Application advice

Places at the top law firms are hard-won. Following these points will stand you in good stead.

Read carefully through the form before you start to complete it. Print off a copy and draft answers before submitting the form.

Put yourself in the shoes of the person who will assess you. Are you clear about why you want to pursue this career, at this firm?

Ask yourself, what skills and abilities will I need to demonstrate to secure a place as a trainee solicitor at this firm?

What will make you stand out from the other 2,500 applicants? The person reading your form will be assessing many applications, so convey your personality and make the form engaging and interesting.

Don’t undersell yourself. If you connect your experiences with what you know the recruiter is looking for, and if you give examples of when you have used those skills, it will not come across as ‘big-headed’.

Pay attention to your spelling and grammar. You are applying for a job as a lawyer – written and oral communication is vital to being effective. If you are sending in a written version of the form, clear handwriting will make the reader’s job easier.

Don’t use jargon.

Use any work placements (legal or non-legal) to demonstrate you understand business, time management, communicating with people and meeting deadlines.

Use legal placements, law fairs, legal open days and information from universities (career advisers, law students, student law society events) to demonstrate your research into – and understanding of – the law and a legal career. Use the information to back up statements on your form.

Don’t feed back to us quotes from our own publicity, however great they are. It’s you we’re interested in, and your reasons for choosing law and Hogan Lovells. If it’s our international practice you’re interested in, say why, and talk about what you might bring to us in that area.

Keep a copy of your completed form. If you are called for an interview you will need to refresh your memory about what you said.