Coffee in one hand, your half-finished resume in another. 

Your cursor hovers over “Start Application”. 

But how do you write a winning application?

We here at Point Blank have clerked at many top-tier law firms.

Now we’re a team of lawyers, here to set you up for success. 

If we were to start again, this is what we’d do

We're going to say it how it is. 

The process is no Aperol Spritz in the sun. It’s tedious and repetitive.

Don’t leave it to the last minute. Each application must be errorless. Every t crossed. Every i dotted. A perfect application takes time, so start early.  

1. Firm questions

When you have jotted down the firms you want to apply for, track through their online portal to see what you need to submit. 

Put all the firms’ questions into one document and you’ll start to spot the overlap – “Why law?”, “Why this firm?”, “Explain a commercial issue you’re interested in”, “What do you do outside of law?” and the like. Most firms ask 3 to 5 questions.

When you have all the questions written out, keep calm (and carry on). 

We know there is a lot to do. But let’s brainstorm first. 

The questions essentially boil down to two buckets: what’s your why, and what can you bring?

For both buckets, you’re here to sell your story. The best way to tell a story is to show, not tell. Whether it was work, university, school or hobbies, we drew on our experiences to showcase our answers. 

• “Why law?” Perhaps your interest in law started with Episode 1 of Suits your experience in your high school mock trial competition. We avoided generic answers like saying we “enjoyed problem-solving.”

• “Why this firm?” Genuinely consider why you want to be at that firm. Maybe it’s the firm’s strong dispute practice. Maybe you want cross-border work. Maybe it's Maybelline.

• “What are your top skills?” Demonstrate your skills by pointing to the proof – it’s in the pudding, as they say. Convey your adaptability skills through a succinct scenario where you had to adapt to an unknown problem.

• “What commercial issue sparked your interest?” These are commercial law firms we’re talking about. Law students who are in the know stand out. Be across firm insights, matters, movements and more with Point Blank.

2. CV

OK, this is the easy part. 

In addition to the usual spiel, here are some helpers:

• Lead with a 2-3 sentence pitch at the top (call it objective, summary or whatever you want) — this section is personalised for each firm.

• When using bullet points, be concise and outcome-driven. Show your impact, not merely your responsibilities. Stats are helpful here.

• Put the average weekly hours you spent on your jobs or extracurriculars – this signals your ability to balance competing workloads.

• Your CV must be without error. That includes consistent formatting. Lawyers are a fun bunch and are big on formatting.

• Put your genuine interests down – you can speak to these in your interview. 

3. Cover letter

Be concise. We’re talking 1 page, with 3-5 paragraphs. 

Your cover letter should sound like you. Make sure there’s no disconnect between the page and the person. 

The other thing to remember is that you'll inevitably sound like a salesman when trying to sell yourself. But that’s what you have to do.

The first section should be tailored to the firm. How did you come across them – a noticeable case, insight or transaction that stood out to you? Applying to the Sydney office? Well, write about a matter that the Sydney team worked on. 

You could also mention any personable interactions with people from the firm (eg, careers fair or firm event). No need to pretend you're bessie mates with them — it was a brief chat… come on. But it's worth mentioning if you took something away that sparked your interest in the firm.

Now it’s time to sell your strengths. The second section is a good opportunity to highlight your technical skills with your experiences. This is about solid research skills, thorough analysis and clear communication. The final section can focus on how you work with people — think initiative, teamwork, and adaptability.

4. Psychometric testing

There’s no real trick to this, or at least not one worth obsessing over. 

Be in a quiet room with a good internet connection and give it your best shot.

5. The magic number

Writing a solid job application is a skill. And like with any other skill, you improve with repetition. If you opened up your first assignment and compared it with your last, you would see considerable improvements.¹ And that’s the outcome you want with your applications. 

If you only want to apply for 3 firms, that's fine. By no means do you need to submit every application you prepare. But your 5^th prepared application will be better than your 1^st . And your 10^th application is better than your 5^th . But best not spread yourself too thin — quality is still more important than quantity.

Good luck.

-Team PB

1  You’d hope.