On Monday 4th November, Hatfield Law Society hosted a virtual area of law panel with three lawyers from top firms.
We welcomed Rory Flynn (Commercial Solicitor at Baker McKenzie), Edward Fearnley (Private Client Solicitor at HowardKennedy) and Kerrie Greenley (Family Solicitor at Stintons). All of our panelists come from different backgrounds and are pursuing different practice areas, so hearing their tips and insights was invaluable.
Here are some of the highlights of the panel.
Essential Skills For Aspiring Lawyers
· Confidence is key - don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, as you never know what opportunities will be presented to you. Be open to criticism, and use it to boost yourself up.
· Make the most of everything - take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself, even if it is unclear where it will take you. Avoid following a fixed, rigid career path – instead, keep an open mind and be open to new pursuits, to meeting new people, and to following up on the things you are truly interested in.
· Resilience for the win - because law is a high-stress job and you enter into it with no practical experience, you need to be able to keep your chin up and persevere even in the face of failure or adversity.
Why this firm?
Each lawyer had a unique perspective on why they selected their firms, but several common themes emerged.
· Firm culture and values – all of the panelists emphasized the need to find a firm whose values align with your own, and which fosters an environment suitable for your style of working.
· Range of training opportunities –Rory (Baker McKenzie) explained that she valued Baker McKenzie’s well-roundedness in all practice areas, as opposed to having a narrow specialist approach. Rory was also drawn to Baker McKenzie’s international secondments program, and is currently completing a secondment at their New York office.
· Firm reputation - Although Edward(Howard Kennedy) encouraged us to take any opportunity to train, he also highlighted the importance of taking into account the firm’s reputation prior to applying, as this will be the qualitative standard by which your training is judged.
General Applications Advice
· Emphasise your transferable skills –especially for non-law candidates, any non-legal experience on your CV should highlight skills that can be translated into a legal career.
· Interpersonal skills – it is not just about having a load of experience on your CV; what is more important is that you come across well in an interview.
· Demonstrate good commercial awareness – demonstrating excellent knowledge of the legal market and its current trends differentiates you as a candidate, especially for non-law applicants.
· Know the firm – research what they do, what their values are, and how you resonate with them. As Kerrie (Stintons) informed us, each firm wants to know that it is not just another item on your list, so you need to take the time to ensure that your applications are specifically tailored to each firm, and also take every opportunity to engage with members of that firm. This also means you should ask questions at the end of an interview, to further cement your genuine interest in working there.
· Perseverance – applications can be a demoralising process, so it is important to be resilient and carry on. Rory(Baker McKenzie) advised us to choose wisely in terms of the number of applications we complete, as every new application takes time away from others.
· Know yourself as a candidate – show how your own skills and values align with that of the firm, and address any obvious weaknesses in your application.
Thank you again to all of our panelists for taking the time to share their invaluable tips and insights!
