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How to apply for vacation schemes and training positions

So, you want to be a solicitor? Why? This is a consistent question you will be asked throughout your career. Before making applications, think of your ‘why’, what you want and the essential skills and competencies firms and organisations will be looking for.

31 Oct 2025

10 minutes read

The main things that law firms and in-house legal teams want to know about you is:

why you?
why law?
why them?

Think about what you want

Consider what a career in law means for you personally.

What’s on your wish list? Reflect on this before making any applications.

A career in law requires dedication and hard work and can be demanding.

Make sure you focus your effort on the firms and organisations that are right for you.

What areas of law interest you?

Whether or not you are already studying law, you should have some idea of what areas you might enjoy.

Having an idea of the areas of law that both appeal and interest you will help with your research.

At this early stage of your legal career, you are not expected to know with complete certainty, but having an idea will help you narrow down your search.

During your training, you will get to experience different legal areas. This will help you work out where your strengths lie and what you enjoy.

You should research different sectors and practice areas.

Try to speak to a range of lawyers to find out more about what they do on a day-to-day basis.

This will also help you narrow down your areas of interest.

Do your research

All the advice you’ll see on pursuing a career in law will stress the importance of research.

Make sure you take the time to conduct thorough research.

It will mean you can target the firms and organisations that are right for you.

Rather than completing several poorly researched applications, focusing your search will improve your chances of success.

Firms want to know you are genuinely interested in them.

Firms will often receive hundreds, sometimes thousands of applications. Many of the candidates will have excellent CVs. Those that make the shortlist will be those who can:

demonstrate they have done their homework
explain why they are genuinely interested in the firm

Putting the work in now will make sure you have information at your fingertips to answer the inevitable ‘why them?' in your application.

Once you’ve considered your criteria, you can start your research.

Keep a spreadsheet to record your findings to help you draw up a shortlist of firms you want to apply to.

There are several resources that can help with your research:

student websites
legal directories, student legal publications
firm websites (graduate recruitment and client site)
open days, law fairs, webinars and events (virtual and in-person)
presentations and workshops
networking events
follow firms of interest on social media to stay up to date
use LinkedIn to make connections and seek advice
careers service support

Choosing a firm or organisation

Think about what appeals to you.

Do you want to help and support individuals with their legal issues?

Do you want to work with large corporate organisations to help them achieve their business goals?

Thinking about this will help you to focus your research.

Research the firm’s values, initiatives, key clients and sectors, recent work, awards, competitors, strengths, strategy, pro bono etc.

For example, you may want to check:

key practice areas
flexible working policies
how many staff and offices there are
opportunities to work abroad
the pro bono programme

Look carefully at the firm’s seat structure, if it has one. A ‘seat’ means a department you’re placed in to gain practical experience in that area of law.

Usually, you will rotate around departments during your training, typically doing four six-month seats or six four-month seats over the course of your training, depending on the firm or organisation.

The core areas of the firm’s business will often be reflected in core seats you would undertake. For example, if your firm’s primary practice areas are corporate law and dispute resolution, those are likely to be reflected in the seats you have to do.

As well as your training being grounded in legal work and the provision of legal services, you will also develop some or all of the competencies set out in the statement of solicitor competence.

What is the firm’s ranking in the legal areas you are interested in? How large is that department?

Full-service law firms offer legal services across a wide range of specialisms, but some departments will be more niche.

If you’re keen to do a seat in a certain area but it’s a small and niche department, there is no guarantee you will have an opportunity to experience that area of law

Concentrate your efforts on searching for firms where your areas of interest are a main focus for that firm

If you’re applying for vacation schemes, you might want to experience different firms to see what’s right for you.

Consider:

the size of the firm – number of partners and staff, network of offices
size of trainee intake
the seat system
financial support offered
whether it’s a full-service law firm, boutique or an in-house team
geographical location – how flexible are you about where you’re based?
do you speak other languages? Is it important to you to be able to use those skills?
what does it offer in terms of international or client secondments?
culture and values

Open days and networking events will provide insight.

Different types of applications

An application is the initial formal stage of applying for a vacation scheme or training position.

Different organisations ask for different things, all aimed at determining whether you are right for them.

Typical applications ask for:

cover letter and CV
application form and CV
application form and cover letter, or
application form combining factual information and competency questions

Typically, applications will ask you to include core information such as:

education grades and dates
work experiences
positions of responsibility
interests

Some firms no longer use GCSE or A-level results as marking criteria in online applications. Some use screen-based online tests.

There is an increasing focus on recruiting a diverse workforce, which means looking beyond pure academics.

If your academics were gained overseas, you should briefly explain the scoring system or add context.

Tips for applying

Once you’ve conducted thorough research, you can draw up a shortlist of firms and organisations you want to apply to.

Avoid completing multiple applications that lack thorough research, detail and depth.

Competition is high, so your time is best spent making fewer strong applications.

A good application is time-consuming. Do not risk making so many applications that you dilute the quality.

Research the firm or organisation, find out about its culture and what it’s looking for – don’t just use the website.

Create a spreadsheet with important information such as deadlines. You can use this as the basis for your CV and applications.

Don’t wait until the deadline to apply. An application can take six to eight hours, so avoid the stress of trying to submit an application at midnight.

Refresh your memory of what the firms on your shortlist are looking for in their trainees, their values, recent work, initiatives and awards.

Keep a record of your interests, volunteering or work experience, including any positions of responsibility you may have held.

Think of key achievements and times you’ve had to deal with difficulties or challenges.

Consider the key competencies you will need to be a trainee solicitor – likely to be outlined on firm’s websites. Think of times you have demonstrated these.

Experience outside of law can allow you to develop competencies such as:

Provide specific information that is unique to you. This will help your answers come across as genuine

Use examples – take the three most relevant skills for the firm you’re applying to and be specific in explaining how you have demonstrated each skill

Use the full word count. Not using it will likely mean you are not fully answering the question

Highlight your skills and personality

What makes you a strong candidate?

You may not have a lot of legal experience to talk about. Think about your life experiences – are there transferable skills that can demonstrate your potential as a solicitor?

For example:

teamwork
communications skills
overcoming hurdles
self motivation and commitment

Think of situations where you have acquired transferable skills, such as working in retail or being part of a sports team.

Show you are the right candidate

You are not expected to be perfect. Firms are looking for potential, not necessarily the finished article.

Demonstrate that you are a good fit for the firm or organisation. Decisions will be made based on your studies, work interest and life experience.

Remember you are also assessing whether the firm or organisation is a good fit for you.

List all your work experience. Outline the tasks you carried out and the skills you’ve gained, providing a variety of examples.

When detailing your experience, imagine you are being asked to ‘tell us about a time when….’ or ‘can you provide an example of …….’. This will help you dig into the details.

When answering questions, use the CAR (context, action, result) technique.

Look to your life experiences and past behaviours to demonstrate your potential as a solicitor. Use examples of where you work well with others, overcome hurdles, show motivation and commitment.

Demonstrate your commitment to law

This should be straightforward, but some students struggle to articulate this and to tailor their answer appropriately.

A law firm or organisation is asking you this question to assess your motivation for working in its area of law and whether you’ve grasped what it will involve.

You will need to evidence why this career path is important to you and what experience you have had to inform your decision.

Think about what first sparked your interest in law. How have you continued to develop that interest? This could be talks, work experience, events or articles
Consider how you can explain your interest in the area of law you are applying for
Why is the area of law important to you? What steps have you taken to find out more?
Consider what you will be doing as a trainee solicitor. What will your role involve and why does that appeal?

Explain why you have applied to the firm or organisation

Firms and organisations want to know that you have a genuine interest in them.

Consider the organisation or firm you are applying to. Is it a high street or international city firm? Is it an in-house legal team?

You need to show you understand:

the type of work
its clients
challenges in that sector
what you might be doing as a trainee
why that appeals to you

Do not make the common mistake of listing everything you know about the firm. This does not demonstrate why you have chosen the firm or organisation.

Instead, mention characteristics that are relevant to why you are applying, such as areas of law, tech innovations or pro bono work.

Expand on this. Maybe you’ve had experience of a certain area of law and want to continue working in this area, or you’re passionate about a good cause.

Review your initial research on the firm or organisation – the work it does, its strengths, its culture and values. Look at what specifically appeals to you and why.

Mention any dealings you have had with them and what you learnt. For example, an open day, a conversation through LinkedIn or a webinar.

Avoid repeating passages from the organisation’s website or legal publications and giving generic reasons for your application. If your answer would apply to other firms, you have not been specific enough.

Demonstrate commercial awareness in your answers. If you’re applying to a large commercial law firm, talking vaguely about wanting to help people will not demonstrate your understanding of the role of a commercial solicitor.

You need to show that you understand the importance of knowing your client’s business and commercial objectives and being able to identify both commercial and legal risks.

Mistakes to avoid in your applications

Competition is high. Don’t let your application get rejected because of errors.

Check and re-check. Ask someone to look over your application. A fresh set of eyes can spot things you have missed
Do not rely on spell check. It does not always pick up incorrect words
Be careful of using cut and paste. Double check that content has been pasted in the correct areas

Pay attention to word counts. The word count indicates the level of information required. Make sure you use the word count to showcase your skills and experience

Do not say you have skills and attributes without giving examples.

Read the questions carefully so your example is relevant
Tailor your response to the specific firm or organisation, this will avoid the wrong firm name being inserted

Do not avoid mentioning any low grades or gaps in your CV. There will be an area to explain any extenuating circumstances.

Be clear and concise. Do not be generic. Keep information and content unique to you to showcase you are a right fit for the firm or organisation.