Commercial Awareness for Solicitor Apprentices Week 1

Introduction:

Hello, and welcome to our first edition of Commercial Awareness for Solicitor Apprentices(CASA). This is pitched to both aspiring and current solicitor apprentices, and is made possible thanks to the legendary and truly inspirational Dan Miller of Young Professionals. Each week we will interview a current or aspiring apprentice, explain how a piece of commercial law news can be used in your interviews, and we’ll broaden our horizons by exploring commercial law all over the world. In this debut I have also included a section on who you can follow on linkedin so you can demonstrate next level networking skills that increase your chances of being employed. 

 

Interview:

Our very first interview was with Jake Saville who is a solicitor apprentice at Stephenson Harwood, and a huge inspiration to me. 

 

Tell us about your background:

I went to a state school in Norfolk, and knew the law was for me when I took part in a work experience course as well as an equal opportunities in law programme.

 

What has been your experience of academics? 

As someone with dyslexia, I struggled at the start, but with my drive and passion for law I worked hard and achieved a mixture of grades 7 and 8 at GCSE and A*AA in Geography, Law and Politics. At BPP the study day for me is Monday, with 3 topics a year studied, each 12 weeks long with an exam at the end.

 

What are the barriers to entry for aspiring apprentices?

The main one is having social capital (knowing lawyers and being able to talk to them regularly). Also it is making sure parents are aware of what individual law firms have to offer. There is also the hidden costs of transport, suits, watson glaser test preparation etc. Discussions are happening now, and some firms do offer a move to London bonus which is really promising for drawing young talent from all over the country.

 

What is apprentice life like?

Time management is the crucial skill, but once you master it is great. I lived in an apprentice flat, which was a great experience. Apprentice life is what you make of it, so find out the opportunities for your year. 

 

What does your future hold?

I obviously hope to be qualified, having completed my SQE. I will say here you can’t prepare for SQE so in sixth form focus on creating really good applications. I have also started a client secondment to Refugee Legal Support as this newsletter goes out as I am currently in the pro bono development and this helps foster meaningful connections. 

 

What is your advice for applications?

You should always tailor the application to the firm, but most people don't tell you how exactly…until now.

Understand what's important to the firm's clients, which is all about commercial awareness. You can’t copy and paste answers from other applications if you have true passion for a specific firm and their work. Understand specific business interests and unique facts, for example at Stephenson Harwood there is a 50/50 split between court and non court work, and despite media stereotypes, non court is vital because a good job means a client avoids having to go to court due to a lawyer's mistake. 

 

Interview takeaway:

Hopefully this interview inspired you as much as it did me, you can draw from the passion Jake has and reflect on where your passion is within the law.

 

Commercial legal explainer:

Water. It is an essential part of life, and yet in the UK major water companies have faced many scandals. As businesses they have lawyers, and understanding how different legal sectors are impacted is crucial. 

Environmental law is going to be a major focus in a world impacted by climate change, as we have more discussions around ESG( Environmental, Social, Governance). Planning law will be discussed as the pipes are gradually replaced, and also more houses being built puts an even greater strain on our water supply. Finally, with so many angry people, M&A( Mergers and Acquisitions) lawyers may be brought in to understand how to reduce debt and negotiate and government takeover attempts should they occur. 

Interview tip: draw all these strands of law together to show you have a holistic understanding of how interrelated the law is with the commercial world.

 

Worldwide commercial law news:

Donald Trump. He has a busy time coming up legally, with partial immunity for his time in office as president having been granted, prosecuting lawyers are having to draw up new ways to charge trump. And in the latest turn of events, 1 case has been pushed back until after the US presidential election. This was supposedly done because an earlier case would impact his ability to campaign. Setbacks of cases are allowed in other cases in US law in times of family distress and other exigent circumstances, and the judge reasoned that to not allow Trump the extra time would be undemocratic and not following the spirit of the law. 

Interview tip: showing global awareness, especially in the US enables you to connect with a larger clientele, thus earning the firm more money. Your knowledge is what they hire you for. 

 

Who to follow on linkedin:  *not sponsored*

City Century

Young Professionals 

Stephenson Harwood

Linklaters

All other law firms

The Law Society 

Any others you can think of let me know.