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Law firms may be enthusiastically promoting the brave new world of artificial intelligence (AI), but aspiring lawyers are nervous about some of the changes to the graduate recruitment process that it is heralding.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s replaced the firm\u2019s old application form<\/p>\n
Law firms may be enthusiastically promoting the brave new world of artificial intelligence (AI), but aspiring lawyers are nervous about some of the changes to the graduate recruitment process that it is heralding.<\/p>\n
Mishcon de Reya<\/a> has, for the first time this year, introduced an AI-powered interview tool that chats with training contract hopefuls in a WhatsApp-style format. The idea, the firm says, is to give candidates a chance to \u201cshow who you are and what you\u2019re able to bring to our firm\u201d.<\/p>\n The firm, which hires over 30 trainees each year exclusively through its vacation scheme, says the new approach was shaped by feedback from past candidates. Although the feedback highlighted a \u201clengthy application form\u201d and a one-way recorded video interview, the AI bot has not fully replaced the form, as applicants must still provide details of their work experience, academic achievements, and other key information.<\/p>\n The bot then steps in and, in the firm\u2019s words, creates an \u201cinteractive experience\u201d through a \u201cdynamic and interesting exchange\u201d where the questions are tailored to the candidate, \u201cprobing you on your experiences in a conversational format\u201d<\/p>\n Although Mishcon notes in its FAQs that the AI chatbot is still on trial and that it plans to collect candidate feedback, applicants pursuing a training contract have already expressed mixed opinions about both its interview style and the broader use of AI in graduate recruitment.<\/p>\n One student Legal Cheek spoke with said that TC hunters already spend hours researching firms and tailoring their submissions, and that an AI-based system feels like \u201cyet another hurdle\u201d for those juggling studies, work and life. They added that if applicants are expected to invest real care in the process, the \u201csame respect should be reflected in how applications are reviewed\u201d.<\/p>\n Another future lawyer who used the AI application, however, was more positive about it, telling us: <\/p>\n \u201cWhilst the experience can feel a little dehumanising, it did feel as though I could properly get myself across. I especially appreciated being prompted to expand on my answers when the chatbot didn\u2019t think I had said enough \u2014 it felt like I was being given a real chance to respond.\u201d<\/p>\n Concerns around the use of AI also spilled over onto the message boards of Reddit. \u201cNo because what was that??!!\u201d one Mischon applicatant wrote. \u201cThe ai kept asking me the same questions in different ways. ALSO why was there like 10 billion sections to answer. By the time I had to answer the video interview i was DRAINEEDDDDD.\u201d The anonymous poster goes on to say the process took them \u201chours to finish\u201d, \u201cwasn\u2019t neurodivergent friendly\u201d and \u201cAND INCREDIBLY LONG\u201d.<\/p>\n Others who say they have also encountered Mishcon\u2019s AI bot seemed to share the same view. \u201cNightmarish stuff, I hated it,\u201d one user wrote, before reassuring the original poster that \u201cthat everyone did badly \ud83e\udd23\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI agree,\u201d another added. \u201cIt continued asking me questions for over 3 hours, often repeating itself and showing poor understanding of the answers I\u2019d given it. In all- a dehumanising experience and a real waste of valuable time.\u201d<\/p>\n But some students pushed back on this, with another user telling Legal Cheek that if you give long, detailed answers that cover all the information it needs, you\u2019ll be asked fewer questions and the whole thing can be done in about an hour. However, if you provide short answers, the AI will continue asking more questions until it has gathered everything it requires. They added: \u201cIt really is not as bad as everyone was making it seem on Reddit\u201c.<\/p>\n