A common mistake made by training contract  inteview candidates during interviewm is to only provide information in direct response to the questions they are asked. For example, ‘Describe a recent challenge you overcame’ would typically be met with a response that describes a recent challenge.

The problem with this approach is that it means there is a high risk that you will not be asked the questions that best allow your strengths to shine through. This is all the more likely given the lack of consistency in training contract interviews accross solicitors’ firms.

Using Training Contract Interview Questions to Your Advantage

The onus is on you to ensure that when you leave the interview, the panel know everything about you that you want them to. As part of your  interview preparation, determine what are the 3  most important things about you that the training contract interview panel need to know about you. Then resolve that you wil get that information across, no matter what questions they ask.

Think of it this way; an advocate will often go to court with the objective of making certain key points or submissions on behalf of their client. They know they must do this, irrespective of what questions the judge may have of them or what points their opponent may make. A secondary benefit of this approach is that you feel more empowered as you are taking some responsibility for how the interview proceeds.

This does not mean you do not give a direct answer to a question  you are asked. You must. A failure to so will be perceived as evasive and count against you. You simply need to look for the question that provides a platform for you to get one or more of your points across after you have answered the question.

If you need assistance with your training contract interview, information about our training contract interview coaching service can be found here

A common mistake made by pupillage inteview candiates during interview is to only provide information in direct response to the questions they are asked. For example, ‘Describe a recent challenge you overcame’ would typically be met with a response that describes a recent challenge.

The problem with this approach is that it means there is a high risk that you will not be asked the questions that best allow your strengths to shine through. This is all the more likely given the lack of consistency in pupillage interviews accross chambers and the fact that interviews are conducted by barristers who normally have no training in how to conduct interviews and no HR input into the process.

Using Pupillage Interview Questions to Your Advantage

The onus is on you to ensure that when you leave the interview, the panel know everything about you that you want them to. As part of your  interview preparation, determine what are the 3  most important things about you that the pupillage interview panel need to know about you. Then resolve that you wil get that information across, no matter what questions they ask.

Think of it this way; an advocate will often go to court with the objective of making certain key points or submissions on behalf of their client. They know they must do this, irrespective of what questions the judge may have of them or what points their opponent may make. A secondary benefit of this approach is that you feel more empowered as you are taking some responsibility for how the interview proceeds.

This does not mean you do not give a direct answer to a question  you are asked. You must. A failure to so will be perceived as evasive and count against you. You simply need to look for the question that provides a platform for you to get one or more of your points across after you have answered the question.

If you need assistance with your pupillage interview, information about our pupillage interview coaching service can be found here

After last week’s news about the 2012-12 silk appoinments, the QCA have announced that this years competition for Queen’s Counsel has now opened. The closing date is 5pm on 18 April 2012.

The fee for submitting a silk application remains the same at £1950 + VAT and those lucky enough to be appointed QC will have to pay a success fee of £3500 + VAT.

We wish all of those making an application for silk the very best of luck!

We have been asked to advise a number of advocates appealing decisions made under the CPS Advocate Panel Scheme 2011 and were stunned to see that prospective appeallants are only allowed 200 words to challenge decisions which, for some will have a disastrous impact on their career.

As the one of us who practiced Judicial Review for 14 years muttered ‘ unfair and unreasonable’!

 Silk interview notifications have now been sent to some candidates, adding stress, excitement and apprehension to those in pursuit of the award of Queen’s Counsel. The process of applying for silk is far more testing in terms of time, energy and focus required to complete the silk application form, cost of participation and length of the competition. 

 We sometimes wonder whether those determined and able enough to reach this stage deserve the award for that achievement!  As ever we shall be providing our silk interview advice sessions with video recorded mock interviews until 10pm weekdays.

 We wish all candidates the very best of luck.

The new Crown Prosecution Service Advocate Panel Scheme 2011 has launched, receiving mixed reactions from Prosecutors. All advocates undertaking prosecution work in the Crown Court (and Higher Courts) from October must be members of new, quality-controlled CPS Advocate Panels.

The panels are open to all barristers and solicitor advocates and panel members will complement and work alongside CPS in-house advocates. The fact that the overall number of advocates on the panels will be reduced compared to the current lists, coupled with uncertainty over how applicant’s will be assessed, has led to a number of lawyers expressing concern that prosectors who have prosecuted for many years will lose their role as the result of an untried and untested application process.

We are surprised that a scheme that will clearly have a dramatic effect on the livelihoods of many lawyers, does not include interviews in the way the judicial and silk appointment schemes do. This clearly limits an applicants chances to show themselves in the best posssible light.

As a result of a number of requests, we have decided to provide advice on how an applicant can maximise their chances of success, using the techniques we provide for the silk and judicial competitions.

The 2011-12 Silk competition has now opened. Applicants have until 5pm on Wednesday 20th April to lodge their applications. The silk application fee  is £1950+ VAT. The ‘success fee’ for the award of Queen’s Counsel is £3500 + VAT.

The silk form can be downloaded from the QCA’s website along with copies of the guidance.

You can find more information about the service we provide to Silk applicant’s here http://www.judicialappointmentstraining.co.uk/silk-applications.php . Lat year more than 80% of the applicant’s we advised received an interview. We aim to beat this figure this year. 

We wish all applicants the best of luck.

JAT

It’s that time of year again. The Bar’s equivalent of the Oscars. Though perhaps all of the stress but with less of the glamour.

The Queen’s Counsel list will be published on Wednesday 2nd March 2011 and the new silk competition will open shortly thereafter. And then begins the task of completing the dreaded silk application form. 

We await with baited breath.

 We were asked last week by a client applying to be a District Judge (Magistrates Court), whether it mattered how much time was spent on the application form, given that the Qualifying Test was the sole filter that determined whether someone went onto the Judicial Appointments Commission’s dreaded Selection Day.

The answer is, it matters greatly! If you are fortunate to have got through the Qualifying Test and reached the stage of interview, then a poor application form will do you no favours with the interviewing panel. The Panel will have your form before them and it will be the document that gives them the greatest insight into you as a candidate, before you have stepped in the room.

It is not simply a question of whether you have managed to provide the relevant information in the appropriate manner. There is also the difficulty that sometimes arises when you include something in your form that is positively unhelpful. Your form should be an opportunity to sell yourself rather than hinder.

In our experience, the majority of application forms are poorly completed. Solicitors generally do better than barristers when it comes to completing the self-assessment part of the form.  Examples of the common mistakes we see include relying on third party assessment (it’s a self-assessment) and making assertions rather than demonstrating by example.

So, if you are submitting an application in the District Judge (Magistrates Court) Competition, our advice is take your time and get it right, otherwise it may come back and bite you in the rear when you reach your interview. Not a pleasant experience.

Talking fast is associated with nerves and youth. In the context of your training contract interview, coming across as nervous and ‘young’ is problematic enough, without the added bonus of making it difficult for those interviewing you to follow what you say.

Experienced, effective communicators, lawyers or otherwise, consistently employ the ‘power of the pause’ when speaking publicly. Perhaps the most well known proponent of using pauses in this way is Barack Obama. Watch any of his speeches on You Tube and notice how he uses pauses to enhance his communication impact.

Pausing when speaking, suggests control and communicates authority, particularly when reinforced by good eye contact. Important qualities for any solicitor.

The best way to improve your uses of pauses is through recording yourself while practising. Ideally use video but audio will suffice. Try pausing for three seconds between each key message. Initially it will feel like 10 seconds but when you play it back you will notice it seems perfectly natural and that you sound more authoritative.