FAQs

Here are ten of the questions that we are asked most frequently. Simon Johnson, the partner responsible for London graduate recruitment, answers them:

1. What universities do you recruit from?
2. Do I really need a 2:1 or a First in my degree?
3. Do law graduates have an advantage?
4. Would it help my application for a training contract if I do a vacation scheme with you?
5. Would an LLM help my application?
6. Can I choose which seats I do during my training contract?
7. What are my chances of doing a seat away from Fleet Street?
8. How likely is it that you will keep me on when I qualify?
9. Will I be just a number in such a big firm?
10. What are the hours like?

1. What universities do you recruit from?
Current trainees studied at 39 different universities. We like it that so many universities are represented among our trainees. It bears out that we want to find the most talented people wherever they studied. We're interested in evidence that you have the qualities that we are looking for, not which university you went to.

2. Do I really need a 2:1 or a First in my degree?
Yes. That said, we do have a handful of lawyers who didn't gain a 2:1, so it's possible to join us without a 2:1. But, if you'd have to have a very good explanation.

3. Do law graduates have an advantage?
No. In 2011 our trainee intake was 60:40 law/non-law graduates. We don't have a quota system but that ratio is typical.

4. Will it help my application for a training contract if I do a vacation scheme with you?
No. The vacation scheme is more about helping you decide whether a career with an international law firm is right for you and whether we are what you want. In 2011 all but one of the students who spent three weeks with us in the summer have so far applied for a training contract with us. I was delighted because it means that they liked what they found. But it doesn't mean that a training contract is assured. I'd go further and say that it's easy to become complacent if you've had a place on our vacation scheme and roll up for the interview under-prepared. By no means all of our vacation scheme students end up getting offers from us.

5. Would an LLM help my application?
No. If you want to do an LLM, then do so, but the degree gives you no advantage in securing an offer from us. You create the advantage through your personality and by demonstrating to us how you think, reason and analyse things.

6. Can I choose which seats I do during my training contract?
Yes. Our philosophy is to build the training contract around what you want to see. We'd expect everyone who joins a firm like this to do a seat in Corporate and a seat in Finance. And the SRA requires you to see some contentious work. But, unlike other firms, you can move seats every three months, so you can experience more areas of law than you can with some other firms.

Whether you enjoy a seat is as much about the teams that you work with and the clients you advise as it is about the area of law. And we're good at recognising which personalities fit where, so if you're in doubt we'll help you.

7. What are my chances of doing a seat away from Fleet Street?
Good. At any one time, 30 or more trainees are out on secondment in one of our other 26 offices. Trainees usually go for six months at a time. There are some offices where fluency in the local language is important. And, although we offer language training, if you want to do a stint in Shanghai and you're up against a trainee with fluent Mandarin, you'll miss out. Likewise, if you're fluent in Arabic, we'll want you in one of our offices in the Middle East rather than Hong Kong.

For those who don't do a seat in an overseas office, we also offer a chance to work in the offices of some of our major clients. There are usually 20 or so trainees who are on client secondment. These give you a fantastic insight into clients' work and what they want from us.

8. How likely is it that you will keep me on when I qualify?
Very likely. Trainees who don't stay with us on qualification tend to be those who haven't made a good enough impression on any of the practice groups they want to join. But these tend to be only a handful - we'd expect 80% plus and often 90% plus to stay on.

9. Will I be just a number in such a big firm?
Absolutely not. You will be noticed and your contribution noted on every project.

We are certainly big. At close to 2,500 lawyers, we're one of the largest law firms in the world. Our size is important to our clients. It doesn't just give them access to good lawyers all over the world, it assures them that the advice and service they receive will be consistently good. And this consistency, regardless of the complexity of their transaction or problem, often gives us the edge over other firms.

But large doesn't mean anonymous. Yes, you could find yourself working as part of an international team of 250 lawyers (as happened when we advised ABN Amro in 2010). But this team was actually composed of many small teams each working on specific aspects of the transaction. The hard part lies in delivering our service to the client as if we were all working in the same office on the same floor. And that's the task of the lead partner.

Most of the time our teams are small. And the collegiate atmosphere is one of the advantages of working here.

10. What are the hours like?
It's rarely 9 to 5, more like 9 to 7. But we're here to serve our clients and quite often you'll find yourself working beyond 7pm to get something done. And occasionally, when you need to close a deal, you might have to work through the night. The good news is that this happens rarely, and you won't be alone. Others in your team will be working just as hard. And the even better news is that we do notice. What you do will be appreciated, and we give you time off when the deal is done.