really well-written and show off the very best of this candidate.]

Is there anything else you would like to add in support of your application? (300 words max) *

To improve my fitness, get active and meet new people, I took up running as a hobby. Not being a very active person in general, I followed the couch to 5k programme and ran my first 5k with [university] Fun Run in October 2019.

[Feedback: This paragraph gives the reader a glimpse into the candidate’s personal interests/ hobbies, which makes them appear more genuine and human. The candidate’s participation in the “Couch to 5k” programme and their university's Fun Run event lends credibility to their claims and provides the reader with a sense of closure. We would have liked to see an explanation of the candidate’s motivation to become more active and improve their fitness, but this is a relatively minor point.

From January to April 2019, I worked with [aid charity] and [non-governmental organization focused on ending human trafficking]. Following on the job training by observing the initiative leader delivering presentations, I delivered several presentations to colleges on how to recognise and act upon signs of trafficking. These workshops also involved having open Q&A sessions, to really engage students.

Being a Peer Mentor, from September 2017 to June 2018, entailed supporting a group of six students throughout their first year. I made sure I was available every other Tuesday for an hour to meet with students face to face and responded promptly to emails pointing students to appropriate resources where applicable.

[Feedback:  The candidate does a good job of outlining the details of their two positions of responsibility. We would have liked to see a discussion of the skills and/or benefits that they derived from said positions of responsibility or the results produced by their work. As it stands, the paragraph feels incomplete, and the reader is left without a sense of closure.

Note: awkward phrasing at “[f]ollowing on the job training”.

I was awarded the Religious Studies award and trophy after my final year at [secondary school] in October 2016. Each subject recognised one student that stood out throughout the year for their dedication and input during class. My teacher nominated me for Religious Studies, from a cohort of around twenty.

[Feedback: Although this is an impressive achievement, it appears to be quite dated; the date suggests that the candidate obtained the award and trophy whilst at school. We would recommend that you only cite achievements, extra-curricular activities, and positions of responsibility from your time at university (unless you are in your first year at university and applying for first-year schemes/ open days). 

Please give details of any prizes, scholarships, positions of responsibility and any other noteworthy achievements that will support your application. (250 words)

In my first year at [university], I was awarded the [academic prize] for the most distinguished student in the European History course. The following year, my course essay was used as an exemplar for students. I maintained a high academic standard (69% average) in my second year, alongside positions of responsibility such as acting as the class representative for African and Asian History. Consequently, I secured a place at the highly competitive [university] for a study abroad programme in my third year. While there, I appeared on the Dean's Honours List in the Fall and Spring quarters and achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.9. I also interned alongside my studies with the [student-led research group] for six months as Coalitions Coordinator for the New Voters Project. When I returned to [university] for my final year, I sat on the [university society] committee as [role]. I received the [university] Award for Global Citizenship for my work with the programme.

After graduating, I was supported by [university grant] to participate in the Summer Programme on the United Nations [at x university]. In September 2020, I began the PGDL at BPP University. I was awarded a Career Commitment Scholarship which was doubled in value due to the strength of my application, which demonstrated my aptitude for a legal career, strong work ethic, academic excellence, and commitment to the legal profession.

[Feedback: This paragraph showcases the candidate’s impressive achievements in a balanced, easy-to-follow manner. The candidate strikes the right balance between sufficient and overwhelming detail; the reader is not left guessing or making too many assumptions regarding the candidate’s achievements. Moreover, the candidate grounds their answer in a logical timeline, which allows the reader to follow their train of thought with relative ease. It is also a clever way to highlight the fact that the candidate has been active all throughout their time at university, as well as after graduating. To take this answer to the next level, the candidate could have highlighted the manner in which they obtained some of their achievements because doing so might enhance the reader’s perspective thereof; for instance, the candidate could have highlighted were they were elected or selected to sit on the committee of the society, and how many other candidates there were.

Are there any other particular matters which you wish to mention?

I have consistently sought out exposure to the legal field. As I was keen to gain insight into the legal industry at an undergraduate level, I liaised with my department to be able to study the “Origins of English Law”. In this module, I achieved 78% and I was commended by my professor for my “excellent performance”, especially as the only interdisciplinary student in my class. Moreover, in an elected interdisciplinary module on Genetics, I researched a CRISPR Cas-9 patent battle. Following my interest in the area, I reached out to an in-house lawyer from GlaxoSmithKline. I initiated a meeting to discuss his role as a lawyer and the changing world of biotechnologies. From then I knew I wanted to work in an environment which had innovation at its core. In 2019, I attended the Legal Innovator’s conference to learn more about legal technology and its implications on the industry. Moreover, after listening to a podcast entitled “Rebranding English Law”, I reached out to the two lawyers leading the discussion. Subsequently, I have initiated a meeting with a former senior partner at Allen and Overy who has agreed to help me understand the topic in greater detail. These insights into the legal profession have further consolidated my interest in becoming a commercial solicitor.

Feedback: We recommend that candidates take this question at face-value. You are completely free to contribute whatever you wish, provided it is relevant and not already mentioned elsewhere in your application. As such, the candidate makes sensible use of this space by outlining some activities/events which consolidated their interest in commercial law.

Starting with the candidate’s academic achievement, this is a good contribution to the answer.  You should note how the candidate goes into a high level of detail when discussing their achievement. We are not only given a specific percentage, but the candidate also makes a comparative point that they were the only interdisciplinary student in their class. This helps contextualise the candidate’s achievement and adds substance to it. The candidate should have been more specific by explaining where they ranked in their cohort (as the professor’s comment does not itself do this), but this is otherwise a good level of detail.

Otherwise, the candidate does well in providing a broad overview of the events they have attended and the lawyers they have networked with. This paints a clear picture of how the candidate developed an interest in commercial law over time.  The candidate should have separated each experience into separate paragraphs/bullet points for clarity’s sake, but these are otherwise excellent contributions to the candidate’s application.

We would note that the candidate erroneously describes “Allen & Overy” as “Allen and Overy”. You should ensure that you appropriately stylise any firms that you mention by name. This will convince the recruiter that you have the attention to detail needed to succeed in the legal profession.

Please give details of any positions of responsibility and achievements or awards at school, university or elsewhere*

After I completed my GCSEs at my local state school, I moved to Germany and attended an international school in Düsseldorf. I am proud that within six months I was selected by my teachers and peers as Head Girl. In this position, I personally set up the school's first student council and student magazine. The Head Boy and I organised and presented at a fundraising evening for Friedensdorf, a charity housing and rehabilitating children from war-torn cities, raising over €5,000 in one evening. I have always been comfortable speaking in front of audiences and this skill will undoubtedly serve me well in my career. I balanced this position of responsibility with being the captain of the varsity volleyball team and with completing my Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. I was also awarded the leavers prize for attainment for the results I achieved in my IB diploma.

In second year of university, I completed a half-marathon for Syrian Relief, as I love to challenge myself. Additionally, having lived in Germany at the height of the Syrian Refugee crisis, it is a cause that I feel strongly about. Travers’ work with Refugees at Home caught my eye, and I would like to get involved the scheme.

Finally, an achievement I am incredibly proud of is attaining a first class in my law degree, especially as I did so without compromising my social life or extracurricular activities. This can be put down to my excellent time management skills, academic ability and my organisation of study groups. My ability to thrive when working in a group is vital because solicitors need to be able to work internally in a team and externally with clients and solicitors on the other side of a transaction or case.

[Feedback: This is better.  In the final paragraph, the candidate links the achievement back to his or her future career as a lawyer.  The advantage of using the PEE structure throughout is that it forces you to do this consistently.

This is not the time for modesty.  While you should not make any outlandish or unsubstantiated claims, you must not undersell yourself.  The candidate is right to draw attention to his or her first class degree result and history of strong academic achievement, which presents an image of the candidate as a high achiever. 

There is a typo in the second paragraph, which is missing the word “in” (“...and I would like to get involved the scheme”).  Lawyers are generally perfectionists.  There's limited sympathy for: (1) spelling errors, (2) grammatical errors or (3) typos.  That said, as long as the rest of your application is strong, it is likely to succeed provided that you do not misspell the firm name or other similar sins.]

Please list anything else you believe strengthens your application. (300 max)

Learning languages is a passion of mine and an area in which I have continuously excelled. I am a fluent French speaker and completed an Economy, Business and Finance course at London's French Institute in May, to practise my language skills whilst improving my commercial awareness. Additionally, I studied Spanish at level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages alongside my Law degree, achieving a First. I am due to begin an online Spanish course with “Spanish and Coffee?” as not only would I like to maintain my conversation skills, but I also very much enjoy discussing Spanish culture.

I have been interested to read about Farrer's international strategy and the importance of the firm's independence to guarantee the quality standards of its extensive global network, with the ability to form integrated teams of experts for cross-border work. I believe that my multilingual abilities would be an asset to Farrer & Co’s international outlook, whereby clients are offered tailored advice, enhanced by a thorough understanding of their culture.

Feedback:  The candidate does well to present their passion for learning languages in response to this prompt because it allows the recruiter a further glimpse into their personality and it humanises an otherwise stringent application process. They also do well to explain that they have explores and furthered their passion for language learning by seeking various accreditations because it increases the credibility and authenticity of their answer. It goes without saying that being an “accredited” polyglot is impressive in and of itself, not least because it is a functional quality that could conceivably be relevant to a commercial law firm with an international outlook such as Farrer & Co, as the candidate aptly remarks. To take their answer to the next level, the candidate could have tailored it further to Farrer & Co by mentioning the firm’s network-based approach to cross-border work and/or its emphasis on the fact that its lawyers are “fluent in some 20 languages” between them.

Furthermore, I am excited about the collaborative nature of Farrer's international model; I am fascinated by the added layer of complexity that cross-border deals may bring to a transaction, providing the opportunity to learn about different jurisdictions and from professionals around the world. Being part of a small team in my role at Franco Florenzi ensured a supportive atmosphere and great exposure to the business. I was grateful to interact with customers around the world, ameliorating my communication skills as I attended to concerns. My team strategised about differing demands across the company's target regions, promoting a sense of camaraderie that I believe to be essential for a motivated workplace. I would endeavour to bring such enthusiasm to Farrer & Co when collaborating with members of the firm.

Feedback: The candidate cleverly pivots on their previous discussion of Farrer & Co’s international outlook to further demonstrate their suitability for the firm through the lens of collaboration. They correctly explain the role of collaboration within a commercial law firm with an international outlook such as Farrer & Co, showcasing their understanding of the legal market and their ability to think critically. Crucially, they link the foregoing explanation back to themselves by sharing personal insights that corroborate their self-acknowledged collaborative nature; in this regard, they do well to reference their previous work experience because it lends credibility to their answer. If you have discussed Farrer & Co’s international outlook in a different part of your application, you could include a discussion of your suitability for the firm from a different angle (e.g., business strategy, approach to training, values, etc.) or a discussion of any accolades you have received (e.g., awards, scholarships, qualifications, etc.).

Is there any additional information you would like to disclose for us to consider alongside your application? 1500 characters     

I have the ability to manage my time well across a number of extracurricular activities whilst maintaining consistently strong academics.      

As the captain of the [Russell Group University Sports team], I was responsible for arranging fixtures, organising teams, and boosting morale. The role required strong leadership skills as well as the ability to work as a member of a team and communicate well with the coach and other team members. This required a high level of enthusiasm and demonstrates my willingness to be a team player, skills which I believe will fit in well with your firm’s collaborative and open culture.            

Feedback: This is a brilliant experience. The candidate has identified a specific leadership experience within a sports team and has described their key responsibilities well. Candidates often overlook their sporting, musical or other achievements. Make sure you include any such experiences as law firms are looking for well-rounded individuals.

To improve, the candidate should “show” rather than “tell” competencies. The candidate spends most of this paragraph spelling out competencies to the recruiter by name. You should not assume that your competencies are self-explanatory from your title/experience. Instead, you must give concrete examples of what you did and what you learned from the experience.

Further, I volunteered for the role of merchandise officer for the [Name of Sports Club], which required me to create merchandise and kits for both the women’s and men’s futsal teams. I had to collaborate with both teams to understand the types of kit they desired and how much they were willing to spend. Working within a tight budget, I had to ensure that the club was generating enough income from sponsorship and membership money in order to cover the cost of the kits. This role taught me valuable lessons in the art of prioritisation and has certainly developed my creativity. The experience will benefit me when it comes to working with clients, listening to their needs, and finding ways of developing a service that they will be satisfied with.

Feedback: This paragraph is an improvement on the previous. The candidate begins by naming and describing an excellent leadership position. Then, the candidate specifically describes (1) what they had to do, (2) the challenges they faced and (3) what they took away from it. The candidate also links their experience back to law.

To improve, the candidate should have elaborated on how they adapted to a tight budget and generated sufficient income. Did they cut costs? Perhaps they did something innovative which increased profits? You must always be specific in describing how you overcame challenges you faced. This will impress the recruiter by demonstrating your competencies.

Lastly, I have always been the type of person that likes to help people in need, and I have been involved in many charity events. A career at Addleshaw Goddard will allow me to continue these efforts through the CSR charity committee, which creates lots of fund-raising opportunities to get involved in.

Feedback: There is no issue in discussing a firm’s wider pro bono/charity activities, provided it is not the main focus of your application. These are all positive externalities to the work that commercial lawyers do. As such, the candidate does well to identify a specific example of a charity initiative on offer at AG.

The issue is that the candidate does not substantiate their point that they “like to help people in need”. We are not given any examples of the charity events this candidate has been involved in. As such, the candidate should have developed their point by (1) identifying specific charity events they’ve been involved in and (2) why it interested them.

Whilst these are just some examples of my roles of responsibility, I believe they demonstrate skills which will be transferrable to a career at Addleshaw Goddard.

Feedback: This final sentence is unnecessary. It is obvious that these experiences might give the candidate skills beneficial to Addleshaw Goddard. This can safely be cut out.

Use this space to tell us about any mitigating circumstances that you might have, any scholarships or awards that you have achieved or any other information, such as your preferred pronouns. 

Last year I was contacted by Powerful Media via LinkedIn and selected to appear in the 2022 150 Future Black Leaders magazine. As part of this, I was invited exclusively to a launch event at the London Stock Exchange hosted by Latham & Watkins, and Google. I was recognised in the magazine for an online group I founded called 'Life through Christ,' where I post advice on how to navigate life as a young Christian. In this group, I share my biblical analysis and testimonies. This has significantly enhanced my leadership skills by allowing me to reflect on my experiences and use them to assist others in directing their journeys.

Feedback: This paragraph offers a neat summary of their achievements to date.  It adds persuasive value to the candidate’s answer by highlighting some detailed and specific personal achievements.

Subject to word count constraints, the candidate should have tied these achievements back in with their wider suitability for a career in commercial law. The candidate does this towards the end (by asserting that it “enhanced their leadership skills”), but they do not explain the relevancy of these experiences to their application any further.