As a lawyer or law student, it’s likely that you know exactly what you’re looking for in your ideal role – but do you know what your ideal employer is looking for in you? To assist with this endeavour, Insights has compiled information on the chief characteristics legal employers look for in new recruits.
Perhaps the most widely known fact is that previous legal work experience can go a long way to distinguish graduates from their peers. In a study by Kings’ College London conducted with 20 leading law firms, findings showed that firms preferred applicants who showed an understanding of the reality of working in a legal environment and an ability to solve problems with not just legal knowledge but social, economic, political and cultural knowledge too.
Pointing out that half the current London partners at international law firm, Jones Day, had been trained within the firm, Recruitment Partner David Smith reveals a similar sentiment in identifying a criterion that goes beyond good grades.
“We are looking for potential partners of the future, not candidates who will just qualify with us,” said Smith.
For those who didn’t manage to pin down a legal job while studying, Shaaron Dalton, the Principal Advisor of Strategic Appointments at legal recruitment firm Legal Personnel, reminds us that even at the end of our degrees we can put ourselves front and centre in a law firm.
“Many smaller firms we work with are accessing PLT lawyers and seeing them as potential long term recruits,” Dalton told Insights.
“They prefer to take students as paralegals and train them whilst they are still at university, so by the time they’ve completed their PLT they can hit the ground running as fee earners.”
Legal work experience and profession connections are not the only qualities recruiters are looking for, however. Participation in extracurricular activities and leadership roles at university continue to be a distinguishing factor when it comes to showing you’ve always had your eyes on the prize.
“We look for specific legal motivation, such as pro bono activities, mooting, debating, positions of responsibility in the law society or other commercial societies,” said Tracy Foot, graduate recruitment adviser at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP.
“It’s about linking your skills back to the skills needed for a successful career in law.”
While work experience, impressive grades, and extracurricular activities are all ranked highly by legal employers, it will be your attitude as much as anything else that determined whether or not you are hired. DLA Piper Global Practice Group Leader Simon Levine says it’s the lawyers who sacrifice themselves that fare the best in practice.
You made it through law school because you juggled all the things you enjoyed – the very things that are also going to make you a good lawyer. The real answer is not to just be yourself, but be your best self.
Perhaps the most widely known fact is that previous legal work experience can go a long way to distinguish graduates from their peers. In a study by Kings’ College London conducted with 20 leading law firms, findings showed that firms preferred applicants who showed an understanding of the reality of working in a legal environment and an ability to solve problems with not just legal knowledge but social, economic, political and cultural knowledge too.
Pointing out that half the current London partners at international law firm, Jones Day, had been trained within the firm, Recruitment Partner David Smith reveals a similar sentiment in identifying a criterion that goes beyond good grades.
“We are looking for potential partners of the future, not candidates who will just qualify with us,” said Smith.
For those who didn’t manage to pin down a legal job while studying, Shaaron Dalton, the Principal Advisor of Strategic Appointments at legal recruitment firm Legal Personnel, reminds us that even at the end of our degrees we can put ourselves front and centre in a law firm.
“Many smaller firms we work with are accessing PLT lawyers and seeing them as potential long term recruits,” Dalton told Insights.
“They prefer to take students as paralegals and train them whilst they are still at university, so by the time they’ve completed their PLT they can hit the ground running as fee earners.”
Legal work experience and profession connections are not the only qualities recruiters are looking for, however. Participation in extracurricular activities and leadership roles at university continue to be a distinguishing factor when it comes to showing you’ve always had your eyes on the prize.
“We look for specific legal motivation, such as pro bono activities, mooting, debating, positions of responsibility in the law society or other commercial societies,” said Tracy Foot, graduate recruitment adviser at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP.
“It’s about linking your skills back to the skills needed for a successful career in law.”
While work experience, impressive grades, and extracurricular activities are all ranked highly by legal employers, it will be your attitude as much as anything else that determined whether or not you are hired. DLA Piper Global Practice Group Leader Simon Levine says it’s the lawyers who sacrifice themselves that fare the best in practice.
You made it through law school because you juggled all the things you enjoyed – the very things that are also going to make you a good lawyer. The real answer is not to just be yourself, but be your best self.
Perhaps the most widely known fact is that previous legal work experience can go a long way to distinguish graduates from their peers. In a study by Kings’ College London conducted with 20 leading law firms, findings showed that firms preferred applicants who showed an understanding of the reality of working in a legal environment and an ability to solve problems with not just legal knowledge but social, economic, political and cultural knowledge too.
Pointing out that half the current London partners at international law firm, Jones Day, had been trained within the firm, Recruitment Partner David Smith reveals a similar sentiment in identifying a criterion that goes beyond good grades.
“We are looking for potential partners of the future, not candidates who will just qualify with us,” said Smith.
For those who didn’t manage to pin down a legal job while studying, Shaaron Dalton, the Principal Advisor of Strategic Appointments at legal recruitment firm Legal Personnel, reminds us that even at the end of our degrees we can put ourselves front and centre in a law firm.
“Many smaller firms we work with are accessing PLT lawyers and seeing them as potential long term recruits,” Dalton told Insights.
“They prefer to take students as paralegals and train them whilst they are still at university, so by the time they’ve completed their PLT they can hit the ground running as fee earners.”
Legal work experience and profession connections are not the only qualities recruiters are looking for, however. Participation in extracurricular activities and leadership roles at university continue to be a distinguishing factor when it comes to showing you’ve always had your eyes on the prize.
“We look for specific legal motivation, such as pro bono activities, mooting, debating, positions of responsibility in the law society or other commercial societies,” said Tracy Foot, graduate recruitment adviser at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP.
“It’s about linking your skills back to the skills needed for a successful career in law.”
While work experience, impressive grades, and extracurricular activities are all ranked highly by legal employers, it will be your attitude as much as anything else that determined whether or not you are hired. DLA Piper Global Practice Group Leader Simon Levine says it’s the lawyers who sacrifice themselves that fare the best in practice.
You made it through law school because you juggled all the things you enjoyed – the very things that are also going to make you a good lawyer. The real answer is not to just be yourself, but be your best self.