TCLA General Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Hi, just wondering if anyone knows rough dates firm release LPC grants if you are doing accelerated LPC?

There won’t be a specific date across firms. You should speak to your firm and ask when it will be paid as different firms have different policies/processes on this.

It’s a very reasonable question to ask so I really would worry about asking.

 

[Jooooopp7]

Does anyone know whether MoFo will be changing to the SQE for the 2023 or 2024 cohort?? can't seem to find anything about it online!

 

[manchester12]

Does anyone know the name of the spelling/grammer book wrote by a magic circle lawyer? I cant find the name and really want it!

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Does anyone know the name of the spelling/grammer book wrote by a magic circle lawyer? I cant find the name and really want it!

Is it the Ben Staveley one? I only know this as I worked with Ben and benefitted massively from his advice on writing and I have a copy of this which I regularly refer to even now

Faultless Grammar: The Busy Lawyer's Reminder Guide: Amazon.co.uk: 9781999745202: Books

 

[manchester12]

Is it the Ben Staveley one? I only know this as I worked with Ben and benefitted massively from his advice on writing and I have a copy of this which I regularly refer to even now

Faultless Grammar: The Busy Lawyer's Reminder Guide: Amazon.co.uk: 9781999745202: Books

Thank you, that was it! Ive just ordered it. Do you think it will help with my vac scheme?

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Thank you, that was it! Ive just ordered it. Do you think it will help with my vac scheme?

I think it just helps in general rather than for vacation schemes specifically. It won't really cover how to structure documents etc - it is purely a grammar book that tells you the correct way of writing and the common ways in which things are written incorrectly, and therefore what's the proper way the write certain words and phrases.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

For any non-UK students/graduates in our community....

This has been kept super quiet by the UK Government, but a new visa launches at the end of this month called the High Potential Individual visa.

It allows anyone who has studied at a university that ranks highly in global rankings (top 50 in two or more of the recognised ranking systems) to obtain a visa and live in the UK for up to 2 years (3 years if you have studied at a PhD level).

The good thing about the visa is that it doesn't require you to be sponsored by an employer, meaning there is no cost to the employer to hire you. The downside though is that you have to cover the costs yourself (£715 + healthcare surcharge). If your degree was not studied in English, then you also need to show you have passed a B1 level of a recognised language test.

You also don't need a job lined up. Your visa effectively allows you to come to the UK to do whatever you want during that time.

Unsurprisingly there is a huge lack of information from the UK Government on this at the moment - only a list of the universities you need to have studied at (and you have to look at the year you graduated from that school) - High Potential Individual visa: global universities list - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). However, you may want to look at something like this that explains the visa in a little more detail: New U.K. High Potential Individual Visa (HPI) - SBNRI

 

[TCApp2021]

Is maintenance grant usually provided in one go? Also when do you usually get it?
Thanks!

 

[HopefulFutureTrainee]

Is maintenance grant usually provided in one go? Also when do you usually get it?
Thanks!

hey! if this is related to the grants from the firms, my firm provides it in two instalments - one around September and one in December. Hope this helps!

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Is maintenance grant usually provided in one go? Also when do you usually get it?
Thanks!

Either in one or two payments, usually in the month your course starts and if there is a second payment, then halfway through the course.

I'd speak to your firm to get exact details - its a very common question and so not an issue at all for asking.

 

[TCApp2021]

hey! if this is related to the grants from the firms, my firm provides it in two instalments - one around September and one in December. Hope this helps!

Either in one or two payments, usually in the month your course starts and if there is a second payment, then halfway through the course.

I'd speak to your firm to get exact details - its a very common question and so not an issue at all for asking.

Thanks!

 

[George Maxwell]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I have signed a TC offer with a US law firm and I am very excited to begin the PGDL in September. However, I have faced some extenuating circumstances this year which means that I am considering delaying one of my exams to be sat in August, with final results coming in mid-September. As my TC offer stipulates that I must provide evidence of achieving 2.1 in my undergraduate degree, does delaying my exam prevent me from starting the PGDL? Could I lose my TC offer over this?

Would be so grateful for your insight, so sorry if this is a silly question!

Hey @ila-ultra,

You may well have sorted this already! I hope so. I just wanted to add that my approach to questions like this is always to ask the firm directly. Ultimately this isn't within your control and the firm is not going to punish you for it(!). I also don't think that this should prohibit you from starting the PGDL honestly. Interested to know if it would, but from memory BPP (where I did the PGDL) didn't require me to submit my results when I applied for the PGDL (I could have put 'predicted' rather than 'obtained'). So this really would be a question of the firm being uncomfortable with you starting without having already achieved the requisite 2.1 which I think is unlikely!

Hope that helps! As I said though, I think it is probable that you have sorted this already! So I hope that things worked out ok 🚀

Is maintenance grant usually provided in one go? Also when do you usually get it?
Thanks!

Hey @TCApp2021,

This varies between firms I think. I was paid in 3 instalments for the PGDL, but am receiving it in two for the LPC! Just ask the firm that it would be helpful for financial planning purposes etc. - it's completely reasonable to ask as Jess said

 

[dg_burnham]

When answering a 'tell us about a time you showed resilience', do you guys use the STAR/CAR format, or do you just describe the situation? I get the impression that it's one of those questions that you can't easily demonstrate steps that show resilience since it's something that is innate.

 

[S87]

When answering a 'tell us about a time you showed resilience', do you guys use the STAR/CAR format, or do you just describe the situation? I get the impression that it's one of those questions that you can't easily demonstrate steps that show resilience since it's something that is innate.

I prefer describing a situation by using STAR but I might be wrong!

 

[S87]

I am currently applying for a new job and need to show my experience in shipping which I have but it is a bit dated (2016-2017)
Can I just mention the companies and write "Interned at various shipping firms working on dry shipping contentious and non-contentious matters and wet shipping international arbitration"?
P.S. my CV is already 2 pages long

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

When answering a 'tell us about a time you showed resilience', do you guys use the STAR/CAR format, or do you just describe the situation? I get the impression that it's one of those questions that you can't easily demonstrate steps that show resilience since it's something that is innate.

This should follow a STAR format (or CAR depending on which is your preference). You can show resilience in how you reacted (your actions) and also how you developed (the result/reflection).

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

I am currently applying for a new job and need to show my experience in shipping which I have but it is a bit dated (2016-2017)
Can I just mention the companies and write "Interned at various shipping firms working on dry shipping contentious and non-contentious matters and wet shipping international arbitration"?
P.S. my CV is already 2 pages long

I’d probably adjust my CV to get the entry in if it’s important to the role you are applying to (even if it is old). Removing something less relevant or reducing other entries down could help you add it in.

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Random question - do we have any UCL Law Students/recent grads in the community?

I want to ask a massive favour and see if someone has some time to meet with our work experience student, Maddie, sometime this week. Maddie is keen to apply to UCL to read Law in 2023, and I'd love for her to chat to someone on Zoom about their experiences. Alternatively, if anyone is still on campus and might be able to spare 30 minutes to show us around on Thursday, that would be even more helpful!

Feel free to PM me if you think you could help. Happy to return the favour in some form (1-2-1 call, an application review or a mini mock interview).

 

[S87]

Random question - do we have any UCL Law Students/recent grads in the community?

I want to ask a massive favour and see if someone has some time to meet with our work experience student, Maddie, sometime this week. Maddie is keen to apply to UCL to read Law in 2023, and I'd love for her to chat to someone on Zoom about their experiences. Alternatively, if anyone is still on campus and might be able to spare 30 minutes to show us around on Thursday, that would be even more helpful!

Feel free to PM me if you think you could help. Happy to return the favour in some form (1-2-1 call, an application review or a mini mock interview).

@Adrian_S might be able to help?!

 

[TC fiend]

Random question - do we have any UCL Law Students/recent grads in the community?

I want to ask a massive favour and see if someone has some time to meet with our work experience student, Maddie, sometime this week. Maddie is keen to apply to UCL to read Law in 2023, and I'd love for her to chat to someone on Zoom about their experiences. Alternatively, if anyone is still on campus and might be able to spare 30 minutes to show us around on Thursday, that would be even more helpful!

Feel free to PM me if you think you could help. Happy to return the favour in some form (1-2-1 call, an application review or a mini mock interview)

I did my LLM at UCL (2018-2019) - not very helpful in terms of studying there as an undergraduate but I do know the campus quite well. In case you need a back up