Danica's success story: Securing a training contract at HFW

Danica is a Law graduate from the University of Warwick. She is currently a Disputes Paralegal at HFW and will be commencing her Training Contract in 2026, secured through Bright Network.  

First, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

“I participated in a mock trial as part of my debate team when I was 14 and I was hooked - I knew then that I wanted to pursue law and continued to compete in mock trials until Covid-19.

I was highly motivated to pursue law via the university route because, at the time, solicitor apprenticeships were not widely available and I also wanted to be the first person in my family to attend university.

I was motivated to apply to a sector-focused law firm like HFW as I had particular interests in shipping, aviation and energy. I was lucky enough to complete some work experience in a shipping logistics company in Hamburg when I was 18, which was a very exciting, glamorous introduction to the world of shipping!”

What motivated you to apply to your role?

“HFW was a no-brainer because they are market leaders in shipping and aviation law, which are two areas I’m particularly interested in.

I also met the graduate recruitment team, as well as some trainees and associates, at a number of events and found the team highly approachable.

These factors, combined with the guaranteed international secondment opportunity at HFW, made it my dream firm!”

What was the application process like?

“I found the HFW application process surprisingly enjoyable! In the initial application form, you're asked to discuss recent news in relation to the sectors that HFW works in, which was a really great opportunity to take a deep dive into my interest in shipping.

The assessment centre was naturally stressful but surprisingly enjoyable. The assessment centre attendees were put into a breakout room at the beginning so we could meet each other before we started the assessments, which really helped to calm the nerves - and I made some of my best friends in that breakout room!

My vacation scheme at HFW was really enjoyable. All of the team were lovely and the activities and assessed tasks during the vacation scheme were really fun.”

How did Bright Network help you secure your role?

“I first encountered Bright Network when I applied to their Future Lawyers event in 2021. I attended this event in my first year of training contract applications and was able to speak directly to graduate recruitment, trainees and legal teams at a number of law firms, which gave me excellent initial exposure to the different options within the solicitor career path.

Throughout my training contract applications, I found reading the law firm profiles and associated advice useful. Bright Network also helped me structure my training contract applications, as I could quickly find all the key deadlines associated with the firms I was interested in!

I also participated in a commercial awareness course that helped me develop my commercial awareness, thereby making my applications stronger.”

What are you most proud of about your journey?

“My proudest achievement is 100% the day that graduate recruitment at HFW called me to let me know I had made it! Whilst applying for my training contract, I was also studying for the SQE Legal Practice Master’s and working part-time to fund it, so there was a lot of stress and a lot of multi-tasking.

To fit in my vacation scheme, I had to switch my shifts around and work the weekend in between, and study hard to get ahead before the vacation scheme started so that I wouldn't fall behind. It was really hard work - but thankfully it was all worth it in the end!”

What have you learnt from going through the process?

“I was quite aware of what the process would look like at the outset.

One thing I didn't realise when I first started training contract applications was how hard it would be to get beyond the initial application form stage!

My recommendation if you are just starting out is to focus on quality rather than quantity, as five well-researched applications are much more valuable than ten less-researched ones.”

What are your tips for people looking to follow in your footsteps?

“The most important thing is to really do your research to make sure you know the firm and their work, what is going on in the market and interesting things happening in the sector so that you can engage in a conversation.

You may not understand the legal or technical complexities, but you can certainly establish rapport in an interview by knowing interesting facts. One thing I discussed was the fact that we were potentially facing a tea shortage in the UK because of the Red Sea transport issues!”

Tell us about the future. What’s next?

“I’m really excited to start my training contract now!

Working at the firm as a paralegal for the last year has given me amazing insights into the different seats and secondment opportunities, and I am very excited to get stuck in.”