Lizzie's insight into securing a trainee role with Kennedys

We recently caught up with Lizzie, who went through SQE training in Kennedys' Taunton office, about how they secured a trainee role with Kennedys Law and their top tip for following in their footsteps.

What stood out to you about Kennedys?

For me, there are two kinds of lawyers: the kind that prefers disputes, they’re the kind of lawyers who like to break down the opposing side’s argument and that was something that naturally interested me as opposed to transactional law which is about making money. Kennedys are specialists within that area of law and that was something that stood out to me. With Kennedys culture, I felt like every experience I had with them they seemed to embody their culture and it wasn’t just keywords on a piece of paper. This embodiment of their values was really important to me.

How did you build your commercial awareness?

I think it’s always a really tricky one to answer because everyone has individual approaches. It is really important to find the right news sources and outlets that benefit you whether you have a really busy schedule. You might want to check in for 5 minutes a day or have a look at the weekend in a bigger bulk. For me, I liked checking in once a day, so I had the Financial Times app and What’s News Daily which was really useful. I would follow the markets that were applicable to the law firms I was applying to.

What is your top tip to members going through the application process?

My tip is to be true to the areas of interest that suit you. There’s no point in applying to a load of firms and not having a genuine interest in that area of law! You need to tailor your applications to areas that genuinely interest you because that will show in the application and the interview stage. You’ll save yourself a load of time! Firms often ask which competitors you’re applying to so it makes sense to apply to their direct competitors as they will take more of an interest in you.