Research firms and prepare for training contract applications with LC.N Insight

Finding the right law firm and then successfully securing a training contract there requires meticulous research. To help you in this crucial stage of the process, we direct you to our useful new tool, LC.N Insight, which enables you to compare firms by key criteria (such as retention rates, secondments and turnover) and makes it easy to quickly grasp the information in front of you.

The 'firm recruitment and retention rates' section compares firms' trainee retention rates over several years; information that will help you to judge which firms may be more likely to keep you on post qualification. Elsewhere, the 'firm vacancies and application rates' section allows you to gauge the level of competition that you will be facing from your peers by comparing the number of applications that different law firms received in 2012 and 2013.

Meanwhile, 'benchmarking financials' compares firms' turnovers, profit per equity partner and trainee starting salaries, to give you a clear picture of the bottom line. You can also compare the gender diversity among firms, either across their entire staff or just their partnerships.

Finally, you can see which firms offer client and/or overseas secondments and which practice areas and industry sectors these cover. Analysing all of these categories will help you to identify which firms you want to apply to and, crucially, will enable you to start tailoring your applications to the firms that you have chosen. You're welcome!