Trainee solicitor and training contract interview questions
Training contract and vacation scheme interviews are competitive and well rehearsed by other candidates. What sets people apart is genuine motivation, real commercial awareness and clear thinking under pressure. Here's how to prepare.
What to expect
Many firms recruit trainees through vacation schemes, with an application, online tests such as a critical thinking test, a video interview and an assessment centre. Assessment centres often include a written exercise or case study, a group task and a partner interview. Since the Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) was introduced, firms describe their route to qualification in different ways, so check how each firm structures its training.
Motivation questions
- Why do you want to be a solicitor?What draws you to the work itself: advising clients, solving problems, the detail. Back it with experience, such as work experience, pro bono or a module.
- Why commercial law?Interest in business, how deals and disputes work, and working with clients on things that matter to them.
- Why our firm?Specific: practice areas you're interested in, recent deals or cases, the training structure and people you've met. Avoid generic praise.
- Which practice area interests you, and why?Show you understand what lawyers in that area actually do day to day.
Commercial awareness
Commercial awareness is often the deciding factor. Expect "Tell me about a deal or story you've followed", "What challenges are our clients facing?" or "How might this affect a client of ours?".
- Follow two or three stories in depth rather than skimming twenty, ideally ones relevant to the firm's practice areas.
- For each, know: what happened, why, who's affected and what it means for businesses.
- Connect it to law firms: what legal work it creates, such as advice on regulation, transactions or disputes.
- Have a view. Interviewers often ask what you think will happen next.
Competency and case questions
- Tell me about a time you worked under pressure.Trainees juggle deadlines across several matters. Show planning, prioritising and staying accurate.
- Describe a time you paid close attention to detail.A small error can matter a lot in law. Choose an example where accuracy made a difference.
- Tell me about a time you persuaded someone.Use evidence and understand the other side's view, as you would in negotiation.
- Here's a client scenario. What issues would you advise them on?Identify the key issues, prioritise them, think commercially about the client's goals and say what you'd need to find out.
Frequently asked questions
What questions are asked in a training contract interview?
Expect 'Why law?', 'Why commercial law?' and 'Why our firm?', commercial awareness questions about deals and business news, competency questions on pressure, detail and teamwork, and often a case study or client scenario.
How do I show commercial awareness in a law interview?
Follow a few relevant stories in depth, understand what they mean for businesses and the legal work they create, and be ready to give your own view on what happens next.
What is a vacation scheme?
A short work placement at a law firm, often lasting one to three weeks. Many firms recruit a large share of their trainees through vacation schemes, so the interview process for them can be as thorough as for a training contract.