Mishcon de Reya LLP Training Contract Application Example Answers

Why do you want to be a lawyer? Why do you want to be a lawyer at Mishcon de Reya?

Dear [name]

I want to be a lawyer because I want to operate at the intersection of law and commerce as this will give me a deep exposure to commercial organisations of all shapes and sizes. This knowledge will enable me to manipulate and apply law creatively in order to meet unique requirements of different commercial organisations. With the globalisation of commerce, I will find myself working across different borders, financial centres, jurisdictions and organisations which will effectively present me with challenging and stimulating work.

I want to be a lawyer at Mishcon de Reya because it will provide me with exposure to companies and private clients. I am very attracted by Miscon de Reya’s international footprint because this will enable me to operate in international teams to solve unique and complex problems which will expose me to interesting ideas and approaches. I will work with a variety of household names and diverse array of private clients which will make my work environment stimulating and rewarding. I feel that I am suited to the firm’s entrepreneurial spirit because it will facilitate an environment where I will be able to think creatively and contribute my ideas freely to achieve the firm’s and clients’ objectives.

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

Yours Sincerely,

[name] [name]

Please briefly list details of key activities, achievements and positions of responsibility*

Recently, I founded a pioneering business in the entertainment industry. I am currently overseeing staff at all levels and working closely with a range of businesses. I am a representative of a company specialising in innovative payment systems in the UK (prepaid cards and e-wallets) and working with businesses in emerging markets to integrate this financial model into their operations. Outside the office hours, I run [sport] sessions at the [law firm] gym. At university, I pioneered the University of [university] Amateur [sport] Club for the first time in fifty years. In my second 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 a member of the Student-Staff Liaison Committee in my second year. At university, I was selected to represent [university] University in the national [sport] championships. In [year], I was awarded the [award]for academic excellence at GCSE and A-Level. At the sixth form, I secured a second place in the International French Debate. In [year], I won a gold medal for England in the [English sports tournament name] [sport] Tournament and had over [number] amateur [sport] bouts.

Our Core Values form the foundation of everything that we do. How do you think they help us to remain competitive? (200 words)*

I think that Mishcon de Reya’s values help it to remain competitive by offering its clients with highest quality legal services that meet the clients’ objectives in a cost-effective and uncomplicated manner. This imbues clients with confidence in the firm and high satisfaction rates which result in high client retention as the clients are more likely to return to a company that knows their business and the problems they face.

Mishcon de Reya is a very progressive and entrepreneurial law firm that thinks creatively and is not constrained by convention. This helps it to remain competitive by being able to offer the clients with cutting-edge solutions to complex problems. This effectively gives clients confidence that the firm can protect their interests regardless of the magnitude and complexity of the problem.

By acting with integrity and frankness and placing the highest value on teamwork, Mishcon de Reya encourage individuals to work in teams whereby they are able to contribute their perspectives and combine their knowledge and expertise to solve complex problems and offer unique and effective solutions that meet clients’ objectives.

What three key attributes do you think clients expect from their legal advisors? (150 words)*

Clients expect their legal advisers to provide them with straightforward and uncomplicated advice which will help to solve their problems.

Clients expect their legal advisors to act with integrity and frankness as the clients are entrusting the legal advisors with matters that are of paramount importance to them. Since legal advisors can have a significant impact on the clients’ future affairs, legal advisors must be open and honest with the client in order to give an accurate reflection of the clients’ positions.

Clients expect their legal advisors to be entrepreneurial and innovative. Legal advisors should have a good understanding of the sectors in which the clients operate and their businesses in order to be able to find new ways of surmounting legal obstacles and devising solutions that will protect the clients’ positions.

Thinking about the key attributes you have mentioned above. Please describe a time when you have used these attributes yourself. (200 words)*

At [law firm], I worked in a team of solicitors when preparing the document review process. I was responsible for helping to devise a list of search terms to be run against the client’s database in several languages. During a team meeting, I applied lateral thinking and commercial acumen to propose that we run a wider range of search terms to capture misspelt, abbreviated and alternative words. Following the test run of the new key words, I presented my findings and suggestions to my team in a clear and understandable manner. Half way throughout the document review, I noticed that some of the new search terms were irrelevant. I informed the team members of this so that we did not waste time and resources on categories of no importance to the case.