Hogan Lovells Moscow Training Contract Cover Letter

Dear [name],

I have completed a qualifying law degree at the [University] with an upper second class grade in [year]. I am applying for a training contract with Hogan Lovells at the [city] office.

I would like to undertake my training contract with Hogan Lovells at the [city] office because during my employment in the UK, I developed an interest in the [language] market whilst working on several high-profile [language] cases. I especially enjoyed the interaction between [language] and English law because this exposed me to challenging and unique problems that required me to apply lateral thinking and commercial problem solving skills.

The [city] office will place me at the centre of an emerging market and provide me with a broader and deeper exposure to the [language] local conditions and cases of all shapes and sizes. This will require me to constantly push borders and set new standards, which will make my work stimulating and rewarding. I am attracted by the relatively small size of the [city] office because this will enable me to work on high-profile matters in highly integrated teams whereby I will receive broad exposure across all practice areas and a more hands-on experience. This exposure will allow me to follow my interests and abilities and get a very good insight on how different practice areas interact, which will help me to develop into a well rounded lawyer.

I should be offered a training contract because I possess outstanding interpersonal skills and commercial acumen. At [Law Firm Name], I assisted on a shareholder dispute in a joint venture vehicle. I attended a Board of Directors EGM of a joint venture in Amsterdam in my capacity as an interpreter between clients and overseas solicitors. I successfully managed the meeting and demonstrated initiative. I applied a sharp analytical mind to explain complex issues in a simple language and made sense of a very complicated situation. I was required to think on my feet and always align myself with client’s commercial objectives.

I possess initiative, drive and commitment which makes me suited for a training contract with Hogan Lovells where I will have to transgress boundaries when solving complex problems. In [year], for the first time in fifty years, I established the ‘[University] Amateur [Sport] Club’ and was the president of the society. I have been involved in amateur [Sport] for a decade and won over sixty trophies and a gold medal for England. As a dedicated member of the [environmental society], I helped to introduce and develop social and environmental responsibility initiatives at University. I had successfully organised and developed a scheme whereby all unused desktops in the library were turned off during the vacation breaks to help reduce the University’s carbon footprint.

I possess good attention to detail, problem-solving and teamwork skills. Whilst at [Law Firm Name], I was given the responsibility of ensuring that witness statements conformed to a unified formatting guide before being filed with court on the next day. After closing of business, I discovered that old versions of the witness statements were translated and therefore did not reflect the latest original drafts. With nobody available at the London office, I contacted [city] office and informed them of my findings. I flagged up the sections that were materially different and, along with the deadline, relayed them to the [city] team. Ultimately, the witness statements were translated accurately and filed with court on time.

I want to become a solicitor because every day is varied, challenging and engaging. At university, I enjoyed applying and manipulating law to hypothetical scenarios during my modules and mooting competitions because it stimulated my intellectual curiosity since every situation was never the same and required a different approach. As commercial matters span many areas of law, industries and borders, they demand the application of lateral thinking and extensive problem-solving. In turn, this would see me work in integrated teams with a commercial focus on the problem in a quick-paced environment with approaching deadlines. At [Law Firm Name], I especially enjoyed working in teams across different time zones to solve commercial problems. This produced more interesting work, greater variety and a wider group of experts to learn from which made my work environment stimulating and rewarding.

Having worked for a number of leading legal firms, I can attest to the importance of building and maintaining professional relationships. This, coupled with my fluency in languages would make me a valuable asset when working on cross-border transactions or with international clients.

I would be grateful for the opportunity to attend an interview for which I am available at your convenience.

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

Yours Sincerely,

[Name]