Law Questions Flashcards
Why do you want a degree apprenticeship?
There are 3 key reasons I wish to pursue a degree apprenticeship.
The primary reason is of course the prioritisation of hands-on experience alongside studying. During my gap year, I have found that I thrive much more in environments where I continuously apply my learning, especially when observing other professionals and replicating things using my own understanding.
Second of all, I believe the solicitor apprenticeship route is key in developing financial maturity. As a young professional, being an apprentice and earning a wage will help me develop financial literacy in paying taxes and understanding a paycheck, something which tends to be exposed to university students much later in their career. Having financial responsibility and freedom is something I look forward to have, something which I particularly took pride in most recently having paid for all of my driving lessons from my part-time employment.
Finally, the most important reason for me is the networking and professional development aspect of working in a company, particularly in a company such as _______ where there is such a wide network of growth and support. Being able to interact with both lawyers and clients with a large wealth of knowledge and experience at such an early age would be such a privilege to have, and something I find especially valuable to continuously develop over the long-term period of the apprenticeship. Since commercial law is essentially a people occupation, I would relish the opportunity to build my skills and build a rapport from a very young age professionally.
Why commercial law?
Why commercial law?
To break down the question, I want to work in the legal profession because I am analytical and love to solve complex problems, which are plentiful as a lawyer who has to navigate between constantly updating legislation.
In regards to commercial law, my interest in commercial law actually stems from my interest as a musician and actually exploring the business element of the music business such as data protection and employee rights, which is often not understood clearly from an artist perspective. After expanding my economic and commercial awareness through podcasts such as The Rest is Money (that’s my favourite one), I realised that commercial law was what I wanted to pursue. For example, a recent commercial news story I have kept up with has been the increasing downfall of Boeing as a company, particularly with the factory worker strikes and most recently the South Korean plane crash. As a company that completes work in sectors such as employment and transport, commercial law firms such as Weightmans will have to work to navigate things like insurance claims, renewing employment contracts and looking to support employment tribunals.
What do you think the role of a commercial lawyer will look like day to day?
From my understanding, the role of a commercial lawyer is aiding clients with the needs of their business, which can range from employment contracts to mergers & acquisitions. However, on a quotidian scale, the work of a commercial lawyer or solicitor apprentice has 2 elements. The first is mainly paperwork, drafting and reviewing documents, contracts, bundling etc and research on clients, their competition and how law (particularly new legislation) applies to the client’s circumstances. The other element is of course people based thus being correspondence with clients, client and internal meetings, phone calls and for contentious seats, more advocacy and court work although advocacy is mostly for barristers obviously.
What do you think the challenges would be as a commercial lawyer?
The main challenge I can see relates to time management, particularly if there is pressure from clients or the courts that require urgency and tight deadlines. For a solicitor apprentice, on top of that, the job requires a balance between work and studies, which can sometimes be overwhelming if tasks are not dealt with and prioritised accordingly.
What appeals to you about this (as a commercial lawyer)?
What appeals to me about being a solicitor apprentice and a commercial lawyer is certainly the dynamic nature of the role. I am a person who constantly desires to be intellectually stimulated and being a solicitor apprentice gives you access to such a wide array of knowledge in the people you meet but also the work that you do, applying learning from university to the workplace. I also am excited about the opportunity to start making a difference and aid commercial performance, particularly in sectors such as retail or transport, you can see and apply the work so tangibly to the businesses you use everyday.
