Ask Reed Smith Anything! ⬇️

[louiswilliams466]

Hi @ReedSmithBecca

Hope you’re well!

I'm currently in the process of applying to the Direct TC, and as someone who is already undertaking QWE, would the TC be for a shorter period or is the completion of the four traditional seats still required at Reed Smith?

Best
Louis

 

[ReedSmithBecca]

Hi @ReedSmithBecca - could you get back to our question please

Apologies - I'm generally only able to reply during working hours and because of the long weekend there has only been one full working day since you asked! I'll take a look at the questions now

 

[ReedSmithBecca]

Hey Rebecca & team - just checking if the new direct TC route is open for career break candidates with LPC degrees?

Yes, it is. However we have fully transitioned to SQE so we would need LPC graduates to sit SQE2. This would be funded by the firm for successful candidates.

 

[ReedSmithBecca]

Hi, do you hold online interviews/ACs for those who cannot attend it offline due to being in a different country (international students)?

Yes we will have a virtual option for those unable to attend in person!

 

[ReedSmithBecca]

Hi!

I am an international student finishing my LLM in Italy. As the highest grade here is 30, I am struggling to convert my grades into %. Should I just leave them as they are and make a note in "further information" section or should I try to convert them into %?

Thanks!!

Yes, that sounds like a good approach, please provide some context for us in the further information section.

 

[ReedSmithBecca]

Hi both, thank you for answering our questions.

I’ve read that Reed Smith focuses on industry-led training. Could you expand on how that works in practice and how it’s different from more traditional seat rotations?

We still have a traditional 4 seat rotation, but at least one of your seats would be done in one of our Industry Groups. Your training there would focus not just on traditional legal skills but also in-depth industry knowledge

 

[ReedSmithBecca]

Hi, I had two questions!

1) What are the shipping team's typical clients?

2) Do strong answers to the "why have you decided to pursue a career in Commercial Law" refer back to Reed Smith as a firm or should that be saved for the second question on "why have you applied to Reed Smith in particular?"

Thank you

Hi!

Regarding the Shipping clients, as you can imagine, some of our clients and work are confidential, so the best place to find out about the clients we can talk about is here: https://www.reedsmith.com/en/capabilities/industries/transportation

I would recommend saving the Reed Smith specific content for the "Why Reed Smith" question. You can briefly mention RS in your "Why Commercial Law" - for example, a strong answer might mention an interest in a sector we specialise in, so you could briefly note that this is also a reason why you're attracted to RS. However, part of our marking criteria is have you answered the specific question (e.g. sometimes an answer is well-written and compelling, but won't score highly because it hasn't actually answered that particular question), so I'd recommend trying to stick mainly to the question. Hope that makes sense/helps!

 

[RS Sanjanaa]

Hi, how many trainees are you looking to take through the DTC route? Also, if I have just completed my law degree and awaiting my final results which would arrive by June end, am I still eligible to apply for the DTC this year? I do have an assurance that I have cleared all the courses

 

[ReedSmithBecca]

Hi @ReedSmithBecca

Hope you’re well!

I'm currently in the process of applying to the Direct TC, and as someone who is already undertaking QWE, would the TC be for a shorter period or is the completion of the four traditional seats still required at Reed Smith?

Best
Louis

Hi Louis, I'm well thanks, hope you are too!
Yes, we do require Trainees who have QWE to still do the full 2 years. This is mainly for your own development to ensure that Trainees experience a variety of our Practice and Industry groups. It also helps when applying for internal NQ roles in that you've got feedback from a range of departments and also different options. This approach also gives more time to potentially do a client or international secondment.
The other reason is a practical/business one. As a firm we invest a lot of time in providing high quality training for Trainee Solicitors. In return, Trainees are a hugely valuable resource for the firm in that they do great quality client work - so our Practice and Industry Groups really value the contributions Trainees make and need a consistent number of Trainees in each rotation. So practically we couldn't have gaps in our Trainee cohort due to some qualifying early.

 

[ReedSmithBecca]

Hi, how many trainees are you looking to take through the DTC route? Also, if I have just completed my law degree and awaiting my final results which would arrive by June end, am I still eligible to apply for the DTC this year? I do have an assurance that I have cleared all the courses

Unfortunately I can't confirm the exact numbers as it'll depend on a lot of different factors currently.
Yes, 2025 graduates are eligible to apply.

 

[louiswilliams466]

Hi Louis, I'm well thanks, hope you are too!
Yes, we do require Trainees who have QWE to still do the full 2 years. This is mainly for your own development to ensure that Trainees experience a variety of our Practice and Industry groups. It also helps when applying for internal NQ roles in that you've got feedback from a range of departments and also different options. This approach also gives more time to potentially do a client or international secondment.
The other reason is a practical/business one. As a firm we invest a lot of time in providing high quality training for Trainee Solicitors. In return, Trainees are a hugely valuable resource for the firm in that they do great quality client work - so our Practice and Industry Groups really value the contributions Trainees make and need a consistent number of Trainees in each rotation. So practically we couldn't have gaps in our Trainee cohort due to some qualifying early.

All good thanks Becca!

Appreciate you coming back, that all makes sense to me.

 

[Ceal@26]

Hi@ReedSmithBecca,

1) I would like to check my eligibility to apply for DTC with Reedsmith UK given that I applied to Reedsmith Singapore's Summer VC for July 2025 and was successful. I am an international student currently in my penultimate year of a Law degree in UK.

2) I have asked this in a seperate thread and was advised by Jessicabooker to keep a look out for firms with DTC in 2026 to avoid a "gap year". I would like to clarify that in this application, would it be correct to indicate for TC to commence in Autumn 2026 as I graduate in June 2026 ?

Thank you.

 

[Gin]

Hi @ReedSmithBecca

Good morning! Hope you're well.

Regarding the DTC, would you still encourage me to apply if I don't have a vacation scheme or formal legal work experience in the UK? Do candidates without this background face automatic rejection, or are other factors considered?

Best,
Gin

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi@ReedSmithBecca,

1) I would like to check my eligibility to apply for DTC with Reedsmith UK given that I applied to Reedsmith Singapore's Summer VC for July 2025 and was successful. I am an international student currently in my penultimate year of a Law degree in UK.

2) I have asked this in a seperate thread and was advised by Jessicabooker to keep a look out for firms with DTC in 2026 to avoid a "gap year". I would like to clarify that in this application, would it be correct to indicate for TC to commence in Autumn 2026 as I graduate in June 2026 ?

Thank you.

Although not @ReedSmithBecca, I would like to highlight if you are not graduating until the summer of 2026, in most instances, you wouldn’t be able to start a TC until the late summer/autumn of 2027, as you would need to complete and pass the SQE before starting a TC and this would take around 12 months.

 

[ReedSmithBecca]

Hi@ReedSmithBecca,

1) I would like to check my eligibility to apply for DTC with Reedsmith UK given that I applied to Reedsmith Singapore's Summer VC for July 2025 and was successful. I am an international student currently in my penultimate year of a Law degree in UK.

2) I have asked this in a seperate thread and was advised by Jessicabooker to keep a look out for firms with DTC in 2026 to avoid a "gap year". I would like to clarify that in this application, would it be correct to indicate for TC to commence in Autumn 2026 as I graduate in June 2026 ?

Thank you.

As @Jessica Booker said (thank you! ) unfortunately you aren't eligible to apply for this vacancy as it is open to Graduates onwards. You will be eligible to apply for the London Vacation Scheme in the autumn.

 

[ReedSmithBecca]

Hi @ReedSmithBecca

Good morning! Hope you're well.

Regarding the DTC, would you still encourage me to apply if I don't have a vacation scheme or formal legal work experience in the UK? Do candidates without this background face automatic rejection, or are other factors considered?

Best,
Gin

Hi Gin,

Yes, we have a strengths/potential based application process and don't require legal work experience to apply, so your application would certainly be considered.

Becca

 

[emma.d]

Hi Becca,

I hope you’re well! I sent off my application the other day and was wondering if there is a rough timeline for the next steps? Also is the process the same as the VS? Thank you!

 

[Gin]

Hi Gin,

Yes, we have a strengths/potential based application process and don't require legal work experience to apply, so your application would certainly be considered.

Becca

I understand. Thank you!