Clifford give me a Chance (A Master's TC Journey)

[LillyandSilver]

*Edit --> Sorry guys I changed the name of the thread. Spoiler alert I never managed to apply for Clifford Chance but I couldn't pass up the pun. Apologies to those who have been misled.*

Intro:

Hello, I'm Lilly. I joined the TCLA at the start of this round of applications and in my head, I was going to have a TC before the cycle was over. I realise now that I was a little bit delusional but I'm a law student, so it comes with the territory.

I realise that it is rather late in the day to be posting this, but idk I didn't feel like I had anything to post about until now and have decided to share my story in case people ever feel like they aren't going to get anything either. Also, I am slacking on my applications at the moment and need something to get me back on track. I do not think for a moment I'm going to be the next legal influencer of the decade but here's to hoping.

Plans for the thread.

• I think I also want to use this thread to share some of the tricks I have learnt. I know my strengths and my weaknesses.
• All the feedback I have ever gotten has said that I interview well, I think it is often why after the app stage I can make it to the final rounds when I fall at the written tasks.
• I have developed a few hacks throughout my time for this which I thought I would share.
• Throughout this journey, I know that I need to develop my written skills. My downfall has always been the written tests. I'm a slow writer and I like to redraft things or else they are riddled with errors. My feedback confirms it.
• So I hope to share any tips I learn along the way as well.

A bit about me (sans some pesky details).

• I am a master's student at an RG uni. I studied law for my undergrad and got ok grades. It's nothing special but what can you do about it?
• I wanted to go to The Bar up until the end of my third year when I failed to get any mini-pupillages.
• I made two applications at the end of my third year for training contracts. Got offered one and made it to the AC stage for another.
• I ultimately couldn't accept the TC offer. I know this sounds awful but it didn't have a department in the area I was interested in, it was a small firm which would have required me to self-fund the SQE which I couldn't afford. It also wouldn't let me defer a year. I have wrestled with this decision over the last few months, thinking about whether this was the right one. I think it was, especially after the mess that happened with the SQE 1 this year but at the same time I really want a job.
• This year I have fully committed to the solicitor route and have picked out a few firms I like the look of.
• I try and only apply to firms where I know they have done at least one famous case in the area of law I am interested in.

Applications: (UP TO DATE)
I have so far made 10? applications
A mix of TC and Vac Scheme. It appears that once I get past the written application I make it to the end and I have more success on the direct TC route where the firm does not have a VS.

I have decided that some of these firms are very niche and it would be very easy to discover who I am from them. So I have assigned them aliases from Suits in italics.

1. Russel Cooke Direct TC - PFO
2. Wakefield Cady TC - PFO post-final stage.
3. Boodle Hatfield VS - PFO (training contract still pending)
4. PMC VS - PFO
5. Bratten Gould TC - PFO post-final interview.
6. Farrer and Co VS - PFO
7. Mills and Reeve VS - PFO
8. Irwin Mitchell - VS - OFFER
9. Rand Caldor Zane TC - PFO
10. Pearson Hardman VS - First Interview Invite💃 VS OFFER.

Pending:

Wedlake Bell TC: Pending
Withers TC: Pending
Darby International TC - Not submitted. (July)

 

[LillyandSilver]

I'm in my boutique era. 💅
I am expanding my application to smaller specialist firms.
There is method to this madness, I am less likely to have to do those online assessments which I am very bad at. The only time I succeed is when I pick the opposite of how I would actually act.
Stay tuned for another round of applications. Although I might run out of Suits aliases so i'm going to have to get creative with other legal shows.

 

[LillyandSilver]

I really hope the places that I've applied to will let me do secondments, I've realised the office I have applied to doesn't do a seat in the area I really want.

 

[LillyandSilver]

I lied about being in my boutique era I just submitted a very rushed application to Wedlake Bell. Don't ask me why I decided it was a good idea. While I was doing it I also realised there is a spelling mistake in the CV of an application I sent in ages ago and am waiting to hear back from. I really wanted that one so this has ruined my entire day. It was a stellar application apart from that so I really am about to cry.

 

[LillyandSilver]

Not much to update:
I took a break from LinkedIn for a full four days. I regret it because I missed an opportunity I should have known about, but I was spending far too much time on it.
The spelling mistake on that last application is still haunting me it genuinely keeps me up at night. I need to work on letting things go but at the same time (not to be dramatic), I feel like I'm in mourning. Does anyone else get this?
I got some uni deadlines out of the way and now it's back to applying; I have two (maybe three) applications to do this week. I'm waiting to hear back from some non-law work experience which should help with commercial awareness and not being seen as a one-dimensional candidate.
I think I need to start looking at paralegal work, there is one that looks appealing but says they want previous experience as a paralegal, it might be worth just tossing my hat in the ring, the worst thing they can say is no.
If I make any more niche applications I am going to run out of Suits references so I'll have to expand to other legal shows. I am also starting to forget which aliases refer to which firm which is confusing because it's my system.

 

[LillyandSilver]

AHAH I have an assessment for a non-law internship I don't know if I should do it since it is a proper internship (2 months) and I wouldn't be able to do it alongside my VS but that will be a nice bridge to cross no?

 

[LillyandSilver]

YES!!!! 🥳🤩🥳🤩💃💃💃💃
Despite my spelling mistake, I am through to the first interview at my dream firm. Only issue now is that the partner who is interviewing me is something of a personal hero so there is every chance I'll just stare at him and they think I'm brain-dead.
The interview is going to be based on my CV (apparently), but I've been tricked like this before (one day I might be able to talk about it 😭) so I'm brushing up on legal knowledge just in case.
If anyone actually reads this thread I'll post some of my interview prep that people may or may not find helpful.

Hope you lovelies are enjoying the sunshine as much as I am right now and getting through exams and summatives.

 

[LillyandSilver]

Rejected from a firm I did work experience with last year. Bit surprised I didn't even make it past the application stage but at the same time, I was told by their current trainees that they like to recruit internally from their paralegal pool which makes sense. They did soften the rejection by asking if I was interested in paralegalling with them which was nice. It's in an area I'm not very interested in but I might as well try for it.

 

[LillyandSilver]

The prospect of that non-law internship just went down the drain based on how that assessment went. I have no idea why determining shapes means I will be good at social media but who knows?

Also, their personality questions were very strange. "Nothing comes from a lack of order. Do you agree or disagree etc...?"
🤓☝️Technically chaos comes from a lack of order, but I don't think that was what they were looking for.

I shall lament my woes and continue prepping for my interview.

 

[LillyandSilver]

Did my interview. Not my best I don't think. I'm a chronic overthinker so I will overanalyse everything I've said until I get the rejection or the acceptance. I will always worry about what I've said. Overall, think the vibe was slightly off so I'm not too happy. Sad because this was my dream firm.

I want to be candid. The more I think about it the worse I feel. At this point the idea of getting a TC seems so distant sometimes I feel like I should just give up. I don't even know what I would do if I didn't go into law or whether I would be even able to get a non-law job because all my work experience is so law related. This cycle is playing havoc with my emotions. I'm not sure I have the strength for it.

 

[LillyandSilver]

I'm still withering away (doing my withers application). There isn't much to do other than that. I found out that most of the firms I want to apply to that aren't in London only hire people who have completed SQE 1 already so it is looking like a real possibility that I will have to self-fund it. It sucks but hey ho. I haven't heard any news about my last interview I'm worried sick about it, my pulse literally skyrockets any time I get a notification from my emails. That's all folks. There isn't much to say other than that. I might apply to another non-law internship in the meantime to keep me active. I don't want to but I need to think about contingencies since my master's officially finishes in September I have time but I feel like I don't.

 

[LillyandSilver]

I've been a busy bee I've made three applications for non-law jobs. Anything to avoid Withers. I'm also panicking that I haven't prepared enough for my Vac Scheme, i've never had an assessed one before, all the others I've just vibed on. Don't think vibes are going to get me through this one.
Also who decided that the 3rd of June was a good time for an app to close (looking at you Forsters 👀)
I have one other application to make, it's a long shot but I might as well have a go, and then I have a nice break until the end of July. Give everyone a break from my yapping.

 

[LillyandSilver]

VAC SCHEME INVITE FROM DREAM FIRM.
As you can probably tell from my thread I am a doom and gloom kind of person and very melodramatic but that interview must have gone somewhat well. It means I will potentially be doing two vac schemes back to back 😬 but I'm on a high right now.

 

[LillyandSilver]

Applied to Withers with 30 mins left on the clock. 💅
Love speed running an app, Wither or not I get any further I am proud of myself.