Successful Training Contract Application Example

Work Experience

Conducted research, prepared handouts on tax information exchange agreements for other solicitors, took minutes in meetings, accompanied solicitor to meetings, communicated to clients and helped to draft contracts for commercial enterprises. I have worked as a paralegal in an entrepreneurial environment which effectively improved my ability to work individually while still operating as a team player. I was a highly visible part of the working team: communicating with the team and clients. The fact that the firm is very entrepreneurial and has a very extensive global reach meant that I had to be adaptable, an active problem-solver and had to think on my feet.

Compiled a case bundle, wrote correspondence letters, attended case management discussions, conducted research using legal databases, accompanied the senior solicitors to meetings with a barrister and liaised with members of the corporate legal department. I proved to be an excellent team player and gained advocacy skills. I have achieved the skill of working under pressure with approaching deadlines in a medium-sized law firm.

Worked alongside Professor [professor’s name], [director of a department], on an innovative distance-learning course developed to provide a recognised qualification for licensing officers in local government. Responsibilities entailed research, presentations, communication with professional bodies and meetings. I have developed innovative skills and an ability to tailor legal material to licensing officers in local government. Having received little supervision I was able to contribute to the success of the project which shows my initiative at the workplace and a high degree of self-motivation and maturity.

Throughout my work I was responsible for participating in property management. I managed three properties simultaneously in very affluent areas. Tasks involved supervising surveyors, construction works, advising the manager on legal issues (especially covenants and easements), dealing with bills, helping to plan the renovation of a flat. Throughout the years at this firm I have greatly expounded my business sense through my drive to succeed in a competitive commercial setting. As a result, I managed to acquire exceptional leadership skills whereby I actively seek solutions to problems and go outside way to help to ensure that the results breed success to the overall performance of the firm.

Throughout my second year of studies I have successfully managed to work for this supermarket on a part-time basis. Initially I started off as an on-floor worker but was later assigned the role of supervising junior employees and helping in the recruitment process, which gave me a great insight into the human resources aspect of business. Similarly, the work entailed me having to make everyday marketing and strategic decision which in turn has significantly improved my business acumen and made me more commercially aware. I have also gained excellent management skills whereby I was required to supervise a group of employees and tailor to their individuals needs in their capacity as employees of [Retail Store].

Worked in the compliance department where I shadowed an in-house solicitor. On a daily basis I carried out both legal and non-legal research, accompanied the solicitor to meetings, helped to compile a case bundle, and wrote letters to correspondence. This work experience has taught me the interaction of law and business and thus increased my ability to effectively provide for client needs.

[Retail Store]- January [year] to June [year].

Details:

[company name]- January [year] to January [year].

Details:

Throughout my work I was responsible for participating in property conveyancing, helped to find private clients for the purchase of property in affluent areas, advised the employer on legal aspects in the purchase and sale of property. Throughout the years at this firm I have greatly expounded my business sense through my drive to succeed in a competitive commercial setting. As a result, I managed to acquire exceptional leadership skills whereby I actively seek solutions to problems and go outside way to help to ensure that the results breed success to the overall performance of the firm.

Please tell us about your interests, activities and positions of responsibility.

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 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. 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. Currently, I am responsible for training a large group of students at the [University]. I find that [Sport] helps to increase my discipline and determination which I keenly shared with other students by starting up a [Sport] club.

Why does Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge appeal to you?

I am attracted to Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge because it is a premier international law firm, with a reputation for providing first-class US and European legal advice that meets the commercial needs of its international corporate and finance clients. I feel that what distinguishes Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge is that it has twelve offices in UK and US. This effectively means that I could receive a broader perspective of UK and US law from more different angles which would be imperative to finding and delivering an innovative, edge-cutting solution to a client. By becoming a trainee at Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge I would be able to exercise my English, [language] and [language] languages when working on cross-border transactions or with international clients. This would increase the steepness of my learning trajectory and increase my ability to progress within my career as a solicitor.

Secondly, I am attracted by the small number of trainee intake 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. This environment will unquestionably foster my professional and personal growth in my capacity as a lawyer therefore allowing me to provide Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge’s clients with legal work of the highest quality.

Tell us about you (both good and bad).

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 greatest weakness is that sometimes I am comparatively slow in completing tasks. However, I strongly advocate quality and devote my time and effort to ensuring that a task is completed to the highest degree possible. For example, recently I have completed a ‘[legal practice area]’ module where I was responsible for drafting questions for cross-examination. I was slightly slow in getting back to the group because I tried to devise a set of 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. However, with more experience in a solicitor’s environment I am very positive that I would become quicker in reacting to circumstances, especially given my willingness to learn and succeed in a challenging environment.

Describe a situation where you have had to use your initiative and the result.

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.

Using a different set of circumstances, describe a situation, other than exams, which you found stressful/difficult to handle and explain how you dealt with it.

Whilst working for [company name] I was involved in several property conveyances. I was assigned the task of preparing the property to go on the market by a given date. I was in charge of ten workmen and had to coordinate the order of activities and ensure that the project met the budget and the deadlines. The project started getting complicated and stressful when things did not go according to plan: when some activities had taken longer to complete than initially predicted. This resulted in re-organisation and re-scheduling of works. I managed to cope with the situation with my strong sense of initiative and my outstanding time management and organisational skills. I took active steps to ensure that the works were completed on time by visiting the workers and reinforcing the necessity to complete the task on time, talking to workmen to ensure that they were available for work the next day, and actually participating in the process to ensure that the project was accomplished to the highest standard possible.