Around 15% of direct training programme applicants are invited in for an assessment day, which lasts from 9am until 2pm. The day involves a partner interview, plus two ‘application blind’ assessments, which include a written exercise and a business case study exercise. Ignore your friends at law school. Ignore your parents. Ignore woolly terms like ‘prestige’ and ‘status’. On your approach into the law you’ll face an unending stream of rumour, social pressure and marketing, all contriving to taint your good judgement. But with your sharp, lawyerly mind, you’ll naturally view all of this with scepticism: instead of being swayed by law firm marketing, you’ll choose firms methodically, knowing what’s good for you. A lot of the discussion here implies there’s a formula to law firm life: what you take with one hand you give with the other. But there is as much complexity as there is conformity. Every law firm does its own thing, as you’ll learn from reading the True Picture. Every law firm offers its own unique developmental experience. Just make sure that the last thing you consider in choosing a firm is its salary. Our vision is to be the market-leading independent UK law firm that provides the best proposition for our people and our clients. We’ve looked at what trainees are expected to give for their salary, but the narrative doesn’t always conform to this crude cliché. The higher performing firms are impressive places in so many respects. The talent they surround you with, the calibre of cases they expose you to, the international learning experience they offer, the sheer scale of the support resources, the breadth of career opportunities – the elite firms are the natural destination for elite students.

Those who impress are invited to an assessment centre, which takes place virtually and lasts approximately one hour. The candidates are given documents to read through and have to respond to a scenario. It is said that there is a lot to read, but part of the task is to see how well people manage their time. Burges Salmon runs winter (one week), spring (two weeks) and two summer (two weeks each) schemes across the year in their Bristol office. Excitingly, the firm has now launched a spring vacation scheme based in their Edinburgh office for those wanting to apply for an Edinburgh based training contract. The firm takes on just 50 candidates in total, spread out across the schemes, in an effort to closely mentor and give enough work to each attendee. As minister for town and country planning, Silkin went on to shape three key pieces of legislation during the post-war drive to reconstruct Britain. First, in 1946, came the New Towns Act, which created 14 new towns beyond the big city boundaries. Second was the Town and Country Planning Act (1947), which set an early precedent for modern planning law. The third was the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act (1949), which reserved national parks “for the hikers and ramblers, for everyone who loves to get out into the open air and enjoy the countryside.” Of all the political legacies to leave, this is evidently one of the more desirable ones. According to an HR source, the case study exercise, is “ fun and tongue-in-cheek,” but candidates “ should still be mindful that they are being assessed: the exercise is designed to test their decision-making, analytical skills and their ability to put forward a persuasive argument. It also allows the candidate to show us their personality.” For those who don’t mind taking home a slightly more modest payslip in exchange for better hours, these firms are a great choice. After all, money isn’t everything.

1st year salary

Understanding what you’re entering into is important in this demanding profession. By presenting this data we’re not quite warning against applying to the high-paying firms for the sake of your mental health. The legal profession is the natural habitat of complex, high achievers. So many students who join the law are unable to conceive of a life that isn’t challenging and competitive, and they are fully aware of what the trade-off is. So our advice is to go in with the best information. Incidentally, in the True Picture we review each law firm on their trainees’ mental wellbeing. Each year the firm receives around 4,000 vacation scheme and direct training contract applications combined. At the initial application stage, an HR source tells us, the firm looks at (amongst other things) “ commitment to the firm and the passion to pursue commercial law as a career.” The firm chooses vac schemers directly from their application forms. Those who pass the initial sift are invited to a preliminary voice interview. Successful applicants are invited to one of several assessment centres. When talking about diversity, a trainee felt that “it’s common now that DE&I is a big aspect at law firms, but Addleshaw Goddard puts their money where their mouth is.” One example of this is the array of networks at the firm, such as OpenAG for LGBTQ+ people, the Ability Forum Network for those with disabilities, AG Embrace for race and ethnicity, and the Vine network for gender balance. In the Leeds and Manchester offices, “the firm has revamped our contemplation rooms for praying or taking time to breathe, and it smells like a spa,” a pleased trainee said. Stephenson Harwood receives around 1,250 applications for its placement scheme and another 500 direct training contract applications.

I’ve been told that our application process is tougher than other firms,” revealed training principal Jat Bains. To impress during the application process, Bains said it’s important to demonstrate certain traits: “Obviously we’re looking for brain power, but we also want people who work well with others and who are resilient to the demands of clients. Applicants need to demonstrate commerciality, practicality, ambition and a desire to work within the firm.” To impress, successful candidates need to demonstrate 'personal effectiveness' and people skills. Our HR source explains: “ In terms of personal effectiveness, we look at whether they understand instructions and demonstrate a clear thought process. For people skills, we're looking to see if they get along with each other, if they create a team environment and act as a natural leader. We keep an eye out for negative indicators too – for example, a limited contribution to the task, and an unwillingness to make decisions and express opinions.”

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The firm shortlists approximately 60 applicants to complete the pre-selection exercises (a written case study and a video interview), and these do not require any preparation in advance. of trainees will have completed a vacation scheme with the firm. There are three schemes – one in spring and two over the summer – and each lasts two weeks. There are around 65 places in total across the three schemes, with pay that matches the London living wage. Many of these firms have recently enlarged further thanks to mergers with firms from abroad: BLP became BCLP by merging with Bryan Cave, an American firm, in early 2018, whilst Eversheds Sutherland merged with Moscow-based Tilling Peters as well as Dvorak Hager & Partners of Prague and Bratislava. International giant Dentons continued its growth and combined with firms in Honduras, Zimbabwe, South Korea and Australia.