NQ Solicitor Interviews

September is an interesting time of year for junior lawyers. Paralegals and LPC graduates are starting their training contracts and Trainee Solicitors are coming up to the quarter, halfway or very likely the qualification point of their training.

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It is understandable these lawyers have so many questions about how their career will progress during the training contract process. Questions that I frequently get asked include “what seats should I try and undertake?”, “should I stay with my current firm?”, “what is the best area of law to qualify into?”, “what other roles are out there?”, “what changes when I qualify?”. These are of course just a few of the most common queries that crop up but there are many more.

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Here at Chadwick Nott, we speak regularly to many lawyers during their training contract and post-qualification giving them an overview of the market, career and salary advice and the options that they might want to consider. For this blog we thought it would be useful to hear from ‘the horse’s mouth’, by asking some of our candidates/contacts what the process is really like and what changes upon qualification.

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We asked three solicitors, who have either recently qualified or are at the point of qualification in law firms, eight questions that we thought would be enlightening. Thank you to Sophie, Kathryn and Rachel for your time and great advice.

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1.?????When applying for your training contract what attracted you to your current law firm?

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Kathryn

·????????The firm appealed to me because it was multi-disciplinary, ranging from commercial law to the personal services e.g. private client / family law?

·????????I liked the ethos of the firm (a friendly, warm feel as though you’d be working as part of a firm-wide team)

·????????Local to home

·????????Good reputation in the area?

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Rachel

·????????Good reputation within the local area

·????????Advertisement of positive trainee experience

·????????Focus on positive working culture

·????????Opportunity for growth and personal development

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2.?????Have you any top tips in relation to the trainee application process?

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Sophie

The training application process can be brutal. I think taking your time with application forms is important. Answer the questions how you want to answer them, rather than how you think the recruitment team might want you to answer. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through, whether within the application form or during assessment centres and interviews. They genuinely want to know what you are like as a person and whether your character would be a good fit. If you have something that makes you different to other candidates make sure you shout about it and the transferable skills it has given you.?

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During assessment centres, there are often several exercises, but almost always a group task. Ensure that you take part in this task, making valuable contributions to the group. The content of the question isn’t the only way you can do this, you can keep time, invite quieter members of the group to contribute and reflect on other people’s suggestions.?

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Try and relax during the interview, see it as an opportunity rather than a test. You want to show them how good a candidate you are and what your strengths are. Promoting yourself doesn’t come as a natural skill to most people, so it’s okay if it takes some practise!?

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Kathryn

·????????Research the firm thoroughly?

·????????Tailor application to the firm (specialisms etc)

·????????Practise interviews / consider questions & answers?

·????????Practise assessment centre questions?

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Rachel

·????????Apply to a firm that aligns with your values

·????????If you are interested in a particular practice area and the firm does not offer it, do not sacrifice your passion just for the sake of a training contract.

·????????Look up the SMART answer technique and ensure you formulate answers to key questions in this way – it helps you stay focused and concise

·????????Interviews are just as much for you as an individual to ask the questions that you want answers to, so don’t be afraid to speak up

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3.?????Did you have a good idea of what area of law you wanted to qualify into when you started your training? Did this change as you progressed in your training?

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Sophie

I was interested in personal legal services, such as family law and private client. I was also open to trying employment law, so I targeted my applications at firms which offered these areas. It is worth noting that some of my fellow trainees were incredibly surprised by the areas of law they enjoyed during their training, which were different to what they originally thought that they would like.

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I think that all trainees should try to work out what types of work they enjoy - contentious work or transactional work. Each seat you complete usually informs your next choice.

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Always remember, you might not get to try every seat you want to, so try to remain open minded. Whilst I got to try family and private client, I never had the opportunity to do a seat in employment.?

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Kathryn

I thought I wanted to practise in the personal services e.g. family, private client. However, I was advised to keep an open mind and consider other areas of law. I had also been told that areas of law in practice are quite different from studying these topics?at university.

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I kept an open mind, but as soon as I commenced my first seat in private client, it reaffirmed my desire to practise in personal services and work with individuals rather than in a commercial setting.?

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Rachel

I did the GDL after enjoying the employment law element of my HR degree. I therefore thought this was the area I wanted to practice in. I had the opportunity to do an extended 9-month seat in the medical negligence department working with two Partners that specialise in high value brain and birth injuries. This was an amazing experience and sparked my love for medical negligence. I had an opportunity to then do a short seat in employment and did not have the same love and passion for the work. I was offered a job in the medical negligence team six months before qualifying and therefore returned to the department taking on my own case load.

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My advice would be to definitely try and get seats in what you are interested in, however be open as you may love something you did not anticipate enjoying.

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4.?????In addition to technical knowledge, what was the most useful thing you learned during your training?

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Sophie

A training contract is your time to develop your ‘soft’ skills. This includes verbal and written communication, managing your workload and legal research amongst others.?

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During your training contract, you will work with a variety of different lawyers and supervisors all with their own working style. I think the most valuable skill I obtained in my training contract was adopting the elements of my different supervisors’ working styles that I thought worked well, and learning from the ones that I did not. You must develop your own working style that works for you.?

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Kathryn

Learning to adapt my workstyle to fit different teams. I enjoyed the experience of working in different departments with different teams.?

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Rachel

Practical legal skills. These skills were developed by legal research, drafting, negotiations, client communications, case management, and understanding the importance of time management.

Additionally, building strong relationships with clients, colleagues, and other professionals in the legal sector was encouraged during my training period. Effective teamwork and collaboration, as well as networking, were valuable skills taught, to aid me in developing a successful legal career

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5.?????Using five words describe your time as a Trainee Solicitor

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Sophie

·????????Confidence building

·????????Challenging at times

·????????Interesting

·????????Practical

·????????Enjoyable

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Kathryn

·????????Challenging?

·????????Rewarding

·????????Educational?

·????????Varied - every day is different?

·????????Enjoyable?

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Rachel

·????????Rewarding

·????????Transformative

·????????Challenging

·????????Insightful

·????????Fulfilling

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6.?????Did you consult recruitment agencies, friends or family in looking for an NQ role and how did they help? What was useful about this process?

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Sophie

I was approached by several recruiters on LinkedIn that I kept in semi-regular contact with. Finding a good recruiter appropriate for your practice area and location can be difficult. A good one can really help take the pressure off and prepare you for great opportunities.

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I found that recruiters would have contacts with the firms and would relieve some of the pressure by communicating with them and answering questions etc. My recruiter also gave me some really valuable advice and preparation leading up to the interview process.

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Kathryn

Yes, legal recruiters were very useful as they gave me insight into the legal market and made me aware of the opportunities available for NQs.?

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Other trainees who recently qualified also helped by giving me tips/questions they had been asked for their NQ interviews.?

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7.?????Post qualification, what changed for you?

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Rachel

I think the biggest change for me was taking on my own caseload in September 2022.

When qualifying in April 2023, the pressure was not as great as I thought it would be, as I had eased into it with having responsibility of my own caseload prior to this. I feel my client’s place greater trust and confidence in me now as they don’t see “Trainee” in front of my name, which is positive.

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8.?????What advice would you give to a trainee approaching qualification??

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Sophie

Enjoy being a trainee. Most trainees don’t have billing or hours targets and are encouraged to use their time to learn as much as they can, get involved with business development and charity work. I have heard that it is a steep learning curve changing to a NQ, so enjoy the opportunity to try different practice areas and work with different teams. Most industries don’t have these kinds of training structures so make the most of it!?

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Rachel

Make the most of not being expected to know exactly what you are doing and take your time to hone your skills ahead of qualification.

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If you are a trainee looking towards life after qualification, our consultants at Chadwick Nott can help you to secure your first post-qualified role. With a network that extends from boutique practices to international law firms, we have access to the full range of NQ legal jobs in the UK. We can also continue to support you through your legal career with expert advice – from CV preparation to interview tips, and up-to-the-minute market updates, immersing you in the fascinating and fast-changing legal world.

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For a confidential discussion, please contact Hannah Somers at Chadwick Nott.

(t) 0117 917 1929

(m) 07435 943 574

(e)?[email protected]