Your Questions Answered

Responses to your questions from Richard Kennett, Chief Executive Partner

1. What is the recruitment process?
2. What does Laytons look for?
3. Do you prefer students with a law degree rather than a student with other degrees who do a post graduate diploma in law? Is there a preference?
4. Are mature students at a disadvantage?
5. Do you provide Post Graduate Diploma in Law and the Legal Practice course fees?
6. Does Laytons provide competitive salaries?
7. What is the dress code?
8. Are trainees responsible for their own caseload from day one?
9. Are trainees involved in social activities at Laytons?
10. Is academic ability the main criterion Laytons are looking for in the trainee's application?
11. If I did not get the A level results I was expecting, should I still apply?
12. Are trainees able to choose which seats they would like to do?
13. Is there a support structure for trainees?
14. What do you look out for if trainees attend work placements and are candidates who do attend more likely to be offered a training contract?
15. How would you describe Laytons?
16. Why should I choose a training contract with Laytons?
17. What do you look for in a training contract application?
18. How do I apply?
19. When can I expect to hear from you in response to my application?

1.  What is the recruitment process? In Guildford, London and Manchester the deadline for receipt of applications for training contracts to begin in September 2013 is 31 August 2011. We begin reviewing applications from May each year. After applications are received, suitable candidates will be invited to meet to discuss their application with the local recruitment partners. If appropriate, they may be invited back for a second interview with other partners before an offer is made.

2.  What does Laytons look for? Candidates who demonstrate the ability to apply high intellect to achieve practical results; who combine knowledge and self-confidence with humility and sensitivity to others; who take satisfaction from the success of colleagues; who have drive and generous ambition to achieve the best for all. We do not consider applications from undergraduates who have not completed and received results for at least the second year of their degree.

3.  Do you prefer students with a law degree rather than students with other degrees who do a post graduate diploma in law? Is there a preference? No.

4.  Are mature students at a disadvantage? Far from it. We have in the past taken on "second career" trainees, who have previously worked in commerce or other fields, for example teaching or aircraft engineering. The firm and our clients benefit from having a diversity of fee-earning staff from different backgrounds.

5.  Do you provide Post Graduate Diploma in Law and the Legal Practice course fees? We will consider requests for assistance with course fees and maintenance on a case by case basis.

6.  Does Laytons provide competitive salaries? Our salaries for trainees are very competitive compared to firms of similar size, location and structure.

7.  What is the dress code? Professional.

8.  Are trainees responsible for their own caseload from day one? We regard trainees as part of our professional team from the day that they join. Accordingly, as with any other member of the team, they work with clients and handle matters to the extent appropriate to their knowledge and experience - always with appropriate support.

9.  Are trainees involved in social activities at Laytons? Of course, trainees are part of the team and involved accordingly, both in participation and in organisation.

10.  Is academic ability the main criterion Laytons are looking for in the trainee’s application? Obviously this is very important. We get many applications from candidates with excellent paper qualifications. However it will often be other factors referred to in the question “what does Laytons look for?” which will determine to whom we will offer training contracts.

11.  If I did not get the A level results I was expecting, should I still apply?  See the answer to question 10. If there was a particular reason whey you feel your results do not reflect your ability, please tell us.  If your academic results are not of a high standard, you will be at a disadvantage compared to many other applicants; however the application form gives you the opportunity to persuade us we should see you!

12.  Are trainees able to choose which seats they would like to do? Generally, training seats are six months. The principal seats are corporate & commercial, property & construction and dispute resolution. The fourth seat will depend upon the circumstances of the particular office and may include employment, intellectual property, insolvency, private client and family law (this is a compulsory seat for trainees in our Manchester office). We always try our hardest to take into account the trainee’s wishes when allocating seats.

13.  Is there a support structure for trainees? Each trainee is allocated to a partner, who will have a mentor role for that trainee during the two year contract.

14.  What do you look out for if trainees attend work placements and are candidates who do attend more likely to be offered a training contract? Work placements are of course a good way for both candidate and the firm to see if a training contract would be appropriate. We seek the same characteristics as are referred to in the question “What does Laytons look for?”. A successful work placement is more likely to lead to an offer.

15.  How would you describe Laytons? High quality, mutually supportive, friendly, understated, results-oriented and a firm which allows and encourages its members to grow and develop.

16.  Why should I choose a training contract with Laytons? Because, apart from the benefits of our culture, our training contracts are structured in a way that gives trainees a good, broad-based training which provides quality of work and guidance without being so wide as to be confusing and unhelpful. This both provides invaluable breadth of vision for your career as a commercial lawyer after qualification and will help to identify the field of practice to be chosen upon qualification.

17.  What do you look for in a training contract application? Clarity and organisation; clear identification of your true characteristics, achievements, qualifications and experience in a way which substantiates the “real you” – so relax and communicate the information that is relevant to illustrate the whole of your personality – not just work and qualifications but your interests and other achievements. We too are real people so engage our interest!

18.  How do I apply? You should complete an application form and submit it, together with your CV, to the recruitment partner at the office in which you wish to undertake your work placement or training contract. The deadline for applications is set out in the question 1 above 'What is the recruitment process?'. You can download an application form or alternatively, please contact any of our recruitment partners.

19. "When can I expect to hear from you in response to my application?" We receive a tremendous volume of applications for vacation placements as well as for training contracts, far out of proportion to the number of vacancies we have. We endeavour always to reply in writing to training contract applications, although it may be some months before we have processed all applications and identified candidates for interview. Candidates for interview for training contracts will usually hear from us within 6 weeks of 31 August.

We are not able to respond in writing to all applications for vacation placements: if you have not heard from us by 31st May you should assume that your application has not been successful.