Mishcon de Reya has announced that for its 2026 graduate recruitment season, it will be trialling Bright Apply — a brand-new AI-powered candidate screening solution developed by graduate careers platform Bright Network — marking both the firm’s first use and the technology’s debut. Bright Apply is designed to transform the recruitment process for both applicants and talent teams.
Bright Apply uses information from candidates' applications to start a conversation, resulting in a tailored interview for all applicants and allowing candidates the opportunity to showcase their potential. Instead of writing a long application form, candidates take part in a virtual interview where they can expand on their experiences, motivations, and why Mishcon de Reya is the right fit. This process produces a transcript, with each transcript carefully reviewed by the firm's team. The Early Careers team continue to make all screening decisions.
So far, feedback on the platform has been positive. Almost three quarters of students gave the experience 4 or 5 out of 5 in an anonymous survey, while over 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.'
The flexible nature of the interview takes into account requirements from many different applicants, and is based on feedback from Bright Network’s extensive experience of working with students and graduates. The interview is untimed and has multiple practice elements, so candidates are comfortable with the interface and given a fair opportunity to showcase their potential, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity.
The use of this brand new technology ties in with the firm’s 2030 Vision to embrace AI, as part of a broader transformation that touches on every aspect of the firm, from client experience to internal efficiency.
Tom Wicksteed, Early Careers Manager at Mishcon de Reya, said:
“We are really excited to be partnering with Bright Apply on this new tool which will help us to get to know our candidates better at an earlier stage. As a tech-focused and tech-enabled firm we are keen to embrace AI where it can improve candidates' experience.
"The Bright Apply tool puts candidates at the heart of the process, giving them a better chance to show us who they are and what they are able to bring to our firm, at an earlier stage of the process. Our candidates will be 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 recruiters to make more informed decisions at an early stage of the process."
Mishcon de Reya’s participation demonstrates its dedication to adopting innovative practices that streamline responsible recruitment processes and that are inclusive, personal and empowering. Through this partnership, Mishcon de Reya and Bright Network aim to set a new standard for inclusive, efficient graduate recruitment, where technology supports recruiters and candidates equally.
Kirsten Barnes, CEO of Bright Network, commented:
“AI is transforming recruitment. Drawing on our experience, we've designed designed a tool that improves the process for both applicants and recruiters, using advanced machine learning to identify authentic, high-potential candidates from a large pool in a fair, transparent, and data-driven way. Crucially, this technology enhances human judgment, rather than replacing it, making it easier to focus on potential and talent instead of getting lost in the volume of applications.