What Type of Law Firm Should I Apply to? Quiz

Do you prefer to work in a small team or a larger team?*
- I prefer being part of a small team. This makes communicating with everyone easier and means everyone feels they made a real contribution to a project.
- I like working in large teams. This way tasks can be completed more efficiently and you get to collaborate with many people.
- My preference lies somewhere in the middle – I think medium sized teams are most effective; however, I find it very easy to adapt to any size of team.

How important is it for you to know everyone in your office?*
- Not that important. I would like to know everyone in my immediate team or department but I would not mind if I did not know many people from other departments within the firm.
- I have no preference. I think I could adapt to either environment as long as I have good working relationships with the people I do know.
- It is really important. I like the idea of knowing everyone from the secretaries to the partners; I think it makes for a very friendly and collaborative working environment.

Would you like to work abroad as part of your job?*
- I have no particular preference. While working abroad might interest me, I would be equally happy completing my training exclusively in the UK as long as I enjoy the practice areas I train in.
- I think the chance to work abroad is an amazing opportunity. I would really like to experience the practice of law in another country and I feel that experience abroad as part of my training contract will be really beneficial in my career.
- Working abroad is not a decisive factor for me. I would prefer to travel abroad in my free time but complete my training contract in roughly the same location.

How do you feel about occasionally working long hours?*
- I understand that working long hours cannot be avoided occasionally, but I would rather train in a firm where 9am-5pm working hours are the norm since a good work-life balance is really important to me.
- While I am not a fan of working long hours all the time, I find the idea of working late to complete a big deal or prepare an important case quite exciting. I would not mind working long hours every so often if it is needed to get the job done.
- I appreciate the need to occasionally stay late at the office but I would not say that I find working into the night exciting. I would not mind working late occasionally but would prefer to have more sociable hours.

Would you like to be given responsibility for client cases early on in your training contract?*
- I would like to work on a combination.
- I would like to run my own cases eventually, however as my ambition is to work on big deals and important cases, I understand that I will not be able to have sole responsibility for files early on in my training.
- I really like the idea of interacting with clients and running my own small cases from the very start of my training contract. I think it is important for my training to have the responsibility of running cases early on.

What sort of client relationships do you want?*
- I like the idea of working with individual clients and smaller businesses. I would prefer to work on small cases and I get satisfaction knowing I have helped someone who has no knowledge of the law.
- I have no preference when it comes to client relationships. I understand they will vary a lot from case to case and will also depend on the area of law I work in. Ultimately, I hope to gain experience with a range of clients, from individuals to large organisations.
- I would really like to work with high-profile clients on high-stakes international transactions. I find the idea of working on a big deal which involves several major companies and top law firms really exciting.

Which areas of the law interest you the most?*
- I like the idea of working with individual clients and I am particularly interested in areas such as family law, private client and real estate.
- I am interested in commercial law; in particular, the way law interacts with business. I like the idea of working on corporate deals such as banking, real estate as well as company mergers and acquisitions.
- I think I am quite adaptable and could flourish in any practice area. I enjoy diversity so I would feel as comfortable working with large companies on commercial transactions as I would helping an individual client draft a new will.

Would you prefer your training contract to be very structured?*
- I have no particular preference; in fact, I think there should be a balance. I do not mind looking for work myself, but I think it is useful to have structured training and placements, particularly as a new trainee. On the other hand, I would prefer social events to be much more informal and relaxed.
- I prefer knowing what I will be doing and when. While I am not afraid to seek work myself, I like having some type of structure to follow. I like the idea of having regular formal training sessions with other trainees as well as firm-organised social events where I can meet my colleagues.
- I like the idea of not having a rigid structure to my training contract. I would describe myself as a “self starter” since I am happy to organise my own time and workload. I can remain flexible and learn on the job so my training contract need not be very structured.

How important is salary and other benefits?*
- While I understand that job satisfaction should not be disregarded, I think a good salary is still important. I think financial security and the chance to have the GDL and LPC training funded cannot be overlooked. For this reason, I am prepared to work hard in order to earn more at this early stage of my career.
- I feel that salary is far less important than enjoying your work. I understand that gaining sponsorship for the GDL and LPC from a smaller firm can be difficult. Nonetheless, I would rather train in a firm where I am happy and practice in areas of law which interest me than earn a high salary.
- I think I would need to decide on balance. I appreciate the importance of both job satisfaction and salary however neither are of higher priority for me. My decision would really depend on the exact details of any training contract offer.
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