Celebrating 30 rejections in 2025 🎉 10 VIs, 8 open days, 3 mentors, 1 AC.
In all honesty, I am very excited by the number of opportunities available for prospective lawyers. In my career as a university lecturer (I have been teaching Film, Media and Communications since 2018), I would be lucky to find and submit 5 applications per year for faculty posts across the UK, USA, Ireland, Canada and Europe. Since COVID, that number has dropped dramatically. In 2023 I interviewed for 4 Associate Lecturer, Teaching Fellow and even Assistant Professor roles. In 2024 and 2025, no suitable opportunities were advertised in my fields.
When I compare that to the number of commercial law firms that have a guaranteed staff intake every year on training contracts, whether that be a handful at US firms or up to 100 for members of the Magic Circle... wow.
I am really excited by what a new career in law may bring. It may take another 30 (or 60) rejections, but I'll get there. In the meantime, I aim to sit SQE 1 in July 2026.
Happy New Year to all job-hunters at TCLA! 🥂