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Hi all,

I'm applying to the Trower & Hamlins Vac Scheme and feel torn between London and Manchester.

I like the idea of life in Manchester, but I also want to experience the 'London Trainee Lifestyle'!

Does anyone have any knowledge about the key differences between the 2 offices?


Thank YOU!!

Hello all,

I have a plagiarism case from uni 4 years ago and since then I have worked for 2 years at a law firm and I am due to start my TC end of this year after completing my SQE masters. I am able to provide a strong reference from my previous employer about my character as well as a few really positive reviews from past clients (hopefully another reference from new employer). I was wondering whether the SRA would be likely to refuse admission based on that previous academic misconduct case? It would have been 6 years by the time I apply and I know I would have to provide evidence of rehabilitation. I have learnt a lot from the situation and since then have been walking a tight rope and obsessed with being better. Has anyone been admitted after being found for plagiarism previously and am I in a really bad position?

Would appreciate any thoughts on this as I am really worried all the hard work will go down the drain!

Thanks guys

Hi all, I am struggling with the SJT. On multiple occasions, I received my feedback report saying I did just ok on every indicator, and that I would have had to answer "quite differently" to hit the mark. Let me give one example, I constantly get a 4/10 for innovative mindset (technology). Say for example, a question tells you there's this amazing technology that no one at the firm has used before. I would choose to raise this with someone above and see if they agree it's of good use, instead of just blindly applying it to my work. This has always been my approach to anything technology-wise. If it's all new and I'm not sure, I bring it up to someone to suggest using it first. Is that wrong? Would I have to choose the option of just using it without asking anybody for me to score highly?

@Ram Sabaratnam @Amma Usman @Andrei Radu

I was applying to MoFo and was wondering if you have any advice on approaching - 'please include any other information that you consider to be relevant to your application'. This question has no word limit and the application doesn't either. I do think somehow this question provides an opportunity to write anything broadly and including specific information here could help me get to the interview stage.

For context, there is already a 'why MoFo' question, 'commercial news story' question and question on personal achievements, interests and responsibilities {'why you'}. I assume most applicants would include anything from their hobbies or extracurricular activities to other motivations for why MoFo.

Do you have any suggestions as to what I should include to make my application more compelling?

I am a non law graduate currently working as a nurse and have been for 13 years. I am looking at career change. Any tips or advice? I've been looking at the graduate conversion MA course to do before the SQE1 and 2.

-

Does anyone have any recommendations for resources to understand a law firm's restructuring practice eg Weil, Milbank?

Would it be accurate to say that these larger firms with high fees are typically only brought in 1. closer in time to avoid formal insolvency by improving liquidity or 2. in preparation for formal insolvency proceedings once it becomes clear a company will go insolvent? As an extension, I heard that debt buybacks, equity cures, PIK interests, are transactions that take place earlier when a company is yet to be in major financial difficulties. If the answer to my initial question is yes, would this mean firms like Weil or Milbank wouldn't be as involved in those transactions?

Thank you

Hi everyone,

I am a final year law student at a university like Warwick/Manchester/Nottingham. My grades so far are low 2.2s in contact and tort, high 2.2s in employment law, land law, low 2.1s in criminal and legal theory, high 2.1 in public law and a first in another module. I also have A*A*A*A at A level

My grades work out to:
Y1 58
Y2 60

I have mitigating circumstances for both years. I also did an exchange year but it was pass/fail.

My experience so far includes spring weeks in IB, open days at law firms from national to us firms, first year program with a international law firm, audit work experience at big 4 (I’ve got the graduate offer starting in 2025). I am looking to apply to vacation schemes after I graduate in 2025 and hopefully bring my average up to around 64-67.

My questions are:

1)Would I held back by my lower grades in first and second year? Despite my mitigating circumstances

2)how would my experience in other areas like audit affect me? Would it be positive in the fact that I am building soft skills and interacting with listed clients? Or would it be seen negatively as it is not directly legal?

The list of firms I am considering are:

1. Freshfields
2. Linklaters
3. Ashurst
4. Simons & Simons
5. BCLP
6. Mayer brown
7. Macfarlanes
8. Travers smith
9. Herbert smith freehills
10. Reed smith
11. Jones day
12. White and case
13. Winston strawn
14. Hogan lovells
15. A&O Sherman

I am aiming to narrow down this list but it’s just a rough guide for now.

Hi
I'm applying to the BCLP Real Estate TC and I was wondering what things I should highlight doing it. I have decent GCSE grades, slightly bad A-Levels and am averaging a 69% going into my final year (Non-Law at RG). In addition to that, I obtained my CeMAP over the summer so I could better understand real estate financing. Please give me any pointers and tips. Thank You

Hi everyone,
I am an international student, just completed my LLM and in the process of applying for paralegal positions. I hope I can find a mentor who can help me during the process. I have contacted my university's career service, tailored my CV according to the job descriptions but still haven't received any positive response. Therefore, I hope I can find someone who can help me with the process, provide guidance so that I can land my dream job.
I would appreciate any guidance or advice that will help increase my chance of landing the role.
Thank you!

Hello, I have just got a conditional offer from UCL for a LLM. I have until 10/1/2025 to accept the offer. However, I am still waiting for the response from LSE. I submitted both applications in late Nov this year. In this case, should I contact LSE directly to follow up on the progress status while accept UCL’s offer? Or should I keep waiting? Is it possible to extend the offer deadline from your experience?

Would be grateful if you guys can share your experience. Thank yoh!

Hi Everyone, I am applying to PMC this year and this is one of their questions:
How would you leverage your skills and experiences to add value to Penningtons Manches Cooper? (Max. 250 words)
Any advice on how to go about answering it?

Hi,

Can anyone provide advice for the Fieldfisher DAS AC? There is a written exercise and interview! Any advice will be highly appreciated! Feel free to PM me too if you prefer

Hi everyone. I was doing the All About Law free Watson Glaser practice test and there are some answers that I don't understand. Has anyone done it as well and has found the answers inexplicable or are the answers all reasonable? Thanks

Could I ask for some advice on Weil VI? What kind of questions do they usually ask? I have terrible stage fright whenever doing HVs or VIs and usually only do well when the firms allow re-record (my first takes are usually not very good).

I have PTSD from getting rejected from this stage by Weil two years back when I was a first year going for their Fast Track scheme. Recently, when I asked a Weil trainee at a graduate fair about advice, he insinuated that you have to be pretty dim to fail the VI (LOL - no, I didn't mention that I had failed it before haha).

Please help a person out. This is the only success I've had from a sea of PFOs this cycle.

Hi,
I am an international student in the UK on a student visa and following a spring VS, was fortunate to secure a TC with a US firm in my penultimate LLB year (in June 2024). After finishing my final LLB year in June 2025, I start my SQE with BPP in Sept 2025, followed by 2 year TC commencing in Sept 2026. Can someone who has gone through a similar journey answer following questions:
1. My final year LLB results will be declared around first week of July 2025. When do I apply for the new student visa for my sponsored SQE? Do I have to wait for my final uni results or can I apply as soon as exams are over in May? How long did it take for your SQE visa to come through? Is it ok to travel outside UK after the exam and come back in July for visa application OR should I stay put in the UK during summer?
2. What is the usual start date for the BPP SQE course in September ? Given the intensity of the SQE exam, should I be studying anything during summer vacation ? If so, what material you recommend?

Any other finer considerations for student visa extension and SQE will be appreciated.

Thanks.

Hi has anyone done the VI for DAC Beachcroft?

Hey guys. I just did my Interviewing and advising assessment. I think I did terrible. I didn't take note of the VAT and cost and gave a number that was £10 higher than the actual cost. I also stuttered a bit throughout my interview. For some questions I asked, the client replied "As I said ...". This got me thinking that I might be redoing this interviewing assessment in the future. In all honesty I prepped a bit late which I know I shouldn't have done.

Could someone please explain how many resits we get in the LPC? The dates for the resits and how much we have to pay for the resits and any other relevant information. Thank you

hi does anyone have any tips for passing the kennedys SST test?

Hi all, I’ve been progressed to the next stage of Skadden’s assessment process- the written assessment. I’d greatly appreciate any tips or guide on what to expect, format Etc.

Thanks all

I’m graduating from university in June, and although I’ve done well academically so far (I'm at a good university, and I've got good grades), it’s looking likely (for various reasons) that I’m not going to have a training contract at a commercial law firm lined up by the time I leave university.

I’m currently trying to work out what the best course of action is (immediately after graduation) if I don’t graduate with a training contract – at the moment, I’ve narrowed it down to two broad choices: (1) doing the SQE in some form, or (2) doing some work as a paralegal. Obviously, with either option (1) or (2), I’ll be applying to firms for vacation schemes and/or training contracts at the same time as working/studying (as the case may be).

Out of these two options, what would you guys say would be the best thing to do, in order to be in the best position in which I can be vis-à-vis future vac scheme/training contract applications?

Also, would you say that it’s advisable to do at the SQE (at least in some form) in order to even be able to land a paralegal role at a decent firm (and if so, would it be enough to just do the SQE1 in the short term, rather than the whole SQE1&2 LLM option)?

If I don’t graduate with a training contract, then in an ideal world, I’d quite like to do some work as a paralegal after graduation (not least because the various SQE options, if self-funded, are quite expensive!), but I thought it best to get the benefit of your advice.

If you can give any pointers, I’d be really grateful!

@Jessica Booker @Jaysen

Hello everyone! I'm currently doing my LLM at NUS in Singapore after having finished my LLB in the UK this year.

Posting my daily progress here, just to keep myself accountable throughout this so very tiring process as a student applying from outside the UK ‍

No luck so far, with PFOs from:
Clifford Chance
Pinsent Masons Direct TC
A&O Shearman Direct TC

Waiting to hear back from:
- CMS TC (London) - submitted 28/11, received WG on 29/11 [AHHH hoping for VI soon, but I also hate VIs]
- Linklaters Singapore-London TC [honestly don't think I met the requirements (studying in the UK) ahah, but applied anyway]
- Slaughter & May TC - submitted 29/11
- Mayer Brown TC - submitted 30/10

It doesn't help that applying for most vacation schemes is now ruled out for me ahah. But I'm more frustrated because every year, I tell myself that I will work on submitting my applications early. And every year, something gets in the way. NUS this year has been 10x more rigorous than studying in the UK, and its been so difficult to dedicate time to this because of submissions and exams every week for the past two months. BUT, hoping to be really productive this winter break! Hopefully, this tardiness won't cost me...

️ This week, I'm aiming to submit:
- Reed Smith Summer VS
- Sidley Summer VS
- Macfarlanes Summer VS
- Hogan Lovells Direct TC

Note: Trying to also get my sleep schedule together at the same time lol, so going to try and avoid burning that late night oil so I can be productive during the day instead

Hi! I have just been invited to complete a written exercise and a video interview with Dechert. Honestly, this is the stage where I usually struggle and often face rejection. I was wondering if anyone has insights into what the process might involve, what the questions might be, or any tips and tricks to help me approach it with more confidence? I could not find anything even in the premium database.

Here are some of mine:

• forms with mandatory fields that shouldn't be mandatory (I didn't do an SQE prep course, stop asking me)
• errors in underlying data feeds that the suppliers refuse to fix (e.g., missing schools)
• brittle in-house application systems which ask lots of questions but flake out during submission
• third-party application systems that have you re-enter identical data for multiple firms
• ridiculous recruitment games testing sub <100ms reaction times and claiming this represents your ability to work under pressure
• spelling mistakes and other errors in the third-party recruitment tests
• having all 3000 applicants go through multiple involved stages of computerised application before a human even looks at it
• not replying to applications at all, or till after the relevant date (e.g., the vacation scheme start date)
• seeing the same right/wrong test questions being used for multiple law firms
• zero feedback/indication of whether you passed or failed the computerised test

This is my first time posting here, so I apologise if my question is properly aligned with forum's focus. I'm currently navigating vacation scheme applications and came across Linklaters' process, which really stood out to me. For those who may not be familiar, their application does not include any traditional-essay style questions. Instead, it simply requires you to complete a situational judgement test and the Watson Glaser.

I found this approach to be quite a refreshing change compared to many other firms, and I was wondering if anyone else had encountered a similar application process with any other firm out there? I've been searching haven't come across anything that does not also require an essay question so far. Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated, thanks!