APPLICATION ROUTES
We have three application routes – you can apply for a vacation scheme, directly for a training contract or as a solicitor apprenticeship.
Our vacation schemes are important to us, and a high proportion of our training contract offers are made to individuals who have completed a vacation scheme with us. Notwithstanding this, we recognise that some individuals will not be able to complete a vacation scheme, so we do still make offers through the direct route.
Our Solicitor Apprenticeship programme is equally important to us, increasing access to the profession by giving aspiring solicitors the chance to train and qualify via a different pathway.
TRAINING CONTRACTS AND VACATION SCHEMES
The recruitment process for vacation schemes and for training contracts is the same, assessing all applications on a rolling basis. We encourage you to tailor your application to us, providing detailed examples of the skills and experiences that you have developed that will be relevant to your future legal career.
The application form is your opportunity to tell us about your interests and achievements, and your career rationale – why you are interested in law, HFW and our sectors.
View the application form as a chance to sell yourself – what skills have you already developed that would help you to hit the ground running as a solicitor? Why would you be suited to life at an international law firm? We receive lots of applications each year, the strongest ones are underpinned by thorough research, plenty of evidence (rather than broad-brush statements), and a genuine passion for law and the work that we do.
We also use the application form to form a view on your written communication skills, (spelling, punctuation and grammar) and your research skills so invest time in researching the firm and in proof reading your application.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis so to give yourself the best possible chance avoid leaving your application to the last minute, or applying very close to the deadline.
You will need to include:
- Details of your academic track record – GCSEs, A Levels (or equivalents)/ IB and a breakdown of your results for your university modules. We consider extenuating circumstances when reviewing your results. If you have studied overseas there is an option to tell us about the exam system that you followed and to provide additional context.
- Details of your work experience/ part time jobs. This enables us to see the skills that you have developed to-date. Every work placement (whether legal or non-legal) is valuable. Be prepared to write about what you learnt through your work experience placement / job, and evidence your skills development with examples.
- Your answer to a short question relating to your extra-curricular activities and achievements. You should try to relate these to the skills needed by a commercial lawyer, and explain why your achievements are relevant to your application. Here we are looking to see if your examples would be transferrable into a legal career, and again for you to provide tangible evidence of how you have developed these skills – the STAR format is a useful structure to follow here.
- Your answer to questions exploring why you want to be a lawyer in an international firm and why you have applied to HFW. You should aim to give specific reasons for your application. This is all about us seeing that you have a career rationale, and credible reasons behind your application. We recognise that some candidates may wish to use generative AI tools to help them with their answers here. Please be aware, however, that it is important to provide a personal answer that will stand out from more generic responses.
- Your answer to a short commercial essay question. With this question we are looking at your ability to articulate an argument/viewpoint and your commercial acumen, as well as at your communication skills, spelling, grammar and punctuation and commercial acumen. Try to write about something that is relevant and recent.
The second stage of our recruitment process for vacation schemes and training contracts is a virtual assessment centre.
The assessment centres typically last for five hours and we invite up to eight candidates to each one. During the assessment centre you will take part in the following:
- A written exercise: In the written exercise, we test your communication skills and your analytical skills. You are given a short document to analyse, and are tasked with writing a short letter of advice to a fictitious client. We are not testing your legal knowledge in this exercise, rather we are looking at your skills of comprehension, close reading and at your attention to detail and your clarity of expression. There is no specific preparation required for this exercise.
- A group exercise: In this exercise, we are looking at your ability to build rapport with your colleagues, at your oral communication skills, teamwork and at your listening skills. The group exercise is a discussion around a commercial scenario. As a group, it is your job to work together to discuss the material and come up with advice for a client with which you all agree. You should try to contribute evenly throughout, to listen and take on board others’ ideas and also to come up with your own ideas and opinions. Naturally different people have different styles and we completely recognise this. You should aim to be yourself.
- An online ability test: We use a test called the Watson Glaser because this is a test that is shown to have “predictive validity”; that means that there is evidence to show that applicants that perform well in the test also perform well in an on-the-job environment.
- An interview: with one or two of our Associates. We use your application form as the basis for this interview. You should expect to answer questions about your interest in commercial law, why you have applied to HFW and your transferable skills and interests. We will ask some competency-based questions – these are questions where we ask you to draw on your previous experiences to provide examples of how you dealt with a situation in the past or displayed a particular skill/ competency. This is because evidence shows that past behaviour is the best predictor of future performance. We will also ask some questions around your understanding of the commercial environment/ current affairs. We’re not trying to trip you up so we’re looking for an interest and enthusiasm for the commercial world rather than a technical understanding of our sectors. We’re definitely not expecting you to quote the latest share prices to us, or to have a deep understanding of the financial markets! Prepare by reviewing your application form, keeping up to date on current affairs, and have plenty of examples to hand for the competency-based questions. Also ensure that you research the firm in detail and think about why you would be suited to us and our sectors.
On the day try to be yourself. Listen to the questions you are actually being asked and not the questions you might have prepared for and want to hear. Don’t read your answers off of notes or a separate screen as this does not allow for a free-flowing, more genuine conversation. Have questions to ask the interviewers too – it’s a two way process.
Can I obtain feedback on my performance?
We are happy to provide feedback to all assessment centre attendees, and ask that you email EarlyCareers@hfw.com to arrange a suitable time for a feedback call.
The Partner interview is the final stage of our recruitment process for Trainees.
This interview is with two Partners from our London office.
The interviewers will have a copy of your application form, so do make sure you familiarise yourself with this before you come to the interview. The Partner interview is the final opportunity for us to check that the law and HFW are for you, so expect more questions around your career rationale and reason for applying to us.
You should expect a more commercial interview than the assessment centre interview – make sure that you are abreast of current news stories and that you are thinking about how any recent world events might impact HFW and our clients. The interview will also include some questions designed to test your analysis and problem-solving skills, as well as some professional ethics questions. Again be yourself, try to back up your answers with evidence and be prepared to show your thought process. There may not be a “right” answer to some of the questions, instead the Partners will want to see how you think and arrive at a logical answer, exactly as you would need to when working on a new problem for a client, or in a new area of law.
Can I obtain feedback on my performance?
We provide detailed interview feedback to all final round interview attendees, and strongly encourage you to obtain this. We ask that you email EarlyCareers@hfw.com to arrange a suitable time for a feedback call.
Do your research on the firm – find out about our practice areas, recent deals, what industry publications say about us. Think about where we are placed in the legal market and how we differ from our competitors.
Think about the skills that a commercial lawyer needs. Try to provide evidence of having developed these skills in your academic, work and extracurricular activities. The most important thing here is that your examples are backed up with evidence. Don’t just tell us that you work well in teams – tell us about a successful team you have worked in, what your role was, and actions you took. Build a picture for us of what you do well.
Ensure that your answers are free from spelling and grammatical errors. One of the things that we really focus on is your attention to detail – this is a key skill for lawyers, and your application form should show that you can draft clearly, succinctly and accurately.
Don’t be afraid to show some personality. We want to recruit people who can gel with our clients and who are interesting and interested. Being good with clients is about being able to connect with people and build rapport, so try to provide us with examples of times when you have done this.
Think about the international nature of the firm and our clients. Why are you drawn to work at an international firm, or as a solicitor opposed to a barrister (or indeed any other profession).
SOLICITOR APPRENTICESHIP
Our recruitment process for our Solicitor Apprenticeship Programme consists of an online application, a half day assessment centre, an HR interview, and a final round interview with two Associates. We are committed to recruiting solicitor apprentices from a wider range of backgrounds with different perspectives and experiences.
The application form is your opportunity to tell us about your interests, achievements and your career rationale – why you are interested in law, in HFW and the work we do, and why an apprenticeship versus other pathways.
View the application form as a chance to sell yourself – what skills have you already developed that would help you to thrive as a Solicitor Apprentice? Why would you be suited to life at an international law firm? We receive lots of applications each year, the strongest ones are underpinned by thorough research (we ask you about sources in the form, so make sure you have some to hand), plenty of evidence (rather than broad-brush statements), and a genuine passion for law.
We also use the application form to build a picture of your written communication skills (spelling, punctuation, grammar and coherency) and your research skills so invest time in researching the firm, and in proof reading your application. We recognise some candidates may wish to use generative AI tools to help them with their answers here. Please be aware, however, that it is important to provide a personal answer that will stand out from more generic answers.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis so to give yourself the best possible chance avoid leaving your application to the last minute, or applying very close to the deadline.
You will need to include:
- Details of your academic track record – GCSEs and A Levels (or equivalents)/ IB. We consider extenuating circumstances when reviewing your results. If you have studied overseas there is an option to tell us about the exam system that you followed and to provide additional context.
- Details of your work experience/part time jobs. This enables us to see the skills that you have developed to-date. Every work placement and shadowing opportunity (whether legal or non-legal) is valuable. Be prepared to write about what you learnt through your work experience placement / job, and evidence your skills development with examples.
- Your answer to a question about why you have chosen the apprenticeship pathway, rather than another pathway, to becoming a solicitor. We are curious to understand your motivations.
- Your answer to questions exploring why you want to be a solicitor. You should aim to give specific reasons for your application. This is all about us seeing that you have a career rationale, commitment to the career path and credible reasons behind your application.
- Your answer to a question exploring why you have applied to HFW. Your answer should show us that you have researched the firm and that you understand what sets us apart from other firms. Be prepared to cite some sources to evidence to us how you reached a decision to apply to HFW.
- Your answer to a short question relating to your extra-curricular activities and achievements. You should try to relate these to the skills needed by a commercial lawyer, and explain why your achievements are relevant to your application. We are also looking to learn a bit about you as an individual.
- Your answer to a short question about the achievement or accomplishment you are most proud of, and the skills you gained from this. Again, you should try to relate your response to the skills needed by a commercial lawyer. We are also looking to see if your chosen example shows us tangible evidence of how you have developed these skills – the STAR format tends to be really helpful for answering this type of question.
The second stage of our recruitment process for our solicitor apprenticeship programme is a virtual assessment centre, which will last for a maximum of five hours.
We invite up to eight candidates to each assessment centre. During the assessment centre you will take part in the following:
- A written exercise: In the written exercise, we test your communication skills and your ability to think laterally. You are given a question around the firm’s values which you then have to provide a written response to. We are not testing your legal knowledge in this exercise, rather we are looking at your skills of comprehension and your clarity of expression. There is no specific preparation required for this exercise.
- A group exercise: In this exercise, we are looking at your ability to build rapport with your colleagues, at your oral communication skills, teamwork and at your listening skills. The group exercise is a scenario, with a decision to reach. As a group, it is your job to work together to discuss ideas and suggestions and to come up with an answer with which you all agree. In the group exercise you should try to contribute evenly throughout, to listen and take on board others’ ideas and also to come up with your own ideas and opinions. Naturally different people have different styles and we completely recognise this. You should aim to be yourself.
- An online ability test: We use a test called the Watson Glaser because this is a test that is shown to have “predictive validity”; that means that there is evidence to show that applicants that perform well in the test also perform well in an on-the-job environment.
Can I obtain feedback on my performance?
We are happy to provide feedback to all assessment centre attendees, and ask that you email EarlyCareers@hfw.com to arrange a suitable time for a feedback call.
HR Interview
If successful at the assessment centre, you will be invited to an HR interview. This will be a competency-based interview, with two members of the HR team.
You should expect to answer questions about your interest in commercial law and an apprenticeship, why you have applied to HFW and your transferable skills and interests. We will ask some competency-based questions – these are questions where we ask you to draw on your previous experiences to provide examples of how you dealt with a situation in the past or displayed a particular skill/ competency. This is because evidence shows that past behaviour is the best predictor of future performance. We’re not trying to trip you up so we’re looking for an interest and enthusiasm for the firm and our sectors rather than a technical understanding of our sectors. Prepare by reviewing your application form, keeping up to date on firm news, and have plenty of examples to hand for the competency-based questions. Think about how you would answer these questions. The STAR format tends to be really helpful in these types of interview scenarios.
On the day try to be yourself. Listen to the questions you are actually being asked and not the questions you might have prepared for and want to hear. Have questions to ask the interviewers too – it’s a two way process.
Associate Interview
The Associate interview is the final stage of our recruitment process for Solicitor Apprentices.
This interview is with two Associates or Senior Associates.
The interviewers will have a copy of your application form, so do make sure you familiarise yourself with your application before you come to the interview. This interview is the final opportunity for us to check that the law, an apprenticeship and HFW are for you, so expect more questions around your career rationale and reasons for applying to us.
There may also be one or two commercial questions during this interview – the best way to prepare for these is to keep up to date with current news stories and to understand the commercial impact that they will have on the wider economy and potentially HFW and our clients. We are not expecting you to know everything about current affairs, we are more interested in your reasoning behind why something in the press caught your eye, and why you think it is relevant to HFW and our work.
Again be yourself, try to back up your answers with evidence and be prepared to show your thought process. There may not be a “right” answer to some of the questions, instead the interviewers will want to see how you think and arrive at a logical, well thought-out answer. We’re looking at your potential at this stage.
Can I obtain feedback on my performance?
We provide detailed interview feedback to all final round interview attendees, and strongly encourage you to obtain this. We ask that you email EarlyCareers@hfw.com to arrange a suitable time for a feedback call.
View the application form as a chance to sell yourself – what skills have you already developed that would help you to thrive as a solicitor apprentice? Why would you be suited to life at an international law firm? We receive lots of applications each year, the strongest ones are underpinned by thorough research (we ask you about sources in the form, so make sure you have some to hand), plenty of evidence (rather than broad-brush statements), and a genuine passion for law.
Do your research on the legal profession – find out the difference between transactional and litigious work. Try to get a sense of different practice groups, such as dispute resolution, corporate and finance, amongst others, which you could potentially be involved in during your apprenticeship.
Also do your research on the firm – find out about our practice areas, our sectors, recent deals, and what industry publications say about us. Think about where we are placed in the legal market and how we differ from our competitors.
Think about the skills that a commercial lawyer needs. Although you are applying for a solicitor apprenticeship, you are ultimately working towards qualifying as a commercial lawyer. Try to provide evidence of having developed these skills in your academic and extracurricular activities. The most important thing here is that your examples are backed up with evidence. Don’t just tell us that you work well in teams – tell us about a successful team you have worked in, what your role was, and actions you took. Build a picture for us of what you do well.
Ensure that your answers are free from spelling and grammatical errors. One of the things that we really focus on is your attention to detail – this is a key skill for lawyers, and your application form should show that you can draft clearly, succinctly and accurately.
Don’t be afraid to show some personality. We want to recruit people who can gel with our clients and who are interesting and interested. Being good with clients is about being able to connect with people and build rapport, so try to provide us with examples of times when you have done this.
Think about the nature of the programme. Why are you drawn to working and studying at the same time, at an international firm? Help us understand why you have chosen this pathway by showing us that you are able to articulate clearly your decision, motivations and commitment.