Baker McKenzie Training Contract Covering Letter Example

In your covering letter, please explain your reasons for wishing to pursue a career in commercial law. Please also explain your motivation for applying to Baker & McKenzie. You should also use the covering letter as an opportunity to include any additional information that is relevant to your application but is not covered in the form. (750 words max)*

Dear [name]

I wish to pursue a career in commercial law because I am attracted by sophisticated and challenging work that will provide me with legal as well as commercial exposure and thus make for a varied and intellectually stimulating environment.

I will have to work closely with clients to understand the environment in which they operate and the challenges and opportunities they face. This will present me with extensive involvement in different sectors and unique problems, which will make my work interesting and varied. In turn, I will work closely with other lawyers to discuss and develop ideas into effective solutions which will give me an insight to different approaches and perspectives. A profession as a lawyer will provide me with responsibility over my workload since I will deal with several matters at once which will enable me to develop my approach and fully apply my skill-set which will make every day empowering. Given the fast pace of the globalisation of commerce, I find the prospect of cross-border work appealing because this will provide me with increasingly complex and unique problems. I will be presented with an opportunity to work in international teams which will bestow me an insight into how different jurisdictions and markets operate and impact on the clients’ objectives. This will lead to challenging work and expose me to different perspectives and develop my understanding of how cross-border matters function and my contribution fits within the bigger picture.

I am applying to Baker & McKenzie because I am attracted by its global outlook and strong international reach which will see me operate on exciting and complex transactions spanning different markets and jurisdictions. The global nature of Baker & McKenzie will allow me to work closely with colleagues from across its international offices and build up a network of contacts. At Baker & McKenzie I will receive exposure to challenging and quality work through the firm’s quality customer base comprising largely of large multinationals. This will vest me with variety and interesting and challenging work as I will have to operate at the forefront of legal and commercial developments facing the firm’s clients on a daily basis. I am attracted by the opportunity of undertaking a secondment at one of Baker & McKenzie’s overseas offices because this will give me a better understanding of how business works in other regions, and build lasting contacts with clients and colleagues in other jurisdictions. The relatively small trainee intake will offer me the best training because I will receive a very hands-on experience which will give me a good understanding of the matters that I work on and allow me to develop my skill-set in order to become a leading commercial lawyer.

I believe that I am a strong candidate for a training contract with Baker & McKenzie because I have extensive legal experience and the relevant skill-set which will enable me to successfully operate on an international platform and deal with complex commercial issues facing clients globally. I possess an international outlook, commercial acumen and strong problem solving and analytical skills which will enable me to understand individual client requirements and the environment in which they operate and deal with their unique problems across a broad spectrum of industries. At [law firm], I accompanied solicitors and the client to a board of directors EGM in Amsterdam in my capacity as an interpreter. During the meeting, I gave a presentation in order to explain the local nuances of the [language] market affecting the client’s business. This helped the solicitors to produce a solution for the client in a quick-paced environment. I am a good team player and have an ability to express my ideas in a simple and understandable manner. At Freshfields, I successfully liaised with the firm’s international offices and contributed my ideas and perspectives to add value to my work. I am very enthusiastic, entrepreneurial and focused which will allow me to bring new perspectives to the table and use my initiative to add value to my work. At university, I have established an amateur [sport] club for the first time in fifty years, despite strong opposition from the university, by developing a new approach and thinking about problems creatively. I possess good client-facing skills through which I will be able to deliver a good client service and work with the client to understand their business, objectives and legal requirements. I possess leadership and organisational skills which will allow me to prioritise competing deadlines and manage my time and resources effectively. I am currently running an events management business which requires me to deal with a range of diverse issues and make important decisions on a daily basis. This has developed my ability to manage my workload effectively and operate successfully in quick-paced and demanding environments.

I thank you for your consideration and look forward to hearing from you.

Yours Sincerely,

[name]

Activities, Interests & Positions of Responsibility (250 words max)*

I enjoy [sport] and run [sport] sessions at my local gym. I am closely involved with my local community and help people with their legal and administrative matters on a pro bono basis. I travel regularly and keep up to date with current affairs and commercial and legal news. I am currently running an events management business. I am assisting the director in making important strategic decisions in order to grow the business and managing branches of the business in Canary Wharf and Knightsbridge. I am working with a company specialising in innovative payment systems in the UK (prepaid cards and e-wallets) and liaising with businesses in emerging markets to devise bespoke financial models that will meet their commercial objectives. At university, I pioneered the University of [university] Amateur [sport] Club for the first time in fifty years and was the president of the society. In my third year of university, I helped to develop an innovative initiative to reduce the university’s carbon footprint by switching off all unused desktops during vacation breaks. I was the sports executive at the [university] [language] Speaking Society and organised sporting events such as five-a-side football tournaments and [sport] sessions. At school, I regularly represented my borough and England in national amateur [sport] competitions. In [year], I won a gold medal for England in the [English sports tournament name] Amateur [sport] Tournament.