Two of our exceptional Zero Gravity members at the University of Exeter, Hollie and Louise, are on a mission to power up any aspiring Law students in the Zero Gravity community. They talk through the value of mentoring, the power of law placements, and how to smash an application. Louise acts as interviewer and Hollie spills all. It's a good one - defo worth the read.
I would love to begin by asking you to introduce yourself and outline your journey with Zero Gravity?
I’m Hollie and I’m a third-year law student at the University of Exeter, currently undertaking a placement year at a law firm. I started my Zero Gravity journey in Year 12, having received a scouting message on LinkedIn. I was matched with an incredible law student, Kate, who helped me perfect my personal statement, interview skills, and gave me so much insight into studying law. I continued this mentoring partnership in Year 13 too. When I started university, I decided I wanted to give back by becoming a mentor. This is something that I’ve done since first-year and will continue to do until I graduate!
What made you decide to apply to study law with a placement at the University of Exeter? Has it always been a subject or career path you have wanted to pursue?
Since GCSEs, I’ve known that I wanted to pursue law. I love the idea of helping people, but always refining my academic skills, like analysis or drafting. I think law, as a degree, opens a lot of doors and doesn’t necessarily funnel you into a career in law, which is why it’s such a popular degree. A legal career has a lot of variety too. In my placement year, I will spend time in both the Pro Bono team and the Entertainment and Media team - two very different areas of expertise. In terms of pursuing a placement, this wasn’t something I had ever considered until I was actually at university. When I saw the available opportunities, I knew how beneficial this would be for my skill development and long-term aspirations. I immediately applied and, once receiving an acceptance onto the programme with the firm, I changed my degree to the LLB Law with Professional Placement. I truly think placement years are an amazing way to confirm whether the career path you are intending to pursue is actually right for you, as well as ‘putting you ahead’ in terms of CVs and grad recruitment.
You are currently on year long placement working at a law firm in the Pro Bono Team and the Entertainment and Media Industry Group. Can you describe your typical day at the law firm and what a seat actually is?
A seat refers to the department you are working in. I’ve been fortunate enough to start in the Pro Bono team. Pro Bono is free legal advice for vulnerable communities who otherwise cannot afford legal aid. My day consists of admin work (checking emails, filing, bundling), but I’ve also had the chance to engage with a lot of legal work - which is extremely rare as someone who’s not yet graduated! I’ve had the chance to sit in on client interviews, draft legal submissions, and even go to hearings! My Entertainment & Media seat is the fee-earning side of things, where there is actually paying clients. I’m yet to start in this seat, but I imagine it will have similar tasks required of me.
All in all, it is a lot of responsibility, but you are equally not held to an unattainable standard. It’s a great way to gauge whether you can envisage yourself working at the firm. The firm has a great culture, placing emphasis on embracing our diversity and the whole firm has been encouraging and welcoming. It’s about integrating yourself and putting yourself out there to make a name for yourself! Work with as many people as you can and take advantage of those networking opportunities, in the hopes you may be able to get a training contract after grad!
Can you outline the process for applying for law placement schemes?
Some opportunities will be specifically marketed to your university by the Graduate Recruitment teams or by the staff at your university, but a lot of other opportunities, you have to seek yourself (highly recommend RateMyPlacement!). Most placement schemes’ recruitment process starts with filling out an application form, answering questions about why you want to pursue law and why you want to work for that company. They then usually have some form of online assessment, typically situational judgment tasks. You can find free practice questions online. A lot of websites will ask you to pay, but there is absolutely no need to! You then typically carry out an online video interview, where you get 2-3 minutes to record your answers. Finally, you get invited to an assessment centre. These typically involve case study tasks, proofreading, and in-person interviews. Again, there are plenty of free resources online, including on Zero Gravity.
There are so many law firms offering schemes and placements. How did you choose which law firms to apply to?
When choosing a law firm, I think there are three things to consider.
- the fee-earning side. This is the most important to the law firm, but it is also where you will spend the rest of your career if you choose to pursue a career at the same firm. Find which firms offer practice groups that sound interesting to you or align with your interests and aspirations.
- Pro Bono. I wanted to be a part of a firm that cared deeply about giving back to the community, and followed through with their commitments. Find out what their pro bono commitments are and what their core projects are, as this is something you will get involved with during your career.
- the culture of the firm. Does the firm embrace their diversity? Does the firm actively show how much they value their staff? If this is somewhere you want to work long-term, it’s important to understand how valued you will feel as a member of staff.
Do you have any top tips for students applying for placements right now?
- Do your research. Make sure that the company you are applying for aligns with your values and that you can actually see yourself working there! A year is a long time, so you want to make sure you’re in an environment that is suited to you. Research also makes you stand out as an applicant because it shows that you have a genuine interest in the company.
- Be open to different opportunities. Placements are highly competitive and it is important to not put all your eggs in one basket when applying. You need to strike a balance between applying to lots of opportunities, but also still spending time on each application (individualised applications are more likely to land you a place!). It’s difficult to strike that balance, but it is important to not let yourself burn out.
When applying for a legal placement, are there any specific things that a student should look for in an opportunity?
- Make sure that the opportunity actually offers legal work. A lot of opportunities will give you admin work, but little responsibility directly related to legal work. It’s important that you develop your skills and get a glimpse into a legal career, so be very careful when reading the description.
- Look out for opportunities that align with your future aspirations. In-house opportunities are great if that’s the path you want to pursue. Opportunities at a law firm are great if you want to work in a commercial firm. It’s also worth considering long-term benefits. Firm opportunities often allow you to apply for a training contract, so may set you up to start your career after graduation.
What advice would you give to other students who are looking to apply for law placements right now?
I think it’s the same advice as above. I would also recommend looking at Legal Cheek as they have some great insight into day-to-day life at different firms. Of course, take other people’s opinions with a pinch of salt!
Are there any skills or experiences that you think are particularly beneficial for law students to secure an experience or placement?
I had never done legal work experience before my placement year, but I had worked jobs since the age of 15. The transferable skills from previous employment have helped me to stand out on applications. I think it’s more of a skills assessment than an experience assessment. Here’s some key skills I recommend honing:
- Attention to detail. You have to be able to pick up on minor details (which often have a large impact) in case study exercises and in general legal tasks.
- Drafting. Ensure you put a lot of effort into legal writing, grammar, punctuation etc.
- Analysis. Being able to read information, decipher it, and use it to argue your point.
- Organisation. This was the one skill that was mentioned in my interview because of how I had set out my notes. If you want to be a lawyer, you need to be highly organised to properly manage your deadlines and competing work streams.
Are there any particular resources that you have used that helped you secure your placement, that you believe every student interested in studying or pursuing law should know about?
Legal Cheek is a great indicator of how people at the firm feel about their firm.
RateMyPlacement is a great way to find new opportunities to apply for, but they also have the option for people to leave their opinions about their placement. Take them with a pinch of salt, but it’s definitely insight to consider!
LinkedIn is a great way to network and find people who have previously done the same placements. It’s so important to start working on your LinkedIn.
Can you share some insight into your future aspirations in the legal sector?
I want to be a solicitor in a commercial law firm - my placement has confirmed that for me. I’m not entirely sure which seat I would like to specialise in, but I hope the remainder of my placement seat and (hopefully!) training contract will help me discover which area I’m most interested in.
How good was that! Top-tier interviewing Louise, and thanks for your candour Hollie. Want more deep cuts on the Law world? Sign up to the Zero Gravity community and apply for a career mentor in the Law sector. Professional lawyers will help you find career openings, ace your applications, and nail the job interview. Not to mention that some of the top tier jobs are available as exclusive opportunities on Zero Gravity...
