A list of questions below were based on the current questions being used by the following firms on their online application forms: Ashford, Baker & McKenzie, Bird and Bird, Burges Salmon, CMS Cameron McKenna, Dechert, Dewey and LeBoeuf, Holman Fenwick Willan, K & L Gates, Kennedys, Mischon de Reya, Macfarlanes, Norton Rose, Olswang, Osborne Clarke, and Paul Hastings.

[X] has minimum academic requirements, so before completing our application form please give careful consideration to the following questions:

1 Do you have 3 A levels at grades A, B, B or equivalent? (N.B. Taken in one sitting and NOT including General Studies.

2 Have you gained or are you realistically expecting to gain a minimum 2.1 honours degree or equivalent?

3 Have you previously made an unsuccessful application to [X]?

Languages

4 Multiple languages can be added by selecting the language, and selecting fluency levels.

Education

5 [Percentage grades are now required for undergraduate and postgraduate subject results. You are required to ensure that your institution details and results are correct. You must include at least one secondary and one undergraduate record (including all results). You are also obliged to provide a complete breakdown of all your grades by subject, obtained  during secondary school and university. Please list your all of your GCSEs and A' Levels or international equivalent.]

How did you hear about us?

6 [Various options are given.]

Referees

7 [You are normally required to enter details of two employers at least, sometimes one academic and one vocational.]

Other details

8 Excluding motor offences not resulting in a custodial sentence or disqualification from driving, have you ever had a criminal conviction (including any spent conviction which, by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders (Exceptions) Order 1975, should be disclosed)?

9 Do you have any disability for which you require any assistance for during the selection process?

Work experience

10 [You are normally required to set out details of your work experience (usually 4 + “others”).]

Competence questions

Activities, interests, positions of responsibility

11 Please give brief details of your key non-academic extra-curricular hobbies, activities, leisure interests, highlighting any positions of responsibility whether at school, university or otherwise.

12 Describe your biggest achievement and/or most demanding position of responsibility you have held to date; why did this achievement stand out for you, and what did you learn from this?

Prizes

13 Please provide details of any academic prizes, distinctions, skills, scholarships and any other noteworthy achievements. In the case of skills please specify level of proficiency

Firm specification

14 Please explain why you think you are well suited to [], and have chosen to apply to [] for a training contract or vacation scheme placement? why you think you would make a successful trainee?

15 [X] is a leading UK law firm. How do you think we are distinct from other law firms?

16 All [X] trainee solicitors are based in our [Y] office. Please give your reasons for choosing to live in or around and train at the [Y] office.

Career motivation

17 What qualities do you think you possess to be a successful lawyer at [X]? Which areas of law interest you and why?

18 Please explain what attracts you to a career as a solicitor at an international business law firm, with reference to other careers that you might have considered and why you chose not to pursue them.

Commercial awareness

19 Identify a current commercial article that you read or a recent event from the business world which has attracted your attention recently. Why do you consider it to be significant? Who are the key stakeholders in this situation and what are the implications for those concerned?

20 Business acumen and commercial awareness are important elements to becoming a successful solicitor. Please outline, in your opinion, why you think this would be important and tell us about a time when you’ve demonstrated your abilities in this area. What was the occasion and what impact did possessing this awareness have over the final outcome?

21 Choose a sector group of the firm and summarise the biggest challenges and opportunities they will face in the future.

Proactivity

22 Describe an occasion when you spotted an opportunity to make an improvement in ‘going the extra mile’, and took action without being asked to do so. What steps did you take? What was the outcome? Explain why you think this attribute is relevant for a solicitor

Flexibility

23 Describe a time that you have had to change your approach to a project or task halfway through. What changes did you have to make? Why did you need to make these changes? What was the outcome?

Teamwork

24 Please give an example of a situation where you were required to work in a team to accomplish an important objective and describe your role in achieving this objective

Defining qualities of the candidate

25 What can you tell us about yourself that sets you apart from other applicants, and which are convincing reasons why we should recruit you?

Communication skills

27 All solicitors at [X] work with a wide range of people so need to be able to persuade, influence and display effective communication skills. Describe a situation when you have had to communicate effectively.

Conflict and pressure

26 The success of [X] is built on the self-motivation and applied effort of all its employees, as demonstrated by their ability to work through setbacks coping effectively with conflict and pressure. Describe a situation when you have had to deal with conflict and pressure. Which other people involved? What did you learn about yourself?

Commitment to excellence

27 Describe an occasion when you have demonstrated commitment to a task or project that resulted in you exceeding expectations either for yourself or others. What steps did you take? What was the outcome?

Gap year

28 If you have taken any gap years, please provide details of work/activities undertaken.

Personal challenge

29 Describe a significant challenge that you have faced outside of your academic studies ideally from the last 2  years. How did you initially analyse the challenge? What approach did you take to solving it? What did you learn from this challenge?

Mitigating circumstances

30 Are there any important mitigating circumstances why you feel the exam results you have listed do not fully reflect your abilities?

Additional information

31 If applicable, please state any additional information which you think is relevant and supportive to your application or which you think has not been covered adequately in this form

 

We are due to do a meeting on this at 5.30 pm in room 2.4 BPP Law School Holborn for all current members of BPP. Our handout can be downloaded here:  BPP Legal Awareness Society handout on the online application form