Overseas Law Degree Graduate - How to Demonstrate a Commitment to Working in London?

[intllawstudent]

Hi everyone, thanks again for all the help I have seen on the forums so far!

I am a fresh graduate out of an overseas law degree (common law), but am interested in commencing a TC in London. I have completed a law exchange programme during my uni in the UK so this goes heavily towards showing my interest in London.

The general understanding I get from talking with recruiters at law fairs is that for overseas law students like me (i.e. not international students who actually studied law in the UK), the biggest difficulty they have is seeing the commitment to work in London.

I guess my question is, how does one show the "commitment to London" without going off-topic in application questions? The issue is application questions frequently ask "why XYZ firm", which doesn't really factor in "why London?" (the part that seems implicit already).

I can understand, because firms spend lots of resources in recruitment and we may be considered a "gamble". And international students who studied law in the UK certainly have their niche of e.g. language skills, foreign experience with the additional benefit that they do not need to do a PGDL/ am already familiar with English law.

International firms do recruit in my home jurisdiction but I am really thinking of a TC in London.

I do see quite some people from non-UK jurisdictions joining law fairs so I thought it'll be helpful to start a thread so anyone can see too.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi everyone, thanks again for all the help I have seen on the forums so far!

I am a fresh graduate out of an overseas law degree (common law), but am interested in commencing a TC in London. I have completed a law exchange programme during my uni in the UK so this goes heavily towards showing my interest in London.

The general understanding I get from talking with recruiters at law fairs is that for overseas law students like me (i.e. not international students who actually studied law in the UK), the biggest difficulty they have is seeing the commitment to work in London.

I guess my question is, how does one show the "commitment to London" without going off-topic in application questions? The issue is application questions frequently ask "why XYZ firm", which doesn't really factor in "why London?" (the part that seems implicit already).

I can understand, because firms spend lots of resources in recruitment and we may be considered a "gamble". And international students who studied law in the UK certainly have their niche of e.g. language skills, foreign experience with the additional benefit that they do not need to do a PGDL/ am already familiar with English law.

International firms do recruit in my home jurisdiction but I am really thinking of a TC in London.

I do see quite some people from non-UK jurisdictions joining law fairs so I thought it'll be helpful to start a thread so anyone can see too.

You have got a connection to the UK if you have lived here, even if it was for a relatively short period of time. You are not the typical international applicant who hasn't studied in the UK - you have.

You don't necessarily need to cover "why London/the UK" in a "why this firm" question - it could also work well in the "why commercial law" answer instead, or be covered in an "extra information" question if the application form has one.

One hint I give is to try and reference why the longer term career, rather than just the training contract, is appealing to you with that firm. Also try to focus on the work/clients in London rather than talking about the firm's work more broadly. Finally, you can reference what a career in London will give you that a career in your home country won't.