What You Need When Applying For A Lawyer Position In London

apply for lawyer position in london uk barrister

When looking for legal jobs in London, it is important to know what legal firms are looking for. It will give you an edge in the market. These are some of the extra skills that are required, above and beyond the normal legal training. To make sure that you get the lawyer job you deserve, here are a few proficiencies you should pick up before applying: 

Communication 

You cannot be a solicitor without certain abilities. One of the best skills to have is written and oral communication skills. Listening ability is also crucial in order to effectively work with clients. These enable you to build lasting relationships with legal clients and engender confidence. They help you build strong interpersonal relationships with your co-workers. 

Public speaking in a clear, succinct and persuasive manner is crucial for a barrister. It is also important when negotiating settlements, contracts and explaining complicated legal jargon to clients. Written ability is useful when drafting legal documents and other legal communication. 

Attention To Detail 

The ability to spot even the slightest error could mean the difference in your budding law career. You should be able to pick out a word out of place, misspelled words or wrong punctuation. They can distort the meaning in a contract dramatically. Wrong spelling and other grammatical errors could also give the client the wrong impression of you and the firm you work for. Commercial awareness All the good lawyer jobs in London require that you have good commercial awareness. 

This is the knowledge of current developments in local, national and international business, especially in matters that may impact the firm or its clients. This is imperative especially for larger law firms in or outside of London. It is also ideal to find out what recent cases can be used as precedence within the law firm’s cases. 

Ultimately, law firms are a business, and good lawyers must be able to appreciate the commercial importance of keeping costs of doing business to a minimum and handling client information confidentially. 

Time Management 

Time management is important for you to be able to justifiably stay ahead of deadlines. Organisation and time management skills will enable you to stay on top of your workload. Most law firms also require a strong work ethic and the ability to prioritize work depending on its urgency. This is especially important for law firms that work long hours and manage multiple clients. 

Research & Analysis 

As a lawyer, you have to read and process large amounts of information at a time. It is therefore crucial to analyse it and pick out what is important and manageable. This is crucial whether you are working for a commercial firm or as a practicing criminal barrister. It’s necessary to simplify and demystify ‘legalese’ for your clients. Other elements that are desired are resilience and self-confidence and academic ability. 

Legal Leverage

Lawyers may be the most hated and mistrusted business professionals in the world, but they also offer the most essential services these days. Develop these qualities to practice it well and both your bosses and clients will thank you for it.


I hope you enjoyed this article about what you need when applying for a lawyer position in London or elsewhere in the UK.

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