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Would love some tips

Hi everyone
I've been invited to a couple of ACs for vac schemes (DLA and Slaughters) and I was wondering if anyone could help out with the case studies, where the websites/old interview databases say that you have to come up with a strategy for a business to expand or improve profits. How do I practise this type of study best? Thank you

Hi all,

What it says in the title. Offer has been received and accepted. Final contract won't be sent and signed until nearer my start date.

Have read firm may be in merger talks. What can I expect if the merger goes ahead? Am I at any risk of losing the TC, or anything like that if it does? Obviously aware this is early stages and hypothetical.

Thanks.

Hello!

I have a TC which I am down to start in Feb 2024.
I've just been asked by my law firm to decide if I want to start my LPC early (Jan 2023) or do it with my cohort in July 2023.

Obviously, it would be most preferable to start in July with my entry cohort so I can get to know everybody better and feel more integrated.
On the other hand, July 2023 is 9 months away and I'm slightly worried that I'll forget everything from my GDL (which I finished June this year) and my brain will just lose momentum.

Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks!

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for some general career/prospectus advice.
For the background: I'm foreign so I studied abroad up until my first degree which I did in UK. I got weak grades in secondary school and high school and got a 2:2 in my first undergrad.
However, then I went on to work in the industry I had my degree in and spent a few years working there. It was a good role, as it was a fast-paced environment and it gave me a lot of responsibility.
Then I decided I want to do law instead. I enrolled to do an LLB and finished with a high 2:1. I started my LPC in Sep this year and I'm currently doing well. On top of this I have accounting qualifications I did during my LLB to strengthen my chances in getting a TC.

I keep getting rejected left and right from TC applications at the application stage. I worked on my application writing technique and I had at least some hopes for the most recent application but got rejected again.
I'm losing hope as to whether I should pursue a career as a solicitor. I'm much older than most of my colleagues (I'm going to be 29 in May) and seeing that I keep getting rejected from TC starting in 2-3 years makes me recalibrate my future. Maybe this is the moment for me to finally realise that a career in law is not intended for me?

Hello everyone,

I am currently a final-year non-law student at UCL hoping to get a training contract this year. Most of the firms I am applying to are US firms or firms with opportunities for (multiple) seats in disputes, although I am throwing in some others too.

I have already started my applications, and have submitted 4, two for winter vacation schemes and two for spring/summer schemes. I managed to get to the first stage interview for one of these firms but got a PFO soon after, although I think there might have been a bit of unconscious self-sabotage in that one as I found something out about the firm after applying that made me really not want to work there!

I am hoping to submit at least 3 more applications that I have started working on already by the end of next week - Akin Gump, Debevoise & Plimpton and Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Some of these have really long applications so that's a rough goal but I've got a lot of university work coming up so it would be good to get these out of the way as they are some of my top options!

Hi everyone, I'm Chloe and I'm a law graduate from Cardiff Uni (graduated in 2019). I am currently working at Herbert Smith Freehills in their Global Arbitration department in a PTA role but I'm really looking (PRAYING) to secure a TC this year now. From past legal experience my favored area of law is catastrophic injury, but I'm keeping an open mind. This is my first year of really trying to get a TC as I had planned to go travelling after University but due to Covid everything got delayed and ultimately didn't go ahead. Good luck with all of your TC applications!

Hi everyone,

I am currently interviewing and attending AC's for law firms and have been dealing with the following:

English is not my native language but I am fairly confident in being fluent in it. I studied Law in the UK and use English every single day. Nonetheless, I always feel slightly distant from other candidates or the interviewers in that I obviously do not have a proper British/American/Australian etc. accent. I sometimes slightly mispronounce words, or rather, I do not have the same intonation or word stress that British people use. Maybe Impostor syndrome, language-wise, is the correct term?

Given the importance of communication and first impression in the profession, I always assume that this is a disadvantage for me. Am I wrong to assume so? Anyone else dealt/dealing with this?

Thanks !

Hi all

Apologies if this has been discussed previously.

Im currently a paralegal at a national law firm in the serious injury department. Its been a valuable experience and I have enjoyed it amd gained new skills and insight. whilst I am leaning towards corporate law, im considering looking for a job in a different industry whilst applying for training contracts.

This is my first cycle since finishing my conversion course in 2020, mostly due a lack of confidence. im more motivated than ever and will be applying in every cycle from now on. Would leaving the sector be detrimental? i understand I can sell it as making me a more rounded candidate. would this be received well or would it be a mark against my application?

my main reasons are financial but also to see if there are particular industries I would like my legal career to be focussed on. As I never left home during university, I feel like its time for new surroundings as well. Im open to new paralegal roles, however they dont pay too much and I am looking for something different, provided it doesn't hinder my applications.

many thanks

Hus

Hi. Has anyone done a “business simulation exercise” as part of an AC? What does it entail?

I am currently a paralegal at Allen & Overy and have made an application for the training contract this year. I want to spend time preparing and reading commercial news and preparing for the assessment centre, hoping to get an assessment centre invitation.

Hi!

I am wondering if anyone could share what their Freshfields AC group exercise looked like.

Thanks in advance!

Hey guys. I was thinking about applying to Flex Legal for paralegal roles, but I have a few questions:

How much experience do they desire?

What type of training is provided?

Is the SQE/LPC required?

hello everyone ! i'm a fresh graduate in law in italy (bachelor degree)
I would love to start next year the path to become solicitor in uk. my goal is to build the best curriculum studiorum expendable in uk job market, and in line with my interests. Following this logic I would ask you:

1. it is better to attend a PDGL or an LLM conversion course (I know it is a different expense, but fortunately I have some money aside and a convention from my government). I’m interested to know: which law firms consider better between the two ?

2. I would then take a master’s in technology law or business law. can be useful to improve the curriculum, as a path of specialization ( a little like in Italy) or in the UK is considered superfluous ? It makes more sense to do it after the pdgl, right?

3. if I chose to do this master outside ( for example in Holland) to return, given the visa, I would necessarily need to enroll in a sq1 preparation course or do you think it is possible at that point to find a CT from outside ?

4. the Master taken abroad or, in general, a course of study also made of an 'experience abroad' (master) is well considered by law firms in uk, or do you think it is better to do it in uk ?

5. after the master, if I did not find the traning contract from abroad and to return I was forced to enroll in a course, ( visa ) is it better to support the sqe 1 and 2 preparation course or the LLM practical course ? or can I still get a visa to come back and look for a CT?

I apologize to everyone if the questions may seem irrelevant or silly. I come from a very different legal country and with a very different job market, and it would be really helpful to have the perspective of those who are already there and are doing / have done this path.
thank you very much to everyone

Hi all,

I am currently a Paralegal, looking to secure a Training Contract.
I completed a Vac Scheme in 2020, but failed to convert it to a TC. After that, I took a break from applying in 2021, and used that time to really research firms and try to tackle each part of the application process.

For the 2022-2023 recruitment cycle, I have:
1) Submitted 3 Winter Vac Scheme Applications
2) 4 firms that I'm applying to for Spring Vac Schemes for and 3 firms that I'm applying to for Summer Vac Schemes.

For this cycle, if I don't manage to secure a TC, I'd at least like to get past the application stage again and make it onto an Assessment Center or secure another Vacation Scheme.

I have 4 goals over the next 7 days:
1) Submit DLA Piper Summer VS application
2) Finish Herbert Smith Freehills Spring VS application
3) Begin drafting Norton Rose Fulbright Spring VS application
4) Complete at least 50% of the TCLA Class: 'Develop your Commercial Awareness: Understand the City, the Financial Markets & More'

Looking forward to seeing what the year brings!

Just an introduction to myself, I’m currently a penultimate year law student at the University of Bristol applying for vac schemes this application cycle! I aim to apply to 5-6 law firms for vac schemes and most of the firms that I am applying to have non-rolling deadlines. The firms that I am focusing on are Magic Circle law firms, international law firms with a structured & formal training during TC as well as international law firms with sector focus in media&entertainment to explore my interests in media& entertainment!

Current progress:
- Drafting an application for Reed Smith
- Preparing for an AC with A&O
- I’m going to work on a cover letter/personal statement for Freshfields this weekend.
- attending events to gain deeper understanding of each firm

Hello!
I'm Canadian, who is currently undertaking my Juris Doctor in Australia. However I'd like to move to England after my degree and practice law there. I'm also planning on doing the GDLP program, which is the practical legal training (i.e. the work experience) so effectively I'll be a fully qualified lawyer in Australia when I move to England. I'll have an international law degree, and only a few weeks of legal training, but I will be officially qualified as a lawyer, so I'm wondering what steps I'll need to take.

Thanks!

hello everyone! my name is Tommaso. in Italy i just got my bachelor's degree in law. I am really very interested in starting the journey to become a solicitor in the UK, so here I am. thanks for accepting me.

Hi everyone,

My name is Shaz and I graduated law back in 2019 and since then have been a Paralegal at the Serious Fraud Office, Norton Rose Fulbright and presently at the Finacial Conduct Authority.

I was able to secure my first ever vacation scheme this year at a small US firm but didn't get the TC offer.(However not to upset by this as the firm seemed very toxic but it has made me realise the importance of finding a firm reflecting the right cultures).

I definitely am struggling to find a balance between preparing for applications and working full time. I feel like its a separate job in itself and have faced burnout from trying to keep up with the research, application questions, assessments and interviews.

I'd appreciate any tips from anyone who can relate!

Look forward to hearing any responses!

Hi everyone,

So I am an international student who studied at a Non- RG university (got a mid 2.1) and now doing my LLM at a top RG university. I am currently losing all hope in getting a TC as all the firms that sponsor visa tends to only hire Russel Group graduates. I have decent a-levels (A*, A*, A- when to a Non- RG due to financial reasons). I have close to two years of legal experience working back in my home country, it was an outsourcing firm, therefore I did work for UK law firms. Is there any hope of me getting a TC and is there any international students who didn't go RG that got a TC? Is there any other career paths a law student can go for and with firms that sponsor visa?

Would appreciate any help.

Ashour's Journey to a TC

I'm glad to be joining TCLA today and Kick start my plan to a TC as of today
I'll be applying to NRF, CMS and Ashurst with the latter being my first choice
I planned my application and chose deadlines to each app
NRF = 10th of NOV
CMS= 25th of NOV
Ashurst= 15th of DEC
in the coming week I'll kick off with VEs and TCLA courses and how to write a proper application....

Thanks TCLA on the encouragement to take such step!

I’m currently in my second year and applying for vacation schemes at law firms (my top 3 being HSF, Linklaters and Eversheds Sutherland).

I’ve begun drafting my application for HSF and Eversheds as of right now and hope to submit them and my Linklaters application by mid-November

Hey!

I'm Aks; here's my first post about the active steps I'm taking towards getting a TC. Hopefully this is one step closer to being more accountable with my journey!

I'm a second-year LLB student at Queen Mary, I've worked in the fintech legal space in Dubai, and I'm involved with an interesting tech project at the moment (more about me on my Linkedin: www.akskhurana.com - happy to connect with any applicants.) I'm also a Latham & Watkins Brand Ambassador, so if anyone needs any Latham application help - shout! (more about Latham's FY schemes / vac schemes / TCs are available here: http://ocply.co/lw22-qmul-_app)

Goals for October (Next two weeks)

1. Draft my "Why Commercial Law" and "Extracurriculars" answer after going through the TCLA Application course
2. Perfect my work experience section, using the whole 250 words and drawing out points clearly
3. Complete my first application after a networking meeting next week, and send it in by the end of the month

Setting my reminder to update this thread by next Friday!

Aks

Hi everyone,

As an introduction, I graduated from studying law at the University of Kent and am currently undertaking my LPC @ BPP University. As far as areas of interest, I have a preference for corporate-natured work. However, I understand that it is best to remain open-minded and not be too definite in my perceptions of my career.

I was late to the application scene. In my second year of university, I attended one open day and did not apply for any VS. However, in my third year, I was happy to participate in eight open days and go on to apply for several VS. Sadly, it didn't pan out. Nevertheless, this year will represent my second year of applying for VS and perhaps DTC, and I have faith I may go one step further than last year.

This year, I have selected my firms primarily on three criteria:
a. Friendly Culture
b. Smaller Trainee intake (10-30)
c. On the Job Training Model with some elements of workshop development

I hope to submit approximately 10 VS applications in the coming month, and I hope to progress to at least 2 VS and hopefully to a TC for one of these firms!

Regarding my weekly goals, hopefully, by next week (26/10/22), I will have achieved the following:
a. Submission of two VS applications
b. Finalise my CV
c. Draft eight 90-second-long video interview question answers

Looking forward to checking in next week!

Has anyone got their presentation dates yet? Or has anyone got any idea what they're doing re the Presentation