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Ping. The noise of your email inbox notifying you about a specific training contract application that’s just opened. It looks interesting, so you read about the firm and its opportunities and decide you’ll make an application. You settle down to do some revision but then you receive another email notification. It’s another training contract opportunity at a different firm that also looks intriguing, so you add it to the list. Ping. Another application opening. Ping. Ping. Ping. 

Overwhelming, right? It’s an exciting feeling knowing there are so many law firms out there with amazing opportunities and exciting clients, and they could all be the place to offer you a training contract. But, what’s the best way to filter through them and decide which firms to prioritise? 

Practice area

For me, it was important to start with the practice area. If you know that you want to do a seat in the family department for example, you need to filter through firms using a training contract search filter like the one on LawCareers.Net. Have a scroll through the firms that interest you and make a preliminary list. 

Funding and location

The next step is to think about the practicalities. Firstly, will they fund your Graduate Diploma in Law, Legal Practice Course or Solicitors Qualifying Exam? If this is a must for you then the firms on your list that don’t offer any funding support can be removed. 

Another practicality is location. For me, this wasn’t the be-all and end-all. I wanted a firm that I’d be excited to work at, and the location was secondary to that. If you’re like me then consider firms from across the country. However, if you’re dedicated to staying in a particular location then research firms that have offices in that area. I’d then look at how many employees work in the office you want to apply to. If they have a small office in a small city, but you’d prefer a vibrant social life in London then this might be a dealbreaker for you.

Motivations and personal preferences

My next step involved going through the shortlisted firms’ websites and striking off firms that didn’t match my motivations for becoming a solicitor. I was always interested in firms’ legal updates and their wellbeing policies.

From a legal perspective, I’d look at what they’d chosen to write articles on and whether I could see myself working on a case that involved these updates. Meanwhile, from a personal perspective, I’d look at firms’ initiatives and social opportunities, for example, I liked firms that did social running together as it would enable me to meet other employees and to improve productivity through physical movement. Your priority might be that the firm gives you volunteering days to help in the local community or that it regularly offers certain types of pro bono; these aspects are really subjective and depend on your own preferences. 

Meet the firms

Once I’d narrowed down the list considerably, I’d select my favourite firms and find out when they were hosting open days. With some open days still taking place online, you can potentially apply to a few more than you might with in person ones because they take up less time. That said, lots of firms have returned to in-person open days, which offer you the chance to see the offices in real life and experience the individual firm cultures first hand. These types of opportunity are invaluable and, as much as research is beneficial in informing your choice, being at an open day will give you that all important gut feeling of whether a firm is for you. 

For some tips on researching firms, read this page on LawCareers.Net.

You should be crossing firms off your list slowly. This is a process that takes time, but it means you can focus your application writing energy on firms you believe you’re a good fit for, and vice versa.

Interested in more application advice? Check out the Application hub.

Keeping your priorities in mind is essential. If one firm looks amazing but the working hours are ridiculously long, and you know you won’t thrive in an environment like that, take it off your list. On top of this, when interviewing, it’s important to be yourself! It’s important to find somewhere that will help you to thrive and support you as you progress in your career.