What key skills do you believe are necessary to become a successful commercial solicitor?
Why do you want to pursue a career in law?
I am interested in pursuing a career in commercial law because, with the globalisation of commerce, I will operate in a wide array of industry sectors and work as part of a global team to make things happen, set new standards and push boundaries. Such teamwork on a global platform will help me to build relationships and forge new contacts that could help me to develop into a successful international solicitor.
I have decided to become a lawyer whilst working at several law firms. I have especially enjoyed working in teams on an international platform because it enabled me to actively participate in complex and high-profile cases. At [Law Firm Name], I realised that I wanted to become a solicitor after attending a board of directors EGM in Amsterdam. I enjoyed thinking on my feet and working as part of a diverse team to solve problems in a quick-paced environment. At [Law Firm Name], I collaborated with the London and [city] offices in the preparation of witness statements. I was very fascinated by the multi-jurisdictional elements of the case as it allowed me to take multiple angles to the problem by working alongside solicitors from different jurisdictions. This produced more interesting work, greater variety and a wider group of experts to learn from which made my work environment stimulating and rewarding.
What key skills do you believe are necessary to become a successful commercial solicitor?
A successful solicitor will possess outstanding interpersonal skills. On a daily basis, a solicitor will have to demonstrate excellent communication skills and interact with a broad range of colleagues and clients.
As solicitors will execute complex multi-national transactions, they will have to have strong commercial acumen. This requires a solicitor to apply commercial sense and understanding to the client’s problem to deliver a practical solution.
Analytical ability, discerning judgment and organisational are essential to the success of a solicitor because they will be required to deal with a broad range of issues. This will require a solicitor to think clearly, identify the key aspects of a problem and apply sound commercial judgment and lateral thought. The solicitor will need to be able to explain complex concepts in understandable language, analyse the position, anticipate risk, interpret the reaction of the parties in complicated situations and offer commercial solutions.
Please briefly provide examples of how you have recently demonstrated these skills:
At [law firm], I demonstrated interpersonal skills whilst working on an international litigious matter. I was required to liaise with attorneys from the London and [city] offices during the preparation of witness statements for the trial. I constantly communicated with the attorneys to ensure that all changes incorporated into witness statements were unified and consistent. I have proved to be a good communicator when explaining problem areas and discussing all possible solutions.
At [Law Firm Name], I demonstrated commercial acumen when I assisted on a shareholder dispute in a joint venture vehicle. I attended a Board of Directors EGM of a joint venture in Amsterdam in my capacity as an interpreter between clients and overseas solicitors. I applied a sharp analytical mind to explain complex issues in a simple language and made sense of a very complicated situation. I was required to think on my feet and always align myself with client’s commercial objectives. At the end of the meeting, we have managed to identify and analyse all salient points which allowed us to take immediate action to protect our client’s position.
I have demonstrated analytical ability, discerning judgment and organisational skills whilst proofreading and amending an Offering Memorandum for a luxury goods company. Whilst at the printers, I demonstrated meticulous attention to detail and discerning judgment when incorporating real-time changes into the prospectus during the final discussions between the parties. I successfully logged all pages that were handed in for processing and prioritised my workload to meet tight deadlines.
Please provide details of your extra-curricular activities and interests, including any positions of responsibility you have held or currently hold:
As a dedicated member of the [environmental society], I helped to introduce and develop social responsibility initiatives at University. I had successfully organised and developed a scheme whereby all unused desktops at the library were turned off during the vacation breaks to help reduce the University’s carbon footprint. In my third year at university, I held the position of a law representative for the student-staff liaison committee and delivered constant improvements to the law school. As the President of the [university] Amateur [Sport] Society, I organised training sessions, coordinated and managed executives, promoted the club to students and helped to attract outside investment to help the society grow. I enjoy fitness and regularly practise [Sport], go jogging and play football. I share my skills and passion for the sport by providing lessons to friends and people who have an interest in [Sport]. I enjoy travelling and was overwhelmed by the gothic settings of Cornwall, home to several of my favourite gothic books and the historic splendour and idyllic gardens of the Leeds Castle in Kent. I regularly take part in charitable runs and in the past, I helped to raise over four thousand pounds for the McMillan Cancer Support. I enjoy taking part in community initiatives and during one summer, I helped to refurbish my local church. My other interests include current affairs, reading, technology, social outings, motoring and photography.
I would like to be considered for the [city] office because it is fairly young and still undergoing growth, which suggests that I would be able to assume large levels of responsibility and utilise my advanced language skills to a great extent. Having worked on several high-value and high-profile matters involving [language] clients in UK, I have developed a desire to view such cases from the angle of [language] jurisdiction. Similarly, having an excellent understanding of [language] language and culture, I would be able to add value to Clyde & Co and help its growth in [country].
