Develop commercial awareness and client care skills with the Hogan Lovells BaSE Legal Learning Hub

As students continue to adapt to the ‘new normal’ and return to or start university for the first time this term, many firms are offering them opportunities to engage in different ways.  Although face-to-face work experience programmes, vacation schemes, internships and open days aren’t possible in the current climate, virtual internships are on the up.

Hogan Lovells launched their HL BaSE Legal Learning Hub in September 2020 which is open to students at every stage: from first-year students, to vacation scheme and training contract candidates, through to those holding training contract offers at the firm.

The premise of the programme is to help participants develop and understand commercial awareness in a very tangible way. When the firm is advising clients, it’s crucial that they’re able to see the bigger picture and identify exactly what’s needed. That’s why commercial awareness is a huge part of being a successful lawyer and something that the HL BaSE Legal Learning Hub will home in on.

The HL BaSE Legal Learning Hub piggy backs off Hogan Lovells’ renowned HL BaSE MBA-style programme that their trainees are involved in during their two-week induction at the firm.  The trainees are responsible for end-to-end client development with social enterprise clients, gaining key client care skills, experience and responsibility very early on.

Chris Stoakes, author of ‘All you need to know about the City’ and ‘All you need to know about commercial awareness’ has been crucial in helping develop content for the HL BaSE Legal Learning Hub. Chris’ understanding of how best to develop trainees into successful lawyers from his former role as head of knowledge & learning at Hogan Lovells has been integral.

The HL BaSE Legal Learning Hub is split into four stages: Bronze for any student who’s keen to learn first-hand what it’s like to be a trainee solicitor at a global elite law firm like Hogan Lovells. This stage of the programme can be accessed from anywhere in the world at any time, allowing participants to work at their own pace.

The Bronze programme takes the format of a virtual internship through Forage (the recently rebranded InsideSherpa) and sees participants completing five trainee level tasks. Participants will:    

• navigate a typical trainee seat rotation, including an international secondment;
• complete tasks in corporate, regulatory, finance, and litigation;
• experience the firm’s award winning HL BaSE programme with a bonus task for a social enterprise client; and
• build their commercial awareness and legal skills.

The Silver programme has been especially developed for first-year students looking to gain an insight into a career in commercial law. Participants will:

• gain insights into Hogan Lovells’ strategy and the firm’s response to current market trends;
• experience legal case studies and skills-based workshops, and get guidance from trainees;
• gain an understanding of client work at trainee level;
• build an understanding of a law firm’s economics and the way it works; and
• secure an automatic place on the firm’s First Year Insight Scheme.

The Gold programme is for those in their penultimate year and onwards, looking to secure either a vacation scheme or training contract. Participants will:

• gain in-depth knowledge into Hogan Lovells’ key practice areas;
• gain insights into how they develop client relationships and win work;
• develop skills such as business writing and learn how to ace a case study interview;
• learn the ins and outs of and how best to navigate a two-year training contract; and
• secure a place on the firm’s vacation scheme or training contract assessment day.

The Platinum programme is for those holding a training contract offer with Hogan Lovells. Participants will:

• learn about the firm’s development programmes from trainee through to partner;
• understand the seat planning and secondment process;
• gain an insight into Pathways, the firm’s development-focused programme;
• develop an understanding of the City Consortium SQE;
• connect with other future joiners to the firm and continue to build networks within Hogan Lovells.

The application process

The Bronze programme is open to all students from any year and degree discipline. There is no application process and participants will work through the programme at their own pace. Students will also be able to submit an application for the firm’s vacation scheme, training contract, first year insight event or campus ambassador programme at the same time.

Find out more about accessing the Bronze programme.

Those interested in applying for the Silver and Gold programmes must apply before the 31 October 2020 deadline date. Applicants will be invited to complete an application form and take an online critical thinking test. They will be notified if they have been successful two weeks after the deadline date. The programme will start from late November 2020.

Michelle Ruddle is the recruitment marketing manager at Hogan Lovells.