Stephenson and Harwood Training Contract Interview Preparation
Why Commercial Law?
As a solicitor I will have an active role that will enable me to deal with a range of diverse and international clients ranging from financial and corporate institutions to private individuals. As a commercial 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. 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. Being fluent in English, [language] and [language] I would be much interested in working on international deals whereby I would be exposed to a range of international clients and multiple jurisdictions. This would increase the steepness of my learning trajectory and increase my ability to progress within my career as a solicitor.
Why 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.
How does my career as a solicitor compare with other careers?
At first I had thought of becoming an academic in law. I truly enjoy participating in legal discourse in the developments in the legal profession as I find both personally and professionally rewarding. However, having undertaken legal and financial work experience, I realised that I was attracted by the large and diverse client base to be found in the City. Firms in the City tend to have multi-jurisdictional practices and multiple locations across the globe allowing lawyers and paralegals to serve international clients. As a commercial 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. Being fluent in [language] and [language] languages and having worked with [language]-speaking clients at [law firm], I can attest to the importance of a professional client relationship. I would now like to progress and gain a practical insight into the work of a solicitor in a high-calibre international law firm where I would prove to be a highly valuable asset.
Why Stephenson Harwood?
I am attracted by the small number of trainee intake and the ‘right teaming’ approach which I feel will offer me bespoke training that is individually tailored to my interests, experience and aptitude. More importantly, I will receive the excitement and challenge of working on high value, complex transactions and disputes, in the size of office where everyone knows who you are. For me this will mean getting involved in real work from the start whereby I will be able to add something to the cases I work on. What distinguishes Stephenson Harwood from other law firms is that it operates on a model that involves low levels of gearing, which results in more partner involvement on a transaction. This environment will unquestionably foster my professional and personal growth in my capacity as a lawyer therefore allowing me to provide Stephenson Harwood’s clients with legal work of the highest quality.
In the client satisfaction report, Stephenson Harwood scored a 9 out of ten on commercial advice. I feel that commercial awareness is crucial in terms of understanding the client’s practice area and thus delivering an effective and tailor made solution to the client’s problem. Similarly, I regard commercial awareness crucial in fulfilling the growth of Stephenson Harwood as I will be a part of a team that will be able to make a direct contribution to the growth and the success rate of the firm as a commercial entity, thus making my work both personally and professionally rewarding.
What distinguishes me?
I have a strong commercial background which is crucial in understanding a client’s needs and delivering an appropriate solution to their problem. Having worked for [company name] I developed a strong commercial background in the fields of conveyancing, investment decisions, portfolio management, and strategic decision making just to name a few.
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.
Biggest achievement?
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, my experience teaches me otherwise. 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.
What skills does a lawyer need and how you possess them?
Firstly, a lawyer must be able to devise innovative solutions at their own initiative to cater for clients’ needs. 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.
Secondly, a lawyer must be able to communicate both to clients and teams. 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.
A lawyer must be flexible and accommodate new ideas to adapt to the changing needs of the client and the legal profession. Last summer I worked for [law firm] where I had to communicate to a range of [language] speaking clients. 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.
Rewards I expect in my career
The biggest reward in my career as a solicitor would be to learn the UK, US and [language] jurisdictions. Throughout my life I have lived in the US, [country], [country] and UK. I am therefore able to freely interchange between [language], English and [language] languages. This flexibility has vested me with an interest in exploring and comparing different jurisdictions and more importantly I find that my diplomacy skills would be very successful and effective when transacting with international clients. Eventually, I would like to become a partner in an international law firm and contribute to its overall strategy and direction. This would vest me with great management and leadership responsibilities with a great degree of challenge whilst operating alongside other international law firms. My dual role in managing the firm and providing legal services would help to make my career more entrepreneurial and rewarding.
What motivates me to put forward my greatest effort?
I am a person who likes to see things done right to the end and I am very results-driven person. I particularly like to see how my contribution to a task or a project adds value to the final outcome. This summer I worked for [law firm] alongside a partner in the employment department. I assisted the solicitor with legal research, compilation of a bundle and accompanied her to various meetings. I was normally assigned a certain task each day. However, having completed assigned tasks earlier than expected; I was very keen to take on more responsibility to see the broader picture of the case. I therefore used my initiative at the workplace by observing the solicitor and going outside my prescribed tasks for the day. I noticed that taking little steps such as researching a case or legal commentary helped to push the case forward at a faster pace. I later discovered that assuming more responsibility added another dimension to the case which the solicitor found very helpful especially in terms of producing innovative solutions. Having been given the responsibility to work on a high-profile case I felt motivated to challenge myself intellectually and follow my contribution through to the end of the case.
Challenging situation and how I dealt with it
This year I have successfully set up a ‘[University] [Sport] Club’, which has been 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.
Commercial awareness, stakeholders and implications
I was particularly attracted by the landmark ruling in the Supreme Court on bank charges. The Supreme Court had refused to give the Office of Fair Trading the right to investigate the fairness of unauthorised overdraft charges. This case is significant especially in the light of the current economic climate as an estimated one million customers who have lodged demands for the return of their money are likely to be turned down unless they can prove that they are suffering financial hardship. The key stakeholders in this ruling are bank customers and banks. The implication of this decision for the banks is that they can charge whatever they like, irrespective of whether it is fair or reasonable. Some stakeholders, notably bank customers, stress that the banks ought to remember that taxpayers have handed them a big cheque to bail them out. On the other hand, despite widespread opposition to overdraft charges, the millions of bank customers who do not incur any charges and therefore receive their current account services at no cost, or even receive interest, will welcome the Supreme Court’s decision. If the banks had lost, it could have cost the industry up to £3 billion a year in lost revenue and led to refund payments of up to £10 billion. The implication for bank customers would have been the introduction of monthly account charges and increases in other fees, such as cash machine withdrawals, as the banks look to recoup the lost revenue.
Exceeding expectations
Whilst working for [law firm] last summer, I had to prepare a handout on tax information exchange agreements (TIEA’s) for a [language] client. Besides collecting all information, I actually placed more emphasis on information that was applicable to the client. I did further research into the client’s business and place of operation, which allowed me to make my research more expansive and relevant to the client’s needs. I also did a translation of the handout into [language] and used client’s industry-specific examples regarding the operation of some agreements and applicable taxes. By exceeding my expectations I was aiming to ensure that my work was of the highest quality and helped the client to feel more comfortable when reading legal material. I did this in the hope of increasing client retention rate and establishing an amiable and professional relationship between the client and the firm. The senior solicitor was very impressed and eventually provided me with more demanding tasks entailing a greater degree of responsibility
Situation in which I worked in a group (team) and what did i learn from this?
Recently, I had undertaken a ‘law in practice’ module. The module entailed us having to work in a simulated solicitor’s environment on a commercial case. As a group of solicitors we worked on different processes of the case including client interview, meetings with witnesses, drafting of examination-in-chief and cross-examination, and compilation of a bundle just to name a few. This experience has taught me that it is vital to remain an effectively-functioning team right up until the end of the trial. This means that potential conflicts of opinion must be reconciled so as to preserve the integrity of the case. I learnt that when engaging in team work, one has to come with a preconceived notion that everyone has different perspectives about projects and work tasks. For the team this means that everyone comes to the table with different priorities and objectives. This should be kept in mind when communicating tasks that need to be accomplished with positive reinforcement and awareness of what others are working on.
Planning and management of an event plus obstacles
This year I have successfully set up a ‘[University] [Sport] Club’. The sports committee opposed the opening of a new [Sport] club for over fifty years because they had concerns about the health and safety issue in the sport. Having [done the sport] for England, and both at national and international level I was aware of the benefits that students could derive from [Sport], such as discipline and motivation. I took a very methodological approach to the process of opening an on-campus [Sport] club because I was aware that applications for an on-campus [Sport] club were refused every single year for the past fifty years: I therefore had to produce a different and innovative plan that would guarantee success. I started off by planning my overall strategy that I then divided into objectives and tasks. Before embarking on any of those tasks I coordinated human and capital resources. I approached the [university] Sports Committee with a ‘voice’, a diverse range of students that were very willing to practise the sport to improve their fitness levels and discipline. I also decided to take a more analytical and constitutional approach by studying [university] Sport’s constitution, then extracting provisions that could be disputed and undermined in the light of the past activities undertaken by [university] Sports, which would thus give leeway and reality to a new on-campus [Sport] club. [university] Sport allowed a full contact Thai [Sport] club, which had caused previous injuries in the past and was undisputedly more dangerous than [Sport].
IF MENTIONED: [SOCIETY INITIALS] trip to Cardiff and Scotland, liaise with eh SU regarding Health and Safety, liaise with the treasurer, organise transportation links, accommodation and catering, ensure members had access to local events.
Area of law or public policy I would like to see reformed
Having closely observed and followed the Cadbury takeover and drawing on my knowledge from the ‘Law of Business Organisations’ module, I am of opinion that there should also be a requirement for shareholders and not just the board of directors in bidding companies to have access to independent advice to make up their minds on any bid. Following the Cadbury takeover by Kraft, reform of City takeover code is high on the agenda. The main premise for the reform is that the takeover rules should be changed to benefit companies' workforces rather than short-term City speculators following the Cadbury sale. In my view, it is the banks who really profit from this takeover, and Cadbury’s is no exception. One driver of the financial bubble has been that banks ended up serving their own bonus culture at the expense of both customers and shareholders. Short-term market pressures encourage mergers and acquisitions irrespective of whether they make long term economic sense for their shareholders, their employees or the wider economy. This takeover raises some fundamental questions about the over-active market for corporate control and the destruction of shareholder (and other stakeholder) value that goes with it. Most takeovers fail, and policy needs to be reformed both to make hostile takeovers more difficult and to take back the power for government to intervene if need be.
Relationship I have built and maintained
I have built and maintained a positive professional relationship with a partner at [law firm]. Throughout my vacation scheme I was assigned to a partner at the firm with whom I worked on a daily basis. I feel that by accompanying the partner to meetings and using my initiative to assume a greater load of responsibility at work has given the partner an impression that I was very enthusiastic and committed to a career as a solicitor. Having completed the work scheme I have gained a good insight into the work of a solicitor in a medium sized firm. The partner at [law firm] was very keen to help me achieve success in the future and see me through my university career. This resulted in the partner communicating with me regarding my progress at university and any difficulties that I may have. Whenever I am in London and the partner is free I always make an effort to see them and have a chat about their work and developments in the legal profession. The help I received from the partner was invaluable in helping to boost my knowledge of the legal world and my confidence levels, which has contributed to my overall success in academic and personal life.
My Strengths
One of my biggest strengths is my communication skills. I work very well with all kinds of people, and understand that everyone has different perspectives about projects and work tasks, so when I work with others I realise that everyone comes to the table with different priorities and objectives. I keep this in mind when I communicate tasks that need to be accomplished with positive reinforcement and awareness of what others are working on. I am also a very quick learner always willing to embrace new challenges and seek solutions under my own initiative. For example, last summer I worked in the area of research on health and safety course for enforcement officers. I was given a ‘take-home’ task whereby I had to utilise my problem-solving skills and come up with suitable solutions without much direct assistance from the project supervisor.
My Weakness
My greatest weakness is that I like to complete tasks to the highest standard possible by going out of my way. For example, recently I have completed a ‘law in practice’ module where I was responsible for drafting questions for cross-examination. I contributed to my colleague’s by devising additional questions that could anticipate any contingencies. At the mock-trial it was apparent that the questions for cross-examination were very effectively-drafted and helped to undermine witness credibility. Initially I felt that I may be encroaching into someone else’s work which may not be appreciated and may be viewed as negative interference. However, I discovered that my contribution was tolerated as it came as a suggestion to what my colleague had already written down.
Tight Deadline
Achievements, positions of responsibility, interests
I have received a ‘[award name]’ award for receiving the highest grades at A-Level and GCSE in my institutions of study. I have [done the sport] in the Four Nations tournament and have won over fifty trophies at national level.
Firstly, 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. Secondly, 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. Thirdly, I am a very zealous member of the ‘[society]’ society. 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. Fourthly, 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. I have managed to open an on-campus [Sport] club which has not been done for over fifty years. In my spare time I also enjoy playing [sport] and am a very dedicated member of the university’s [sport] club. Recently I was selected to represent [University] in the [sport] Nationals.
Easy and difficult areas of degree?
Throughout the advanced competition module I have developed an interest in the ‘refusal to supply’ cases. I was particularly fascinated by the decision of the EC in Microsoft where it was held to be anti-competitive to refuse to supply interoperability data to its competitors. The Microsoft case however produced a split between US and EU competition law on the subject of consumer welfare. The EU approach focuses on innovation by competitors in order to increase competition in the market and to give consumers a better deal. On the other side of the Atlantic, the US approach generally focuses on overall innovation in the market and efficiency for consumers rather than which company fostered the innovation in question and whether existing competitors might be shut out as technology markets evolve. I specifically enjoyed having to consider the debate on the policy issues underlying the aims of competition law in both EC and US jurisdictions.
Having to write a twelve thousand word dissertation on ‘[dissertation title]’ was a rather daunting task at the beginning simply because there is no consensus on the subject. Instead, I not only explored competing perspectives, but I also related the subject of equity to its root origins of natural law and attempted to justify a new, more philosophical perspective through philosophers such Aristotle and Christopher St. German.
Qualities that make me likely succeed in a commercial law firm
I am a very entrepreneurial individual with excellent leadership skills. I am the founding member and president of ‘[University] [Sport] Society’ (which had not been done for over fifty years) 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. Last summer, I worked for [law firm] where I had to deal with predominantly international clients, namely [language] speakers. I was therefore required to tailor my research to a [language] context and present possible solutions to the client in [language]. This meant that whilst doing research on the common law jurisdiction in English I managed to switch into [language] when presenting solutions to the client, which illustrates my capability to deal with international clients successfully.
Challenges to the legal profession
Conventional legal advisers will be much less prominent in society than today and, in some walks of life, will have no visibility at all. This, I believe, is where we will be taken by two forces: by a market pull towards commoditisation and by pervasive development and uptake of information technology. Commoditisation and IT will shape and characterise 21st century legal service. More specifically, the challenge I lay down here is for all lawyers to introspect, and to ask themselves, with their hands on their hearts, what elements of their current workload could be undertaken differently — more quickly, cheaply, efficiently, or to a higher quality — using alternative methods of working. In other words, the challenge for legal readers is to identify their distinctive skills and talents, the capabilities that they possess that cannot, crudely, be replaced by advanced systems or by less costly workers supported by technology or standard processes, or by lay people armed with online self-help tools.
I will argue that the market is increasingly unlikely to tolerate expensive lawyers for tasks (guiding, advising, drafting, researching, problem-solving and more) that can equally or better be discharged, directly or indirectly, by smart systems and processes. It follows that the jobs of many traditional lawyers will be substantially eroded and often eliminated. At the same time, I foresee new law jobs emerging which may be highly rewarding, even if very different from those of today.
How does the company plan to develop over the next five years?
Will there be opportunities to use my language skills?
Does the firm have any plans to expand into [country]?
