You've done the right things so far. You've collected all the student guides to law firms; you have spoken to representatives at law fairs; you have collected countless branded pens and highlighters. But what do you actually do with all this information and how do you choose which firms to apply to?

One of the questions you are likely to get asked at interview for either a vacation scheme or a training contract is: "How have you chosen which firms to apply to?"

There are various potential answers to this:

1 – I applied to the firms with the best freebies at law fairs.
2 – I opened each of the student guides to law and picked 10 firms to apply to based on where the book fell open.
3 – I did my research and selected based on my criteria which are X, Y and Z. (This is the better of the three answers!)
Before you sit down to open the student guides, think about what you are really looking for from a firm, and what is most important to you.

Work and clients

First and foremost think about the type of work you are interested in doing. You may know that you are focused on pursuing a career in corporate/commercial law, but within this there are many nuances that you should consider. Firms in the City may focus on practice areas such as: corporate, project finance, litigation, banking, dispute resolution etc. Think about what you have enjoyed at university, speak to your friends who have done placements in firms, or are already working in firms and discuss with your tutors to consider the type of work which you are most interested in doing. Once you have this decided, you should be able to narrow down your choice a little more.

You can find out which firms specialise in specific areas through the student guides, law firm websites, the legal press and awards which firms receive for their work. The seats which are compulsory for trainees to complete are also a very good indication of the strongest practice groups for a firm.

Training

As a trainee solicitor, the Solicitors Regulation Authority regulations stipulate that you need to experience three distinct areas of law during your two year training contract. Firms approach this criterion in various ways. The most common seat pattern is to have four seats over the two year period (six months in each area). Other firms may have a six seat system (four months in each area), while other firms won't have a structured seat system at all, but put the onus on the trainees to find their own work. 

Whichever approach you prefer, it is important to think about the reputation of the training department in place at the firm. Training isn't just important at trainee level, its key as you progress through to senior associate and partner level. Consider how training is run and the approach firms take to your development. Ideally, you want to know that your development will be taken seriously at all levels, not just when you are training. Asking about this at interviews will show a commitment to your career, beyond the two years of your training contract. This information should be fairly accessible, so look around to see what you can find.

Culture, values and environment

While it may be difficult to get a true understanding of the culture of a firm before starting work there, you can learn a lot from speaking with trainees, and reading up about the firms. One key difference between firms is the size of the office that you are applying to.

City firms can range from over 1000 employees in one office, to those with just 100. In line with this, the trainee intake per year can range from two to 120, so you really need to consider the best environment for you to train in. While your friends may be better off training at a firm with a smaller intake, this is not necessarily the case for you as well. Think about the type of environment where you have thrived in the past, and pick a firm that sounds as though it will have a similar feel.

While law firms may all seem to have a similar model from the outside, the values they have and what they place importance on provides key information about the firm. Consider your own values, and ensure the firms you apply to match these. For example, if you feel that one of the most important qualities for a lawyer is to deliver excellent client service, use this as one of your key criteria when narrowing down your selection of firms.

Final thoughts

There is a lot of information out there, so there is no excuse for not having access to information these days. Almost the opposite is true and there is now too much information available. So, before you start randomly flicking through the law firm guides, think about what criteria are important to you and start looking for firms which match this, rather than going purely off the marketing spin.
Speak to people in the sector already (friends, tutors and representatives at law fairs), do your research and take time over the applications you make. This will go a long way in helping you secure your training contract at the firm most suited to you.

Charlotte Hannan is the recruitment officer at Shearman & Sterling in London