Session from 29th April 2025

Yesterday, Rory O’Keeffe—a seasoned legal professional with experience spanning small rural practices, corporate M&A, energy and construction law, in-house roles, and partnership at a top Irish firm—shared his guidance on navigating the highly competitive training contract process, now in full swing. Drawing from his extensive career journey that culminated in establishing his own alternative legal service provider, O’Keeffe offered practical advice for law students seeking to secure that crucial first step into the profession.

Understanding the Timeline and Process

One of the most critical initial points O’Keeffe emphasised was the importance of understanding application timelines. “Some deadlines have already passed for two years ahead,” he noted, highlighting that students should begin looking in their penultimate year of university. “January, February is usually when their closing dates are for getting in your applications.”

The standard process typically involves several stages:

1. Online applications: Forms requesting information about education, grades, experience, and transferable skills
2. Assessment tests: Potentially including verbal reasoning, numerical testing, or psychometric evaluations
3. Initial interviews: Either in-person or via video platforms
4. Further interview stages: Often involving more detailed discussions with potential team members

O’Keeffe stressed that the process is designed with a clear purpose: “They’ve spent so much money in developing that training… when you come out the other end as a practicing solicitor, they want to be sure that their time hasn’t been wasted and really, their goal is for you to stay in the firm.”

Addressing Common Concerns About Applications

Academic Performance

Many applicants worry that not achieving a first-class degree or 2:1 classification will automatically disqualify them. O’Keeffe reassured listeners: “I haven’t seen a firm yet that just says you’re absolutely ruled out as a result of your academic grade.” While grades remain an important assessment criterion, most firms provide opportunities to explain circumstances that affected academic performance.

“You get an opportunity to explain… could be life was interrupted, there was something happening in your life, stressors, anxiety, whatever was causing the issues,” he explained. “You didn’t get to the dizzy heights that you know you can do, fine. You get an opportunity to explain that—that doesn’t rule you out.”

Making Your Application Stand Out

In a sea of similar qualifications, O’Keeffe emphasised the importance of creating a memorable impression: “You’ve got to tell a story. You have to paint the picture. You have to add colour in your application, otherwise you won’t be memorable.”

He advised applicants to highlight what makes them unique, but cautioned against including interests merely for their own sake: “If you’re a person who loves books, great. Talk about them. If you’re a person who just loves skiing, mountain climbing, have some way to bring it in, but don’t just throw it in for the sake of it. You have to make it relevant to your development as a trainee.”

The key is authenticity—explaining how your experiences have shaped qualities relevant to legal practice, such as perseverance, problem-solving, or collaborative skills.

Excelling in Virtual Interviews

With many firms now conducting initial interviews via video platforms, O’Keeffe provided practical tips for virtual presentations:

1. Camera positioning: “Get your camera right… it should be head height so we can see your full face, shoulders, and upper torso. Nobody wants to see up your nose.”
2. Background: “Either get a fake one or make sure it’s neutral in the background… if you create something that’s distracting, well then clearly…”
3. Lighting: “Don’t have the light behind you because obviously… it’s going to create a shadow. Put it in the front—we need to see your face.”
4. Technical preparation: “Check all the technology before you do it. Double check it. Get other people, call them, do test calls in advance so everything is working okay.”
5. Professional dress: “Even if you’re at home, you put the suit on… because it shows respect. If you dress up, you’re showing that you really are serious about this.”

Demonstrating Commercial Awareness

When asked about developing commercial awareness, O’Keeffe offered several practical approaches:

“I would start with looking at the law firm’s most recently published articles,” he suggested. “If they’re publishing stuff which they say is topical and relevant to their clients, they wrote it for a reason.”

He recommended that candidates identify a topic they genuinely enjoy and develop informed perspectives through resources like Lexology.com, which provides free access to legal articles across different jurisdictions.

O’Keeffe also stressed the importance of LinkedIn for developing and demonstrating commercial awareness: “Get your profile page picture up—that’s not you at graduation, it’s not you at party time, it’s you dressed up appropriately… no dogs, no animals, no other people in the photo.”

The Power of Networking

While formal application processes remain the standard route, O’Keeffe emphasised that personal connections continue to play a significant role: “It’s still a word of mouth. You can’t ignore the power of your network, power of your parents or caregivers, your wider network.”

Even if a contact can only direct you to the formal application process, mentioning their name can transform how your application is received: “When you’re applying, you’ll say, ‘I’m sending in this application right now at the suggestion of X, who I was chatting to only recently.’ And they go, ‘Oh, so you know somebody here.’ That’s a very different reaction.”

This approach applies even for those without family connections in law. O’Keeffe shared his own experience: “I was the first person in law [in my family]… I had to use my network.”

Choosing the Right Seats During Your Training

Looking ahead to the training contract itself, O’Keeffe advised having clear preferences about which departments you wish to experience: “If you are looking, you could say, ‘Well, these are the rotations, these are the seats that I’d like to do during my training period’… having an interest also means that you control some of the narrative for your training.”

This approach demonstrates genuine interest in the profession and thoughtful career planning. However, he cautioned against being too rigid: “You don’t set the line and say, ‘This is it, give it to me or not.’ You always have to be diplomatic.”

The seats you complete during training often determine which departments will consider you upon qualification, making these choices strategically important for your future career path.

Small Firms vs. City Firms

When asked about differences between city firms and smaller practices, O’Keeffe acknowledged several distinctions:

“City firms against non-city… it’s the issue of size, it’s also capacity and the time that they have. They also don’t have hundreds of roles… it might be a hundred roles as opposed to say five new roles open.”

Smaller firms typically receive fewer applications but may offer different experiences and cultures. While city firms might advertise impressive salary progression—”I saw one recently that said starting salary was £52,000 in your first year, and as you qualify, your first post-qualification year will be £150,000″—each environment has its advantages.

Resilience and Growth Mindset

Perhaps most importantly, O’Keeffe highlighted the need for resilience and a growth mindset. The training experience can be challenging for high-achieving graduates: “You might have got a first or a 2:1, fantastic. Now we’re going to have lawyers who are going to butcher your emails. They’re going to take out the red pen before you’ve sat down to a contract that you might have drafted.”

This adjustment can be difficult: “To some people, it’s a big shock to their system, and that shock can develop into negative performance.” However, demonstrating resilience through past challenges can be a significant advantage: “So resilience is a quality that I look for… How have you shown where you failed and learned from that failure?”

Conclusion

This Session had a number of queries coming from students attending. Securing a training contract requires understanding the formal process while also leveraging personal networks and presenting yourself authentically. O’Keeffe’s advice emphasises thorough preparation, thoughtful personal presentation, and developing genuine commercial awareness.

For those facing rejection, his parting advice was clear: “Keep trying. The more you practice… just keep practicing.” With persistence, proper preparation, and a willingness to learn from setbacks, aspiring solicitors can navigate the competitive training contract landscape successfully.