Before The Fair
Have a look on the Law Fair page to find out which firms are attending this year, then plan which organisations you would like to speak to and research them by looking at their website (links also on the Law Fair page).
You Should Research...
Before attending the fair you should know the following basic details about each firm you are interested in talking to:
- Where the firm is headquartered;
- The size of the firm;
- How many overseas offices they have and where;
- How many trainees they recruit each year;
- The types of client and range of business;
- Whether they offer vacation schemes.
Questions to Prepare
Prepare some questions before the Fair – asking intelligent questions related to the firm makes a good impression. Some examples that you could ask are:
- What do you look for in trainees?
- Do you offer financial assistance for course fees?
- What are the opportunities for trainees to work in overseas offices?
- How are trainees allocated seats and supported during training?
- What is the work/life balance like?
Questions to Avoid
Asking a question that could have been answered by looking on the firm's website does not make a good impression. Examples of BAD questions include:
- Who are you?
- Are you a law firm?
- Do you practice criminal law? (when the firm clearly focuses on commercial work)
- Where are your offices
- So tell me about your firm?
- Why should I apply to your firm?
LPC Providers
Before you start your training contract you will need to complete the LPC. A number of LPC providers will be at the Fair so use the opportunity to find out a bit more. Some questions you might like to ask course providers could include:
- What is your intake of students each year?
- Do you provide financial assistance with course fees?
- What core subject areas do you cover?
- Where are you based?
- Which law firms do you work closely with?
- What is the percentage of students who complete the LPC without a training contract?
- Do you offer the option of deferring my application (if you intend on taking a gap year)?