# What recruiters really expect from junior legal candidates
The legal recruitment landscape has transformed dramatically over the past decade, creating a complex environment where junior candidates must navigate competing demands from law firms, chambers, and in-house legal departments. With training contract places increasingly scarce and competition intensifying at every level, understanding what recruiters genuinely seek has never been more critical for aspiring solicitors. The market dynamics have shifted substantially—whilst firms once held all the leverage, today’s recruitment process represents a genuine two-way evaluation where candidates with the right credentials can command significant attention and competitive remuneration packages.
Recent data reveals that 76.5% of trainees at leading firms are Oxbridge and Russell Group graduates, yet this statistic only tells part of the story. Behind every successful application lies a carefully constructed portfolio of academic achievements, practical experience, and demonstrable competencies that distinguish exceptional candidates from merely qualified ones. The reality is that possessing a law degree no longer guarantees employability—recruiters now demand evidence of commercial awareness, technical proficiency, and professional maturity from the earliest stages of selection. What makes this particularly challenging is that many of these expectations remain unspoken, creating a hidden curriculum that only the most informed candidates successfully navigate.
## Academic Credentials and Legal Qualifications Recruiters Scrutinise
Academic credentials form the foundational layer of any successful legal application, yet recruiters examine these qualifications with far more nuance than many candidates realise. The minimum requirement of a 2:1 degree classification has become virtually non-negotiable across most reputable firms and chambers, with first-class honours providing a significant competitive advantage. However, the context surrounding these results matters enormously—a 2:1 from a Russell Group institution in a challenging non-law discipline often carries more weight than a first-class degree from a lower-ranked university, particularly when recruiters assess analytical capabilities and intellectual rigour.
The diversity of educational backgrounds entering the profession has expanded considerably, with non-law graduates now representing a substantial proportion of successful applicants. Interestingly, recent studies indicate that non-law graduates earn approximately 6% more upon qualification, with average newly qualified salaries reaching £72,551 compared to £68,406 for law graduates. This premium reflects the value firms place on diverse perspectives and specialist knowledge—particularly degrees in languages, sciences, technology, and humanities subjects that develop transferable skills highly relevant to legal practice. Recruiters specifically seek evidence of research capabilities, analytical reasoning, and communication skills that transcend subject-specific knowledge.
### Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) versus Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) Pathways
The traditional distinction between law degree holders and conversion course graduates has diminished substantially in recruiter perceptions, with both pathways now viewed as equally valid routes to qualification. The Graduate Diploma in Law (now being replaced by the SQE pathway) demonstrated a candidate’s commitment to legal practice through conscious career decision-making, which many recruiters value highly. Conversion course students often bring maturity, life experience, and industry knowledge that enriches their legal practice from day one, compensating for any perceived gaps in foundational legal knowledge.
What matters most to recruiters is not which pathway you followed, but how effectively you’ve mastered the core competencies required for practice. Law degree holders benefit from extended exposure to legal reasoning and doctrine, whilst GDL graduates often display greater focus and determination having made a definitive career choice. Firms increasingly recognise that legal knowledge can be taught, whereas qualities like commercial instinct, client management abilities, and problem-solving creativity are considerably harder to develop. The key is demonstrating comprehensive understanding of legal principles alongside practical application skills, regardless of your initial qualification route.
### Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) Performance Metrics and Pass Rates
The introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination represents the most significant reform to legal qualification in decades, creating new challenges and opportunities for candidates. Recruiters now scrutinise SQE1 and SQE2 performance metrics carefully, particularly in candidates’ ability to demonstrate competence across the full spectrum of legal knowledge and practical skills. Strong performance in the functional legal knowledge assessments indicates solid foundational understanding, whilst excellence in the practical legal skills evaluations reveals client-facing capabilities and professional judgement.
Pass rates and performance benchmarks provide recruiters with standardised comparison points across candidates from diverse educational backgrounds. However, simply passing the examinations rarely suffices for competitive positions—recruiters seek evidence of distinction, particularly in areas relevant to their practice focus. Candidates who achieve high marks in business law and
business practice, dispute resolution, or ethics, for example, immediately signal alignment with commercial law firms’ core practice areas. Where providers supply percentile rankings or detailed breakdowns, be prepared to discuss these transparently in applications and interviews, highlighting strengths and explaining any weaker areas with reference to subsequent work experience, additional study, or targeted CPD. Recruiters are not simply interested in whether you passed the SQE, but in how your performance reflects your readiness to operate as a junior solicitor in a demanding environment.
Equally important is how you have combined SQE preparation with Qualifying Work Experience (QWE). Many recruiters now expect junior legal candidates to articulate how specific QWE placements underpinned their SQE success—did hands-on casework help you tackle client interviewing stations, or did exposure to corporate deals make business law questions more intuitive? Treat your SQE results as one part of a broader professional narrative rather than a standalone achievement; the more convincingly you connect the dots between exam performance, legal work experience, and the firm’s practice areas, the stronger your profile will appear.
Training contract completion and professional skills course (PSC) requirements
For candidates qualifying via the traditional route, completion of a training contract and the Professional Skills Course (PSC) remains a crucial benchmark for recruiters. Firms scrutinise not only whether you have completed these stages, but also the quality and breadth of your training seats. Rotations through corporate, litigation, and at least one specialist department (such as finance, IP, or real estate) demonstrate a balanced grounding, while secondments to clients or overseas offices indicate adaptability and commercial exposure. Recruiters frequently examine seat evaluations and supervisor feedback to gauge your development trajectory and attitude to learning.
The PSC, often treated by candidates as a tick-box exercise, in fact provides useful signals to recruiters about your core competencies. Strong performance in advocacy, financial and business skills, and client care modules reflects practical readiness for junior solicitor responsibilities. Be prepared to reference specific PSC exercises in interviews—perhaps an advocacy assessment that sharpened your court-room confidence, or a financial module that deepened your understanding of balance sheets in due diligence. When framed correctly, PSC experience can reinforce your narrative as a candidate who has translated academic success into professional competence.
Russell group university credentials and red brick institution preferences
While many recruiters continue to focus their campus efforts on Oxbridge and Russell Group universities, the picture is more nuanced than simple brand prestige. Yes, statistics show that around three-quarters of trainees at leading firms come from these institutions, but firms are increasingly conscious of the need to diversify their intake. This means recruiters look beyond the name of your university to examine your performance within that context—degree classification, year-on-year improvement, and involvement in academically rigorous activities (research projects, dissertations, mooting) all help differentiate you from peers.
If you studied at a non-Russell Group or post-1992 institution, you are not automatically at a disadvantage, but you do need to demonstrate that you have maximised the opportunities available to you. Recruiters will want to see high grades in core subjects, clear evidence of intellectual stretch, and proactive efforts to gain external experience—vacation schemes, mini-pupillages, legal internships, or part-time paralegal roles. Think of university pedigree as the opening chapter rather than the whole book; a strong later narrative of work experience, pro bono activity, and commercial engagement can more than compensate for an institution that is not traditionally at the top of firms’ target lists.
Technical legal competencies required for junior solicitor roles
Once academic thresholds are met, recruiters shift focus to the technical legal competencies that determine whether a junior solicitor can contribute from day one. In a market where clients expect “partner-level” insight at every stage of a matter, firms no longer have the luxury of letting trainees sit on the sidelines. You are expected to arrive with a working understanding of how legal services are delivered, how transactions progress from instruction to completion, and how disputes are managed strategically. Technical skills are no longer confined to black-letter law—they encompass technology, project management, and an increasingly sophisticated level of commercial awareness.
Commercial awareness in corporate transactions and M&A activity
Commercial awareness remains one of the most overused yet least understood recruitment buzzwords. For junior legal candidates, it goes far beyond being able to quote headlines from the Financial Times or summarise the latest shock merger. Recruiters expect you to understand why transactions happen—what strategic objectives drive an acquisition, how financing structures affect deal risk, and how regulatory changes or geopolitical events reshape sectors. When a client considers buying a competitor, are they chasing market share, technology, talent, or regulatory arbitrage? Your ability to think in these terms is what sets you apart.
Practically, this means following market developments in key sectors—energy, financial services, technology, real estate—and being able to connect them to the firm’s practice areas. In interviews and application forms, you should be ready to discuss a recent deal the firm worked on, outline the commercial rationale, and identify the legal challenges involved (competition law, employment issues, cross-border tax, data protection, and so on). Treat commercial awareness like learning a language: the more you immerse yourself in business news, analyst reports, and firm press releases, the more fluent you become in the vocabulary clients actually speak.
Legal research skills using LexisNexis and westlaw platforms
Effective legal research is a non-negotiable competence for junior solicitors, and recruiters assume you have more than a surface-level familiarity with platforms like LexisNexis, Westlaw, and Practical Law. It is not enough to know how to type keywords into a search bar—firms expect you to structure research logically, filter results efficiently, and critically evaluate the authority and relevance of the materials you find. In a busy department, time wasted on inefficient research directly impacts billable hours and client satisfaction.
Strong candidates can explain their research methodology in practical terms: how they approach a new legal question, narrow down issues, identify leading authorities, and present findings in a concise, actionable way. Have you used digests, citators, or case analysis tools to verify whether a precedent is still good law? Can you distinguish between persuasive and binding authority in multi-jurisdictional matters? Recruiters often test these skills through written exercises or case studies—treat them like a real client problem where clarity, structure, and judgement are just as important as the volume of material you uncover.
Drafting proficiency in contracts, pleadings, and legal memoranda
Drafting is where your legal knowledge meets practical application, and it is one of the clearest indicators of future potential that recruiters and partners look for. Whether you are producing a first draft of a simple NDA, amending a share purchase agreement, or preparing initial pleadings, the same fundamentals apply: precision, structure, and purpose. Good drafting is like good architecture—clean lines, solid foundations, and no unnecessary ornamentation. Recruiters are alert to candidates who can express complex legal concepts in plain English without sacrificing accuracy.
Expect to be assessed on drafting at some point in the recruitment process, often through timed exercises. To stand out, you should demonstrate an understanding of risk allocation (who bears which risks and why), awareness of boilerplate clauses and when they matter, and sensitivity to the commercial context behind the words. Can you explain the practical effect of an indemnity or limitation of liability clause to a non-lawyer client? Are you alive to jurisdiction, governing law, and dispute resolution mechanisms? The more you can show that your drafting decisions are informed by both legal doctrine and commercial reality, the more confidence recruiters will have in your ability to handle live matters.
Case management systems including clio and PracticePanther familiarity
Modern legal practice is underpinned by case management and practice management systems, and recruiters increasingly expect junior candidates to be comfortable navigating these platforms. While specific systems such as Clio, PracticePanther, iManage, or Elite may vary between firms, the underlying principles are consistent: accurate time recording, organised document management, task tracking, and clear audit trails. Think of case management software as the operating system of a law firm—if you do not know how to use it effectively, your technical legal expertise cannot be deployed efficiently.
Candidates who have already used such systems during paralegal work, vacation schemes, or clinic placements should highlight this experience explicitly. Detail how you opened and maintained files, recorded billable and non-billable time, managed deadlines, or coordinated workflow across teams. Even if you have only used simpler tools (SharePoint, Trello, or basic practice management software in a small firm), demonstrate your comfort with digital workflows and your willingness to learn new platforms quickly. Recruiters know that technology competence is now as essential as black-letter law, especially as AI-assisted drafting and document review become mainstream.
Practice area experience expectations for trainee solicitors
Few junior candidates arrive with deep specialisation, but recruiters do expect meaningful exposure to different practice areas and a realistic understanding of what those departments actually do. This is where your training contract seats, mini-pupillages, vacation schemes, or paralegal roles come under intense scrutiny. Rather than simply listing experiences, you need to show what you learned from each one—how exposure to litigation sharpened your analytical skills, how corporate transactions improved your project management, or how regulatory work developed your attention to detail. Recruiters are looking for breadth with emerging areas of focus, not a rigid preference formed on the basis of a single week’s work experience.
Contentious work in litigation and dispute resolution departments
Contentious experience in litigation or dispute resolution is particularly valued because it develops core skills applicable across almost every area of practice. Through tasks like drafting witness statements, assisting with disclosure, researching case law, and preparing hearing bundles, you learn to analyse facts critically, apply procedural rules, and think strategically about risk. Recruiters know that juniors who have seen the inside of a courtroom—or at least the inside of a case management conference—tend to have sharper judgement when it comes to drafting and negotiation.
When discussing your contentious experience, focus on your role within the wider litigation strategy. Did you help identify weaknesses in the opponent’s case? Were you involved in preparing settlement offers or mediation position papers? Think of a dispute as a chess game rather than a shouting match: recruiters want to hear how you anticipate moves, weigh up options, and support partners in steering towards a commercially sensible outcome. Even small claims, tribunal hearings, or pro bono disputes can provide powerful examples when framed in terms of strategy, client impact, and lessons learned.
Non-contentious transactional experience in property and corporate law
Non-contentious work—particularly in corporate and real estate departments—exposes you to the full lifecycle of transactions, from heads of terms to post-completion filings. Recruiters expect junior candidates to understand the basic anatomy of a deal: term sheets, due diligence, key transaction documents, conditions precedent, completion mechanics, and post-completion steps. Have you reviewed leases, drafted board minutes, or populated completion checklists? These tasks might feel administrative at the time, but they are precisely the experiences recruiters look for as evidence that you can handle the pressure and detail of live transactions.
To present your transactional experience convincingly, explain not just what you did, but how it fitted into the wider commercial objective. For example, assisting on a property portfolio acquisition is not just about reviewing titles; it is about enabling a client’s expansion strategy, managing risk around covenants and break clauses, and coordinating with lenders and agents. In corporate matters, be prepared to talk about how warranties, indemnities, and covenants protect value in an M&A deal. Recruiters want to see that you understand transactions from both a legal and business standpoint, even at a junior level.
Regulatory compliance knowledge in financial services and data protection
Regulatory and compliance work has grown from a niche area into a central pillar of many firms’ practices, particularly in financial services and data protection. For junior candidates, even modest exposure to these fields can be a significant differentiator. Recruiters look favourably on candidates who can speak intelligently about the basics of regimes such as the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, FCA rules, anti-money laundering obligations, or sanctions frameworks. You are not expected to be an expert, but you should be able to explain why these regimes matter to clients and how non-compliance affects transactions and disputes.
Practical experience—such as assisting with data subject access requests, helping draft privacy notices, reviewing KYC documentation, or supporting regulatory filings—shows that you can navigate detailed rulebooks without losing sight of the bigger picture. Think of compliance like the plumbing in a building: invisible when it works, catastrophic when it fails. Recruiters value junior lawyers who see regulation not as an abstract burden, but as a framework within which commercial solutions must be engineered.
Professional soft skills and Client-Facing capabilities
Technical excellence alone will not secure you a role; recruiters increasingly prioritise professional soft skills that signal you can build relationships, handle pressure, and act as a credible representative of the firm. Clients rarely distinguish between a “junior” and a “senior” when they receive an email or attend a meeting—they see a lawyer who either instils confidence or does not. As a result, firms expect junior legal candidates to demonstrate maturity, resilience, and a service-oriented mindset from the outset, even if your direct client exposure has so far been limited.
Communication skills for client interviews and conference calls
Clear, confident communication is at the heart of effective legal practice, and recruiters pay close attention to how you express yourself in writing and in person. In client interviews or calls, you need to be able to listen actively, ask focused questions, and summarise complex information without jargon. Even if you are not leading the meeting, your ability to take accurate notes, identify follow-up actions, and contribute relevant points when invited will be noticed. Recruiters often view interviews as a proxy for how you might perform in front of clients—are you concise, thoughtful, and responsive?
Written communication is equally important. Emails, attendance notes, and internal memos are all part of your professional “shop window”. Do you structure your messages logically, flag key issues clearly, and adapt your tone appropriately for different audiences? Think of good communication as translating legal complexity into a language your client speaks fluently. In interviews, use concrete examples—a difficult phone call handled professionally, or a time you clarified a confusing situation for a non-lawyer—to demonstrate that you can bridge the gap between law and lived experience.
Time management across multiple matters and billable hour targets
Modern practice demands that junior lawyers juggle multiple matters simultaneously while maintaining quality and hitting billable hour targets. Recruiters therefore probe your time management habits and your understanding of how law firms make money. Can you prioritise urgent tasks over important but less time-critical work? Do you break down complex assignments into manageable steps? Are you disciplined about recording time contemporaneously? These are not abstract questions—they directly affect profitability and client satisfaction.
When answering competency questions, move beyond generic statements like “I’m very organised.” Instead, describe specific techniques you use: maintaining a live to-do list categorised by deadline and importance, blocking focused time for drafting, or proactively updating supervisors when your workload reaches capacity. Analogise your workload management to air traffic control—several planes (matters) are always in the sky, and your job is to land each one safely without collisions. Candidates who show they can manage this balancing act, even through examples from part-time jobs, student leadership, or paralegal work, reassure recruiters that they will cope with the realities of practice.
Attention to detail in document review and due diligence exercises
Attention to detail is more than a cliché in legal recruitment; it is a survival skill. A misplaced comma in a contract or an overlooked clause in due diligence can have multi-million-pound consequences. Recruiters routinely test this competency through proofreading exercises, case studies, or dense bundles of documents requiring quick analysis. They are not just looking for perfectionism, but for a methodical approach—how do you check your work, how do you spot inconsistencies, and how do you escalate potential issues?
To evidence this skill, talk about specific examples where your careful review prevented an error or uncovered a key issue—a missed break clause in a lease summary, an inconsistent date in transaction documents, or a discrepancy between a witness’s account and contemporaneous records. Explain the system you use for checking work (for example, reviewing documents line by line, cross-referencing against instructions, or using checklists for standard forms). Think of attention to detail as the legal equivalent of quality control in engineering; recruiters want to know that anything bearing your name has been rigorously tested before it reaches a client or the court.
Commercial acumen understanding client business objectives
Beyond generic commercial awareness, recruiters seek evidence of genuine commercial acumen: the ability to align legal advice with a client’s strategic goals. This means understanding not only what the law says, but why the client cares. Is the client trying to enter a new market, streamline operations, raise capital, or manage reputational risk? The best junior lawyers can frame legal options in terms of cost, risk, timing, and competitive advantage, even if final decisions sit with partners and clients.
Demonstrating commercial acumen can be as simple as showing that you asked sensible questions during a deal or dispute: “What does success look like for this client?” or “Are we more concerned about speed or risk mitigation here?” If you have prior industry experience—whether in finance, tech, retail, or another sector—draw explicit connections between that background and your legal work. Recruiters are drawn to candidates who can act as translators between the client’s commercial priorities and the law firm’s technical expertise.
Extracurricular activities and legal market engagement
In a world where thousands of applicants meet the minimum academic and technical criteria, extracurricular activities often provide the crucial differentiator. Recruiters want to see how you have used your time outside formal study to engage with the legal market, develop transferable skills, and demonstrate sustained commitment to the profession. This is not about padding your CV with random societies; it is about curating a coherent story where your activities reflect genuine interests and emerging specialisms.
Law society membership and continuing professional development (CPD) records
Active involvement in university law societies, junior lawyer divisions, or specialist associations (such as the Young Legal Aid Lawyers or sector-specific groups) signals to recruiters that you take your professional development seriously. Attendance at lectures, workshops, and networking events provides both knowledge and contacts, but you need to move beyond passive participation. Have you organised events, chaired panels, or managed sponsorship relationships? These experiences demonstrate leadership, organisation, and the ability to work with senior practitioners—qualities highly valued by recruiters.
Even at a junior stage, you can begin to build an informal CPD record, noting seminars attended, webinars completed, and relevant certifications (for instance, introductory courses in data protection, fintech regulation, or project management). Treat this like a training log that shows your trajectory from student to practising lawyer. When you can point to a pattern of learning focused on your target practice area, recruiters gain confidence that you are not simply chasing any role, but intentionally building expertise in areas where their firm operates.
Pro bono work through LawWorks and volunteer legal clinics
Pro bono experience is one of the most powerful ways to demonstrate both commitment to the profession and practical legal skills. Whether through LawWorks clinics, university advice centres, Citizens Advice, or specialist charities, pro bono work exposes you to real clients, live problems, and the ethical responsibilities of practice. Recruiters know that candidates who have navigated sensitive client conversations, managed expectations, and balanced empathy with legal realism are often better prepared for the pressures of fee-earning work.
When describing pro bono experience, avoid vague statements about “helping vulnerable people” and instead focus on process and impact. How did you intake instructions, research the law, and explain options? Did you work under supervision to draft letters before action, assist with tribunal forms, or prepare evidence bundles? Pro bono may not always involve headline-grabbing cases, but for recruiters it is a strong indicator that you can handle responsibility, respond to human problems with professionalism, and manage the emotional aspects of legal practice.
Mooting competitions and legal essay prize achievements
Mooting, debating, and legal writing competitions remain classic indicators of advocacy and analytical ability, and recruiters still place considerable weight on strong performance in these areas. Success in prestigious moots or essay prizes demonstrates that you can research complex issues, construct persuasive arguments, and present them under pressure—skills directly transferable to litigation, advisory work, and negotiation. Even if you do not win, sustained involvement shows resilience and a willingness to be tested in competitive environments.
To make the most of these experiences in applications and interviews, move beyond listing competitions and focus on what you learned. Did mooting teach you how to think on your feet in response to judicial questioning? Did a writing prize push you to analyse an emerging area of law, such as AI regulation or ESG disclosures, which now features in firms’ client alerts? Think of these achievements as early publications or appearances on your professional CV. Recruiters are not only impressed by accolades; they are interested in how these experiences have shaped your approach to legal problem-solving.
Application materials and interview performance standards
Even the strongest profile can be undermined by poorly executed applications or underwhelming interview performance. Recruiters operate under significant time pressure and often make initial decisions based on minutes rather than hours of review. Your task is to make it as easy as possible for them to see your potential—through targeted, well-researched application materials and confident, reflective performance at each assessment stage. Think of the recruitment process as your first complex matter: you need a clear strategy, meticulous preparation, and the resilience to refine your approach in light of feedback.
Tailored cover letters demonstrating Firm-Specific research
Generic cover letters are one of the quickest ways to land your application in the rejection pile. Recruiters expect you to demonstrate a nuanced understanding of the firm’s practice mix, sector strengths, culture, and strategic direction. This means going beyond repeating website slogans and instead drawing on specific matters, client relationships, or recent initiatives (such as office openings, lateral hires, or diversity programmes) that genuinely resonate with your own interests and experience. If your cover letter could be sent to ten different firms with only the name changed, it is not tailored enough.
Effective cover letters follow a clear structure: why law, why this firm, and why you. Underpin each section with evidence—commercial news you have followed, events you have attended, or interactions you have had with the firm’s lawyers. Show that you understand how the firm positions itself in the market and how your skills and ambitions align with that positioning. Recruiters are looking for candidates who have chosen them deliberately, not simply as one more line in a mass mailing campaign.
Competency-based interview responses using STAR methodology
Competency-based interviews remain a staple of legal recruitment because they allow firms to compare candidates’ behaviours against defined benchmarks. Questions such as “Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult team member” or “Describe a situation where you had to work to a tight deadline” are designed to elicit concrete evidence of how you operate under pressure. The STAR methodology—Situation, Task, Action, Result—provides a simple framework to structure your answers and avoid rambling narratives that leave recruiters uncertain about your contribution.
To prepare, identify a bank of versatile examples from academic work, part-time employment, volunteering, and legal experience that showcase key competencies: teamwork, leadership, resilience, problem-solving, and ethical judgement. For each example, be ready to explain what you personally did, not just what the group achieved, and reflect briefly on what you learned. Think of STAR answers as mini case studies of your professional behaviour. Recruiters are less interested in perfection than in seeing self-awareness, accountability, and growth.
Assessment centre performance in written exercises and group tasks
Assessment centres bring together many of the competencies discussed above in an intense, time-limited environment. Written exercises test your ability to analyse information quickly, identify priorities, and communicate recommendations clearly and concisely. Group tasks evaluate how you collaborate—do you dominate, disappear, or contribute constructively? Recruiters observe not only what you say, but how you listen, build on others’ ideas, and steer the group towards a practical outcome. Remember, they are not recruiting individual stars who cannot function in teams; they are building departments that must operate smoothly under pressure.
To perform well, treat each task as you would a real piece of client work: clarify the objective, allocate time sensibly, and keep an eye on both detail and overall direction. In group discussions, aim to be a facilitator rather than a commander—invite quieter members to contribute, summarise progress, and help the team move from analysis to decision. In written tasks, focus on structure and prioritisation: an 80% answer delivered on time is more valuable than a perfect answer submitted late. Recruiters are ultimately looking for junior legal candidates who can be trusted with real responsibilities from day one, and assessment centres are their best simulation of that reality.