Please explain why you have decided to pursue a career as a solicitor

Personal achievements

Describe an achievement of importance to you in the last few years. Give details of how you became involved and the nature of your contribution.

(250 words max)

This year I have successfully set up a ‘[University] [Sport] Club’, which was unsuccessfully attempted for over fifty years. The main reason for there not being a [Sport] club at the university is because the sports committee had health and safety concerns regarding the nature of the sport. However, having [done the sport] at both national and international level, I was instinctively led to adopt a different view. Therefore, when approaching the sports committee in meetings I had to resort to another perspective and mitigate its concerns. I got many people interested in the sport and invited them to come along to the meeting with the sports panel so as to present a broader perspective on the sport, bearing in mind that the majority of these people have not done [Sport] before. After much consideration the sports committee allowed [university] University to form an affiliation with the ‘[university name] [Sport] Club’. From then on I had to attend multiple meetings with the ‘[university name] [Sport] Club’ to decide how to best merge the two clubs together, which admittedly was very time consuming and stressful because ‘[University] [Sport] Club’ was not officially recognised. Lack of recognition prevented us from receiving sponsorship. I established a ‘[Sport] Appreciation Society’ to promote [Sport] at [university] University and act as a proxy for the affiliate club. This official society gained the ‘[University] [Sport] Club’ recognition which means that we can start marketing the club and receiving support from various organisations.

Please explain why you have decided to pursue a career as a solicitor and why you are seeking a Training Contract at LG.

(250 words max)

I have decided to pursue a career as a solicitor because every day is varied, challenging and engaging. 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 INITIALS], I especially enjoyed liaising with Dutch, English and [language] solicitors on a shareholder dispute within a joint venture. This produced more interesting work, greater variety and a wider group of experts to learn from which made my work environment stimulating and rewarding.

I would especially like to work at LG because it is a distinctly different legal practice that places relationships at the heart of its strategy and is structured in a way that encourages teamwork on an international platform. Working on cross-border deals requires strong and dedicated teams to deal with most complex problems. I would therefore gain an opportunity to form and maintain relationships with some of the best legal practitioners in multiple jurisdictions which would make my work both personally and professionally rewarding.

A training contract at LG would afford me early responsibility and a remarkable client exposure working in a host of large-scale deals and cross border disputes. LG’s increased focus on international assignments such as Lukoil and Gazprom and its strength in the natural resources practice could accommodate the application of my extensive knowledge of the [language] language and culture to help LG get even “deeper” inside its clients’ business and industries they work in. This would help LG achieve better results and make my training intellectually stimulating and rewarding.

I am especially attracted by the unparalleled expertise of LG’s natural resources which has served Gazprom and Lukoil practice area which includes approach of getting deep inside its clients’ business and industries they work in would allow me to work alongside leading lawyers in the

In [country], the firm is working for Gazprom on the development of a huge offshore gas field, while the London-based commerce and technology team is also advising [language] clients. According to one trainee, LG is focusing more on overseas assignments “because our clients are becoming more international.”

I am seeking a training contract with LG for a number of reasons. LG’s impressive growth attracts me as a potential employee. LG’s graduation from high street firm to large regional practice in a short space of time implies that it possesses some very dedicated teams who can perform a wide range of work to the highest standard. This also means that each team member makes an important contribution to every task, and to the overall growth of the business, making work both personally and professionally rewarding. I feel that this aspect of LG will give me a hands-on experience in working on high profile cases and will improve my analytical and advocacy skills. I like LG’s emphasis on the provision of personal, quality service to business clients. Having worked for [law firm] and [law firm], I can attest to the importance of building and maintaining professional relationships. This, coupled with my fluency in [language], English and [language], would make me a valuable asset when working on cross-border transactions.

[So LG was a high street firm?]

Please give details of positions of responsibility held / involvement in clubs or societies whilst at university (include non-university related).

(250 words max)

I am a third year law representative for the student-staff liaison committee where I am responsible for communicating student concerns about the operation of the [university] Law School to staff in regular meetings. I am a very pro-active member of the [university] [language] Speaking Society ([SOCIETY INITIALS]) whereby I am actively involved in organising and managing [SOCIETY INITIALS] socials. I greatly enjoy working with [SOCIETY INITIALS] because it allows me to introduce new members to the society and introduce people to [language] culture which helps to increase diversity at the University and make it a more sociable and open community. I am a very zealous member of the ‘[society]’ society as I feel that it is the task of humans to help the environment. In the past I have been in projects aimed to save electricity and helping the local wildlife, such as switching off unused computers in the library during vacation breaks. I am regularly involved in mooting competitions where I get the opportunity to exercise my analytical and advocacy skills amongst like-minded individuals in a competitive environment. On a sportier note, I greatly enjoy amateur [Sport]. With over fifty amateur bouts I have [done the sport] at national level and represented England in the Four Nations Tournament. Currently, I am responsible for training a large group of students at the [University].

Please provide details of any particular skills or experience, ie. languages or advanced IT skills.

(250 words max)

I am fluent in [language], English and [language]. Previously, I have dealt with [language]-speaking clients in a legal context whilst working for [law firm]. I possess very strong leadership and management skills as demonstrated by my role as a junior supervisor at [Retail Store]s, I was delegated several large-scale property projects whilst working for [company name], and I am currently the President of the ‘[university] Amateur [Sport] Club’ and in charge of ten executive members. I am competent in using Microsoft Applications Software. During my A-Levels I designed a database system for a local business and on a daily basis I use the word processor and presentation software in an academic environment. I am also competent in using legal databases and have undergone training in using WestLaw, Factiva and LexisNexis to name just a few.

What do your hobbies / leisure activities say about you?

My active participation in mooting suggests that I am a very enthusiastic about the legal profession. I specifically enjoy the problem-solving and advocacy aspects of mooting as it allows me to develop in the capacity as a lawyer. I am a very dedicated executive of the [language]-Speaking Society. This shows that I am a person who has an interest in cultural diversity and enjoys learning something new every day. Having [done the sport] at a national and international level portrays me as a very committed and disciplined person always striving for excellence in my results. These traits have successfully filtered into my academic field and now I am seeking to become a successful lawyer with a high-calibre firm. Having been selected to represent [University] in [sport] nationals after playing [sport] for only four months suggests that I am a very good learner and determined to succeed. My steep learning trajectory would no doubt reflect in my career as a solicitor where I would be presented with novel and challenging tasks.