I appreciate the sentiment within your message. But my thought process isn't based on a single person's success. It's a view which I've developed across multiple application cycles (after seeing who makes it, and who doesn't).
I'd say that around 40-45% of my LLB cohort landed a role in commercial law prior to (or immediately after) graduating from university. In stark contrast, I've also seen some very bright people return to their home countries because they were unable to land a TC. And, these people didn't return home because they were incapable of becoming a commercial solicitor – they were effectively forced to return because they couldn't impress graduate recruitment.
This application cycle, I've written some of my best applications ever. I have only applied to firms which specialise (or have strengths) in the areas of law I am passionate about. I've had my applications reviewed by future/current trainees at the firms I've applied to. Their feedback has been very positive. These applications have been tailored, specific to the firm, and have demonstrated my knowledge/interest/experiences. Yet, for the vast majority of applications I've made, I haven't even been invited to a second stage.
The simple fact is that, while my grades are decent, my experiences aren't that impressive. You had a vac scheme before you secured a TC at a top US firm. My experience is limited to open days and the subjects I studied at university. I promise you, no matter how hard I try to spin the experiences I have, I won't be as successful as you without a great deal of luck.
If I can chime in, I just want to broaden the perspective a little, because what you’re describing is honestly very common.
It’s completely normal not to have anything secured before graduating, even though it can feel like you're falling behind when you see people around you succeeding. However, I personally know many people who only secured training contracts
after graduating. I’m one of them. I came to the UK for an LLM with absolutely no UK law firm experience and still managed to secure a TC after completing my degree.
After my first two rejections, I realised I was becoming really stressed and couldn’t keep up with both my studies and constant applications. Everyone around me was applying to countless firms, but that approach just wasn’t working for me. When I was almost done with my degree, I took a step back, waited until I had less academic pressure (though I was definitely stressed about my visa timeline), and focused properly on the
quality of my application rather than the volume. That’s when things finally clicked.
In my final-stage interview, the other candidates were a mix of final-year students, people who had paralegalled for a few years, consultants, and career-changers. It really reinforced for me that there isn’t one “right” timeline. If you don’t secure a vac scheme, there are still plenty of other ways to build relevant experience that firms value.
There are genuinely many paths to becoming a solicitor. It doesn’t have to look like the fresh-out-of-uni route we often imagine. The average age of qualification is around 30 for a reason. Taking longer, working elsewhere, or doing things in a different order doesn’t mean you’ve failed;it just means your path looks different.
