2:2 RG law degree. Is a TC still possible?

[hopefullysoontobelicitor]

Basically what the title says. I have documented mitigating circumstances (needed to miss out on a significant portion of my second year) and had to defer all exams which affected second year grades. First year is a 2:1, third year is a 2:1, but my overall degree classification is a 2:2 (59%). I have MC work experience, first year schemes at mid-market regional firms and a few ACs too that i couldnt convert. This was before i received my final degree result though. Really really not sure if I can still do anything. If it helps ive also received law school prizes each year of my degree, but that doesnt change the grade and its unlikely they can round it up. Im starting the LLM SQE1&2 at Ulaw this september, but i dont know if anything is going to come out of it. Please help me out here, what do I need to do

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Basically what the title says. I have documented mitigating circumstances (needed to miss out on a significant portion of my second year) and had to defer all exams which affected second year grades. First year is a 2:1, third year is a 2:1, but my overall degree classification is a 2:2 (59%). I have MC work experience, first year schemes at mid-market regional firms and a few ACs too that i couldnt convert. This was before i received my final degree result though. Really really not sure if I can still do anything. If it helps ive also received law school prizes each year of my degree, but that doesnt change the grade and its unlikely they can round it up. Im starting the LLM SQE1&2 at Ulaw this september, but i dont know if anything is going to come out of it. Please help me out here, what do I need to do

Hey!

I really wouldn't assume that this closes the door on law! A 2:2 does make things harder for some firms due to filters they might use, but your profile isn't just the classification. You have got documented mitigating circumstances, MC work experience, first year schemes, AC experience, and law school prizes across your degree - this is all evidence that your academic profile and potential are stronger than a raw overall percentage suggests.

I would perhaps focus on a few things:

• Apply strategically to firms that explicitly consider mitigating circumstances and/or take a more holistic approach rather than auto-filtering on grades. This is likely to be the majority of City firms, apart from a few exceptions that place a higher emphasis on grades.
• Make sure your mitigating circumstances section is clear, factual and concise. I would explain the disruption, timing, the overall impact on second year, and importantly the recovery (i.e. back to a 2:1 in final year).
• I would really lean into the really strong parts of your CV - i.e. commercial experience, schemes, ACs (+ getting to ACs already shows that your applications are competitive).
• I wouldn't treat the ULaw LLM as something that has to save the profile - instead, use it as another chance to build evidence of consistency and keep commercial experience going alongside it where you can.
• Another route that might be worth considering is building some paralegal experience and then applying for direct TCs alongside that (either internally or elsewhere). I've seen people do this successfully at US/SC firms and other City firms.

The fact that you were getting to the AC stage, even if it was before your final classification, shows that you already have good written application skills. I definitely wouldn't stop applying, and perhaps just focus your attention on applying to firms that are going to be a good fit overall.

Wishing you the best of luck