Training Contract Guide for International Students and Foreign Lawyers
Introduction: why working in the UK, US or any major jurisdiction?
Before you think about applying for a training contract, perhaps the first thing I need to address here is why someone should consider practicing law abroad in a major jurisdiction (e.g. New York, London etc.). I will list out a few benefits below:
The training system at global law firms in those jurisdictions is likely more well-organised and robust. For example, many international law firms in London recruit a large number of trainee solicitors each year (e.g. from 10 up to over 100) and thus have excellent track records of talent developments (i.e. a wide variety of seat options for trainees to choose from, exposure to bigger, more lucrative deals / transactions, more well-established mentoring and diversity programmes etc.)
You will be able to work in a more international, diverse environment as employers value diversity and inclusion more in these jurisdictions. This will help you develop an international mindset and ability to interact with people from different backgrounds.
The deal size in places like London and New York is significantly bigger and the deals are inherently more international compared to some of the other legal markets. These experiences look good on your CV and showcase your ability to manage large-scale, complex deals.
It can possibly fast-track your legal career. For example, if you are trained at an international law firm in London and worked there for several years to become a mid-level associate (PQE 2 or 3). If you transfer to other jurisdictions (except for the US), you will probably be considered as a senior associate (PQE 4 or 5) in those jurisdictions given your London experiences.
Getting a training contract in places like London is easier said than done - yet, the good news is whether or not you are an international candidate, law firms are essentially looking for the same skills and competencies. Unfortunately, there is little support out there for foreigners entering the London legal market, and therefore I have seen many bright international students struggling with writing good applications. In other words, it's often not the case that big law firms prioritise local candidates over international candidates. The truth is that foreigners are simply not familiar with the recruitment process, and this inevitably results in lower-quality applications, poorer interview performance - and no job offer.
You cannot control the cards you are dealt, but how you play the hand - this article aims to help international students / foreign lawyers figure out a good application strategy, understand how to write a high-quality application and build up relevant work experience.
Choice of law firms - which firm(s) should you apply to?
Many international candidates are under the impression that they need to apply to smaller or less prestigious law firms because the competition for them is insane and they stand no chance of competing against many other candidates.
Ironically, speaking from personal experiences, I think you may be better off applying to bigger law firms. The bigger and more international the firms are, the more likely they will consider an application from a foreign-educated candidate. The reason is that they need more international employees to meet their global business needs as well as diversity and inclusion targets. Bigger firms are also in a better position to provide visa sponsorships and cover all the necessary expenses. They are usually more experienced in handling any immigration issues arising from your visa status, as they have a track record of hiring foreigners and a dedicated immigration team to guide you through the process.
Back when I applied for a training contract in London, I mostly shortlisted law firms that (i) have a strong international brand, (ii) have a passion for diversity and inclusion and (iii) have a track record of hiring international candidates, including (but not limited to) Baker McKenzie, White & Case, DLA Piper, Latham Watkins, Dentons, Hogan Lovells, and of course, the typical Magic / Silver Circle firms. These law firms should be your main focus when applying for a training contract. Specifically for point (iii), I used to check each firm's profile on Legal Cheek to assess the percentage of Current Trainees attended universities abroad, and then create a spreadsheet listing out all the firms that recruited foreigners in the past.
Vacation Scheme or Direct Training Contract Application?
I heard from the HR at some law firms that they receive less applications for direct training contract compared to vacation scheme. As an international candidate, I would suggest you to try both. The benefit of applying for a direct training contract is that you only need to focus on perfecting your written application and interview techniques. As for a vacation scheme, you will need to (i) first go through various online tests and interviews to get a vacations scheme offer, (ii) impress different people at the law firm during your two-week vacation scheme and (iii) go through a final round of interview towards the end of your vacation scheme. This is a very mentally draining process.
Personally, I have not done a single vacation scheme at any global law firm before getting my training contract. Therefore, nothing should stop you from applying directly for a training contract, especially if you already have some past work experiences. Although applying directly for a training contract is still very competitive, it is not inherently more challenging than a vacation scheme and the process is more straightforward. In fact, as a law graduate with an international background, I got way more interviews by applying for a direct training contract than a vacation scheme.
Application is a number game
Back when I worked on my job applications, I remember I spent my morning researching various law firms and my afternoon writing application forms, 5 days a week like a full-time job. That is how I went from knowing nothing about the UK recruitment process, to acquiring the knowledge on applications, commercial awareness and interview techniques in just one year's time, and eventually landed a training contract at my ideal law firm.
Application is a number game, but it is the number of high-quality applications that count. Your application must be tailored to each law firm. If you want to send out 10 or 30 letters, then prepare 10 or 30 letters individually. There is nothing more off-putting than copying and pasting the exact same content across multiple applications, as this will only suggest to the recruitment team that the application they receive is merely one of the many mass-produced letters, and it lacks sincerity. Ask yourself these questions before you submit your application:
Have you done any in-depth research on this particular law firm?
Does everything you have written down in this application still make sense if you copy and paste it to another application?
Why does the firm have to pick YOU? Have you mentioned anything about yourself that matches the firm's initiatives, strategies or culture (i.e. emphasis on tech, D&I and innovation etc.)?
I also want to make clear that as an international candidate, you can apply for a training contract even though you are not in the UK. In March 2019, I submitted my application when I was in Italy. Later in April, I completed an online video interview in Hong Kong, and then my firm partially sponsored me to fly to London to attend the final interview in May. Where you are currently based is not very important.
Find your Unique Selling Point ("USP")
Lastly, it is extremely important to make yourself stand out from the crowd. As an international candidate, international experience is often our USP and we need to take advantage of it in our application.
Especially for those who are still in law school, I would suggest you to go apply for different sorts of international internships or any other interesting experiences. Before I got my training contract, I did internships at some smaller law firms in Hong Kong and attended summer exchange programmes at universities in mainland China and Germany. I also researched for international legal internships in the UN, WTO, European Union and International Court of Justice etc., in order to improve my CV after graduation - I eventually obtained an internship at the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law ("UNIDROIT") in Italy as well as a few short-term paralegal roles in London. My internationality turned out to be my USP in my training contract applications.
Conclusion
No matter how well you follow my tips and tricks above, you will most likely still get a rejection at some point.
I failed the Watson Glaser test the first time I took it. I couldn’t finish most of the questions at my first video interview. A partner asked me a question and I sat there frozen for a whole minute at my first-ever parter interview. It is ok to fail at first and soon you will realise that a rejection is often a blessing in disguise - if I had not been rejected, I would not have ended up at a firm I actually like.
For those who are not as confident, during your entire application journey, you may come across other candidates who seem more experienced or intelligent than you. But remember, you have worked so hard and come so far. You are as worthy as anyone else in the interview room to get the opportunity. At the end of the day, you only need that one offer to make your dream come true.
