Latham & Watkins Training Contract Application Model Answers

What attracts you to Latham & Watkins?

Firstly, Latham & Watkins’s strong international presence attracts me as a potential employee. London lawyers working closely with other colleagues and drawing on the expertise of attorneys located in 29 offices worldwide will enable me to gain a practical experience on leading multijurisdictional cases with a premium-US firm. However, what distinsuishes Latham & Watkins from other international firms is that its departments are each recognised as leaders in the legal profession. I am particularly interested in Latham & Watkins’s well-regarded healthcare and life sciences practice area because it is very responsive to clients’ growing needs and concerns in the areas of innovation, regulation and deal-making through its assistance in merger and acquisitions, complex litigation, intellectual property protection, contract negotiations and government enforcement and regulatory compliance. This will therefore allow me to work with a range of leading practice groups in an international setting which will allow me to approach a problem from multiple angles thus making my work innovative in the delivery of solutions to clients and will make everyday work experience unique, enjoyable and different.

Secondly, I would like to work for Latham & Watkins because I am attracted by its ‘one-firm’ management style where great emphasis is placed on firmwide coordination of decision making, group identity and institutional commitment. Latham &

[Management structure is flat- everyone’s opinion valued- partner to trainee, allows you to progress.]

Why do you want to become a City lawyer?

Working in the City will allow me to deal with a pool of diverse and international clients ranging from financial and corporate institutions to private individuals. As a City lawyer I will have an active involvement in project management, making sure deadlines are met, colleagues are kept up to date and information is communicated to the client. Given that commercial law is both transactional and ongoing suggests that I will have to build a rapport with the client and apply strong communication skills coupled with high technical ability when forming a clear picture of the client’s needs and objectives and then explaining what may well be a complex area of law when advising on the best solution. This may require me to liaise with a number of legal departments thus making each day unique, enjoyable and fulfilling work experience. Exposure to a diverse range of international clients will increase the steepness of my learning trajectory through practical experience of dealing with those clients as well as multi-jurisdictional issues. This will resultantly enhance my ability to deliver effective and timely solutions to individual client needs. Having worked for a number of private clients at leading legal and commercial firms, [law firm] and [company name], I can attest to the importance of building and maintaining professional relationships. Working in the City will avail me with an opportunity to continually interchange between [language], English and [language] languages especially when transacting with international clients. This denotes my flexibility and willingness to embrace new challenges in the legal and commercial field.

Being fluent in [language], English and [language] I could prove to be a valuable asset when working on cross-border transactions with international clients.

As a city lawyer I will be able to make use of my language skills, as I am fluent in...

What transferable skills can you bring to the role of Trainee Solicitor?

I am a very entrepreneurial individual with excellent leadership skills. I am the founding member and president of ‘[University] [Sport] Society’ and am currently managing seven executive members and overseeing the overall operation of the society. These skills would not only translate into my ability to effectively manage my caseload but also my ability to present innovative and effective solutions to clients. In my capacity as a student-staff liaison committee member I have developed my communication skills at both a student and a more senior level. This skill would allow me to successfully communicate with clients and solicitors on two different but nonetheless professional levels. My ability to switch between [language], [language] and English languages highlights my flexibility which could prove to be invaluable when dealing with a diverse range of both national and international calibre clients as well as being an excellent team player within the firm.

Please give details of your extra-curricular activities.

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