Anna Rutowicz (she/her) is the early careers recruitment advisor at Hogan Lovells. She’s been at the firm for nine months.
What has been your most memorable moment in the job?
My most memorable moment in the job so far was running a resilience day at the Emirates Stadium in collaboration with the Social Mobility Business Partnership (SMBP). As tier one funders, we work closely with SMBP to ensure we support the most talented and diverse individuals through work experience and workshop opportunities. Seeing students come together and realise their potential is the most rewarding part of the job. Plus, it’s not every day you get to go to Arsenal and call it work!
Does your firm run a vacation scheme? Will it be in person or virtual?
At Hogan Lovells, we run one winter and two summer vacation schemes per year. These are two or three-week in-person schemes for penultimate year students and above, designed to give participants an authentic insight into life as a trainee. You’re allocated to a team and given real work and responsibilities, while attending workshops and networking opportunities. At the end of the scheme, you take part in a presentation and interview for the training contract.
How important is the vacation scheme as part of the recruitment process?
The vacation scheme is extremely important to gain insight into how a law firm operates, the culture of the firm and the day-to-day responsibilities of a trainee. I’d highly recommend applying to a vacation scheme if you don’t have any prior legal experience. A large part of our trainees convert from the vacation scheme but we also have a direct training contract route – this is ideal for those who already have some legal experience in a commercial law firm, such as paralegals.
What kind of work can candidates expect to experience during the vacation scheme?
The vacation scheme consists mostly of live work – this could include drafting documents, attending client meetings, researching cases or even having the chance to go to court. Participants are also set a group presentation task to work on throughout the scheme, while attending different workshops and events. The key to success is being able to manage desk work, events and the presentation task simultaneously while also managing expectations where relevant!
What key skills does your firm look for in candidates when they apply?
The main skills we look for are commercial awareness, teamwork, resilience, attention to detail, strong written skills and commitment to commercial law. You can demonstrate transferable skills in a variety of ways, including work experience, part time jobs, volunteering and societies (both law and non-law!). We also advise you to research the firm and commercial law in detail – attending events and meeting us at law fairs are great starting points!
How important is diversity and inclusion to your firm?
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is a strategic priority for Hogan Lovells. We aim to foster an inclusive culture that celebrates and values difference and empowers our people to thrive as their authentic selves. We have a number of internal initiatives to support our DEI efforts, as well as recruitment programmes and partnerships with several organisations including The Sutton Trust and MyPlus Consulting.
What is the most common way that candidates let themselves down in their applications?
The most common way candidates let themselves down is by not linking their answers back to the firm and their motivation for commercial law. For example, when focusing on a recent news story in the commercial awareness question, think about how this impacts the firm and wider industry. You can also do this by highlighting any events or open days that you’ve attended to show you’ve researched the firm in depth, demonstrating your motivation.
How important is commercial awareness and how can candidates show they have this skill in their applications?
Commercial awareness is a key skill of a successful lawyer and something we assess throughout the application process. We have many clients across a variety of industries; therefore, we’re looking for candidates who can understand the challenges faced across industry sectors and the general economic climate. You can demonstrate this by keeping up to date with recent news stories and industry trends, and by being able to analyse the impact these would have on the firm, our clients and the wider economy.
Does your firm attend university law fairs in the autumn term? What is your main objective when you go to a law fair?
Yes, we’ll be attending many law fairs across the country as well as hosting our own evening receptions, open days and society events. When we attend law fairs, our main objective is to find bright candidates who have the potential to do well on our programmes and start their career in law. We’re there to inform you of our various opportunities, the culture of our firm as well as demystify the role of a trainee solicitor. We often attend law fairs with a number of trainee representatives to provide you with real insights into their responsibilities and experience so far. Before coming to a law fair, we don’t expect you to know everything about the firm but do come prepared with some questions!
What’s your favourite way to unwind from work?
My favourite way to unwind from work is by running! Whether it’s a lunch run or a run club after work, running is a great way to clear your head and enjoy the London sights.
