From Trolley Dolly to Lawyer (Operation TC)

[lauramw36]

Hello everyone!

Judging by all the butterflies in my stomach, it must almost be time for another application cycle! This year, I'm using this thread to keep myself accountable.

My journey to this point has been a bit weird and wonderful. As you might guess from the title, I'm a career changer, moving from cabin crew to (hopefully!) qualifying as a solicitor.

I first graduated from the University of Sussex with a 2:1 in Law with American Studies back in 2016. At the time, all I knew was that I absolutely wasn't ready to pursue any sort of legal career, so I decided to take a break and get paid to travel the world instead. Somehow, seven years flew by, and I was still working as cabin crew. Like it did for so many people, COVID completely changed my perspective on my career and what I wanted from life. I decided to take the plunge and complete the LPC with an MSc in Business Law at the University of Law, graduating with a commendation.

Last cycle was very much a practice run for vacation schemes and training contracts. I knew I was out of practice and needed to get myself back into the legal mindset. I attended several open days and Legal Cheek events to network, learn more about firms, and better understand what they were looking for. Along the way, I realised where I was falling short with my applications and put together a much stronger plan of attack for this year.

I've also developed a real interest in aviation law, so many of the firms I'm targeting have strong practices in that area. That said, I'm open to the wider commercial law world, so who knows where this journey might take me.

TL;DR: This girl is ready to hang up her wings, get her brain firing on all cylinders again, and make the move into commercial law. Here's hoping this cycle is a little more successful!

Plan of Attack​

1. Practise online assessments — currently aiming for one type of test each day, increasing the volume on my days off.
2. Read the Financial Times and keep up with commercial news.
3. Write short articles on commercial issues, with the aim of posting some on LinkedIn.
4. Be more active on LinkedIn and improve my networking.
5. Research at least one firm each week and build a set of notes.
6. Find a new job in the legal sector - currently looking at legal admin/paralegal assistant work.

Current Focus Firms​

• Stephenson Harwood
• Reed Smith
• Osborne Clarke
• HFW
• Herbert Smith Freehills
• Ashurst
• Addleshaw Goddard

I'll be using this thread to keep myself focused, track my progress, and hopefully connect with others who are going through the same process. Having spent so long away from law, it can feel quite isolating coming back without the support network I had at university.

Thanks for reading, and wish me luck!

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hello everyone!

Judging by all the butterflies in my stomach, it must almost be time for another application cycle! This year, I'm using this thread to keep myself accountable.

My journey to this point has been a bit weird and wonderful. As you might guess from the title, I'm a career changer, moving from cabin crew to (hopefully!) qualifying as a solicitor.

I first graduated from the University of Sussex with a 2:1 in Law with American Studies back in 2016. At the time, all I knew was that I absolutely wasn't ready to pursue any sort of legal career, so I decided to take a break and get paid to travel the world instead. Somehow, seven years flew by, and I was still working as cabin crew. Like it did for so many people, COVID completely changed my perspective on my career and what I wanted from life. I decided to take the plunge and complete the LPC with an MSc in Business Law at the University of Law, graduating with a commendation.

Last cycle was very much a practice run for vacation schemes and training contracts. I knew I was out of practice and needed to get myself back into the legal mindset. I attended several open days and Legal Cheek events to network, learn more about firms, and better understand what they were looking for. Along the way, I realised where I was falling short with my applications and put together a much stronger plan of attack for this year.

I've also developed a real interest in aviation law, so many of the firms I'm targeting have strong practices in that area. That said, I'm open to the wider commercial law world, so who knows where this journey might take me.

TL;DR: This girl is ready to hang up her wings, get her brain firing on all cylinders again, and make the move into commercial law. Here's hoping this cycle is a little more successful!

Plan of Attack​

1. Practise online assessments — currently aiming for one type of test each day, increasing the volume on my days off.
2. Read the Financial Times and keep up with commercial news.
3. Write short articles on commercial issues, with the aim of posting some on LinkedIn.
4. Be more active on LinkedIn and improve my networking.
5. Research at least one firm each week and build a set of notes.
6. Find a new job in the legal sector - currently looking at legal admin/paralegal assistant work.

Current Focus Firms​

• Stephenson Harwood
• Reed Smith
• Osborne Clarke
• HFW
• Herbert Smith Freehills
• Ashurst
• Addleshaw Goddard

I'll be using this thread to keep myself focused, track my progress, and hopefully connect with others who are going through the same process. Having spent so long away from law, it can feel quite isolating coming back without the support network I had at university.

Thanks for reading, and wish me luck!

Welcome, and best of luck with the cycle!

I really enjoyed reading your post, and your background is super interesting! It sounds like you have approached this cycle in a thoughtful way, and I think your 'practice run' from last year will put you in a much stronger position now. Your plan of attack also looks great - it is structured without trying to do absolutely everything at once, which is super important during the application cycle. It is always a good idea to go into an application cycle with a plan and target firms, so it's great you have an idea of both of those before starting.

I also think your background as cabin crew will be a strength too! Career changers often bring a wealth of transferable skills and experiences that can help them stand out, particularly in client-facing commercial law roles. It is great that you have found an interest in aviation law too, as that gives you a really authentic narrative for many of the firms on your list (which I'm sure is the reason they are on your list, haha!).

I noticed Reed Smith is one of your focus firms (great choice, btw! ). I'm due to start there as a trainee in March 2027 and have just completed my professional SQE year at the firm, so if you have any questions about the application process or the PSQE year, please feel free to tag me or send me a message! I won't claim to know everything (+ I didn't do a vacation scheme at the firm, so might not be too helpful there!), but I am always happy to share my experience where I can. I did also do a vacation scheme at Stephenson Harwood in 2025, so happy to share what worked for me, etc!

Looking forward to following your journey on this thread, and wishing you the very best of luck this cycle!