Shoosmiths Training Contract and Vacation Scheme Application Answers

-Describe why a legal career at Shoosmiths appeals to you. (300 words)

I am applying to Shoosmiths because it is a leading full service major UK law firm that will offer me with experience in a variety of legal practice areas. This will allow me to experience different areas of law before making an informed decision as to which practice area I would like to qualify into. I find the firm’s multiple and consistent awards for the best trainer and regional law firm appealing because I will be able to receive top-level training which will help me to develop into a successful solicitor.

Having read trainee profiles on Shoosmiths’ website, I find the lack of a hierarchy to be very appealing because it will create a positive environment in which I will be able to work with lawyers of different ranks freely and flourish on large levels of responsibility over my workload.

I find Shoosmiths’ comparatively small trainee intake to be especially appealing because it will offer me the opportunity to work closely with seasoned lawyers and allow me to make a substantial contribution to the matters I work on. I feel that the firm’s intimate and closely knit environment as well as its friendly culture will offer me excellent exposure to legal cases and give me a platform to learn directly from leading solicitors.

Shoosmiths’ impressive pace of growth attracts me as a prospective solicitor. The firm’s regional growth in a short space of time, including its new offices in Leeds and Edinburgh is a testament to the firm’s commitment to offering a broad range of services where clients need it most. I believe this feature of Shoosmiths will give me a first-hand experience in working on high-profile cases and will improve my analytical and legal skills.

-Client are at the heart of our business and we pride ourselves on delivering innovative solutions for them.

Describe a situation when you have gone above and beyond to deliver an excellent client or customer experience, and why it was important to you. (300 words)

I had gone above and beyond of what was expected of me to deliver an excellent customer experience whilst helping the homeless by volunteering with the housing charity “Shelter” in Oxford. For one of the projects, I brought together builders and developers (who provided their services on a volunteer basis) to upgrade existing housing facilities, some of which were quite dilapidated and in need of urgent repair. In order to add value to this project and see to its timely completion, I went out of my way to calculate project costs and assisted the general contractor in subcontracting the work cost-effectively. I also applied my legal knowledge and skills to supervise the council planning permission application process, which was quite unusual due to the fact that ours was a building for the homeless and those in need. I felt that my initiative and substantial contribution to this project helped to make it a real success and reduced delays. This role developed my skill set as I was able to apply my legal knowledge to a complex, real-life issue. My work improved the social infrastructure and helped the local community and those in dire need. I felt extremely proud of my contribution because I was able to give back to the society and make a real difference by helping to keep homeless people off the streets and out of harm’s way, which is in tune with my personal moral values and beliefs.

-Shoosmiths people are collaborative and supportive.
What is the best team you have worked in and why? (300 words)

I found that I worked best in my rowing team when preparing for national rowing tournament. During the preparation for this national rowing tournament, I found every team member to had been either at my level or better which really pushed my abilities to the limit and improved my performance. During team practice exercises, I worked very effectively as part of a larger team by adjusting all my rowing techniques and strategy with our overall objectives of winning the tournament. During our training sessions, I demonstrated excellent leadership skills by taking initiative to lead the team. I also played an active role in helping other rowers who were slightly underperforming in order to ensure that they excelled during the national rowing tournament. I found it particularly interesting to work as part of a team to develop a strategy for the tournament day because it required everyone to apply good judgment and skill to come up with a single solution that worked for every single rower.

-Shoosmiths have ambitious plans for growth and development. In the current legal market what do you think should be the key areas of focus to support this? (300 words)

To support its plans for growth and development, I think that Shoosmiths’ should focus on expanding its geographical reach by opening new offices or forming close relationships with local law firms in geographical areas that will offer an attractive client base and opportunities for legal work. I feel that by having physical offices in strategically important locations, Shoosmiths will be able to offer its clients a personal approach as well as immediate access to legal services as and when they are needed.

Another important area of focus to further Shoosmiths’ plans for growth and development is the expansion of its client base through acquisition of new clients. I think that Shoosmiths should host and attend more client events and market their full service offering and its expertise in multiple business sectors. Additionally, Shoosmiths should focus on recruiting partners from other law firms who can bring in their existing clients and in turn, new business for Shoosmiths.

In order to finance growth and development, Shoosmiths must streamline its operations and cut costs in order to improve its liquidity and competitiveness in the light of uncertain economic conditions with the exodus of the UK from the European Union. Equally, Shoosmiths should review its current strategy in order to account for the opportunities and threats that will be brought about by the UK leaving the European Union.

-Having great work satisfaction means there is time to enjoy other things which are important to you. What skills have you developed outside of work or academia that would support your career as a Solicitor? (300 words)

In my spare time, I greatly enjoy playing squash and rowing. I was chosen to University’s squash team during my last year in Oxford, which I feel is an important achievement given that I started squash in the second year of LLB. I believe this successfully outlines my determination to learn and succeed; especially when given new tasks. I have rowed in UK, Cyprus and Estonia at both club and national level having had over ten competitions. Rowing taught me the importance of persistence, discipline and tolerance, and has allowed me to flourish socially and academically. I am in turn very keen to share my skills with the society. I have managed to start up the ‘Estonian Language Society’ at the Oxford University to teach and promote Estonian language and culture amongst students. I have been actively involved in internal mooting and debating competitions both at Oxford University and Gray’s Inn as a way of exercising my interest in law. I believe that mooting and debating allow me to implement my enthusiasm for law on a more interactive level.

Moreover, I very much enjoy travelling and exploring new places. Being a sociable person, I particularly enjoy interacting with people from different cultures and places as I believe that it helps my character development and introduces me to new ideas and perspectives, which helps to broaden my mind and think more creatively. Also, I greatly enjoy outings in nature as it helps me to relax from the busy life in the city and appreciate its sublime surroundings.