It’s replaced the firm’s old application form
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.
Mishcon de Reya 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 “show who you are and what you’re able to bring to our firm”.
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 “lengthy application form” 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.
The bot then steps in and, in the firm’s words, creates an “interactive experience” through a “dynamic and interesting exchange” where the questions are tailored to the candidate, “probing you on your experiences in a conversational format”
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.
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 “yet another hurdle” for those juggling studies, work and life. They added that if applicants are expected to invest real care in the process, the “same respect should be reflected in how applications are reviewed”.
Another future lawyer who used the AI application, however, was more positive about it, telling us:
“Whilst 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’t think I had said enough — it felt like I was being given a real chance to respond.”
Concerns around the use of AI also spilled over onto the message boards of Reddit. “No because what was that??!!” one Mischon applicatant wrote. “The 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.” The anonymous poster goes on to say the process took them “hours to finish”, “wasn’t neurodivergent friendly” and “AND INCREDIBLY LONG”.
Others who say they have also encountered Mishcon’s AI bot seemed to share the same view. “Nightmarish stuff, I hated it,” one user wrote, before reassuring the original poster that “that everyone did badly 🤣”.
“I agree,” another added. “It continued asking me questions for over 3 hours, often repeating itself and showing poor understanding of the answers I’d given it. In all- a dehumanising experience and a real waste of valuable time.”
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’ll 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: “It really is not as bad as everyone was making it seem on Reddit“.
It appears Mishcon might have been expecting students to at least question its use in this year’s application process, with the firm dedicating 14 FAQs to its use on its grad rec page — by comparison it has just four covering its vac scheme.
Among these points, the firm emphasises that real people assess all applications, and although the trial will compare human scoring with the AI’s scoring, no decisions will be made based on the AI scores. The firm also addresses concerns about potential bias, emphasising that fairness, risk mitigation, and rigorous standards have guided the tool’s development from the start. During the trial period, every transcript will be reviewed and scored by expert human screeners, and, as always, all final decisions will be made by people.
Speaking to Legal Cheek, Mishcon partner and training principal Daniel Lipman said:
“I am disappointed to hear if any candidate didn’t enjoy their application experience. We work very hard on our recruitment processes to ensure that they work well for candidates and give everyone the best possible opportunity to get to know us and for us to get to know them. In line with most large organisations, we also use AI and other tools to help us provide the best experience for candidates and ensure our recruitment processes are fair and transparent.”
He added: “Using the chat-based interview, candidates are able to tell us more about themselves, instead of being limited to a certain number of characters on an application form. Not only does this give candidates an opportunity to detail their achievements, experiences and motivations but also helps our recruitment team to make more informed decisions at an early stage of the process.”
“We have had excellent feedback so far from a large number of candidates on the use of the tool including, for example, that the process ‘took the pressure off a bit’ and ‘let me develop my answers properly’. Almost three quarters of students gave the experience 4 or 5 out of 5 in an anonymous survey while nine out of 10 (93%) of student responses said the AI chat responses felt personalised and relevant to them. One student responded, ‘I really liked how it gave me multiple opportunities to share my ideas. Not just one question on why Mishcon de Reya, or why commercial law. I felt like it better captured my complete view and personality’.”
Meanwhile, Bright Network, the company behind the AI tool, told us:
“We continuously monitor feedback from candidates and from the employers who use the tool. Across all employers using the product this year, the average candidate satisfaction score is 4.5 out of 5. Most candidates complete the process without difficulty, and the majority actually say they prefer it to other interview formats.”
The company added: “A small number told us it took longer than they expected. We are tightening the guidance so the time needed is clear before they begin and we are continuing to refine the flow. We are working with the Mishcon de Reya early careers team to support a fair and transparent early stage that gives every candidate a fair chance to present their experiences clearly. Bright Apply does not make any decisions and every application for the Mishcon de Reya schemes are reviewed manually.”
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