Applying for LLMs and deferring a training contract

[krissythelawstudent]

Hi there! I have secured a training contract with a firm which starts in Autumn 2025. However, I am now considering applying for an LLM (particularly, the Oxford BCL/Cambridge LLM). Although my grades seem to be good enough for these programmes, of course I may not get in. So, my question is, how much notice do I need to give my firm to defer my training contract? I do not want to defer my TC if I do not get into either of the two Masters courses. But I equally do not want to be rude asking my firm for deferral just a couple of months before my training contract starts (the BCL/LLM decisions come out sometime in March 2025). I know that ultimately it is up to the firm whether or not they will agree to the deferral.

I am also thinking of doing a Masters following the completion of my training contract, but I do not know how realistic that would be in practice.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[starfish1]

Hey! I am in a similar position! I just had a meeting with Grad Rec at the law firm I hold a TC at. PM me and we can talk

 

[TCLA Community Assistant]

Graduate recruitment teams are quite used to getting these requests in March/April each year as Masters courses start to give offers out.

If you have multiple course options (you are applying to a high number of courses) you may want to ask upfront but expect to potentially have time out if you didn’t secure one of those courses.

There is a greater risk the later it is the more difficult it is for them to agree to the deferral.