Extra-curricular activities
Extra-curricular activities (societies, sports, hobbies and interests) are quite often asked for in a law firm application form for three main reasons:
They develop technical skills: for instance, if you are on a sports team, you’ve probably built teamwork and communication skills
They make you a well-rounded, interesting individual who can fit easily into existing teams and be put in front of clients: being a lawyer is ultimately a team-based, client-facing role. Whether your client is an external client (in private practice) or a manager/director (if you’re in-house), being able to talk about what your interests are outside of work and your studies helps with networking, building working relationships, and being someone genuinely interesting to talk to.
They show your ability to manage your workload: if you’re taking part in a wide range of interests and pursuits outside of your job or university studies, it shows that you’re able to manage both your work/studying and your extra-curricular commitments. That’s a signal to firms that you can manage pressure and competing priorities.
If you don’t currently take part in any extra-curricular activities and you’re still at university, think of your interests and what societies that align with those interests you can get involved in. Firms are particularly keen to see applicants who have led a university society, as it shows both an interest and an ability to hold a position of responsibility. The society itself doesn’t need to be specifically law-related.
Think also about volunteering you can get involved in which supports an issue you’re particularly keen about. I talk more about how volunteering can be a real positive on a training contract/vacation scheme application in this article.
You could also consider joining a sports team - it doesn’t need to be the first XI rugby team - it could be just an amateur/casual team. It’s still perfectly valid.
Then there are long held interests you could show you’ve explored. For instance, are you interested in history, comics or fashion? Have you carried out any activites in relation to these interests you can talk about?
If you have a lot of extra-curricular activities to list but limited space, prioritise those where you you can highlight an achievement e.g. “I won bronze in the 100m butterfly sprint”. Focus also on those which are the most recent as well as those you’ve been pursuing/a member of for the longest. Think also about showing a variety - the best answers to this question often provide examples of sporting achievements, society leadership and long-held interests.