Hi everyone!
I just wanted to post on here about my experience with a one of the larger private client law firms, mostly to get it off my chest and maybe help other people avoid heartbreak.
As a bit of background, I graduated in the UK in 2021, moved out of the country to work as a paralegal. My experience was pretty horrific (think of the worst law firm stereotypes and at least 80% of them I experienced) and after two years I ended up walking away from law entirely. A couple years ago, I moved back to the UK and at the end of last year I decided to try my hand again at becoming a lawyer.
In December 2025 I applied for a job at this Private Client law firm, and was invited to interview the December 23rd. I was really excited as this law firm publicly puts a huge emphasis on their culture and places a huge importance on respecting the people who work there. I'd met a couple of them before and from my experience it seemed to be more than just platitudes. The interview goes well, and the Partner says they'll want to bring me into the office to meet the team. A month later, I'm told they've gone with another candidate, but would like to offer me a feedback call.
During the call, they tell me they have no negative feedback, no constructive criticism and genuinely liked me. They then ask if I'd be interested in other paralegal roles, and if I'd thought about a training contract. The Head of Graduate Recruitment then walks me through the application questions, tells me to call them before submitting so they can check my answers, and to email them upon submission so they know my application is there.
So I apply.
We have a call to go over my draft, then I email confirmation that my application has been submitted. Three days after applications close, I'm sent the first test (at 23:00). Three days after that I get the second test (duplicate sent AND a typo in the subject line, funny considering it was a proofreading test). Then I hear nothing. For four months.
I try not to lose my mind, seeing other people get interviews. I follow up, and get told I'd "hear back in due course".
Late May/early June, I see the rejections go out and watch my inbox like a hawk. Nothing. One hour goes by, then two, then it's been a couple days and I haven't gotten a rejection. Maybe my December interview has been used as my DTC interview?
Two weeks after the rejections go out, I get an email. Apparently, I didn't even pass the first test. Didn't even make it far enough for individual feedback, or a personalised email (the repeated first sentence really was the cherry on top).
I understand law firms are busy, I understand there are a lot of applications. But seven months?
Afterwards, I emailed them twice, once a thank you for their help, and the second a polite request for any general feedback. The first one was ignored, the second got a response from their assistant.
It's been a month, and I still don't really know what happened. Maybe my test was really that awful, but I feel, if that was the case, I should have been put out of my misery earlier. In my opinion, there is no worse way this firm could've handled the situation.
TLDR: A firm asked I apply, helped me with my application, then rejected me without explanation.
I just wanted to post on here about my experience with a one of the larger private client law firms, mostly to get it off my chest and maybe help other people avoid heartbreak.
As a bit of background, I graduated in the UK in 2021, moved out of the country to work as a paralegal. My experience was pretty horrific (think of the worst law firm stereotypes and at least 80% of them I experienced) and after two years I ended up walking away from law entirely. A couple years ago, I moved back to the UK and at the end of last year I decided to try my hand again at becoming a lawyer.
In December 2025 I applied for a job at this Private Client law firm, and was invited to interview the December 23rd. I was really excited as this law firm publicly puts a huge emphasis on their culture and places a huge importance on respecting the people who work there. I'd met a couple of them before and from my experience it seemed to be more than just platitudes. The interview goes well, and the Partner says they'll want to bring me into the office to meet the team. A month later, I'm told they've gone with another candidate, but would like to offer me a feedback call.
During the call, they tell me they have no negative feedback, no constructive criticism and genuinely liked me. They then ask if I'd be interested in other paralegal roles, and if I'd thought about a training contract. The Head of Graduate Recruitment then walks me through the application questions, tells me to call them before submitting so they can check my answers, and to email them upon submission so they know my application is there.
So I apply.
We have a call to go over my draft, then I email confirmation that my application has been submitted. Three days after applications close, I'm sent the first test (at 23:00). Three days after that I get the second test (duplicate sent AND a typo in the subject line, funny considering it was a proofreading test). Then I hear nothing. For four months.
I try not to lose my mind, seeing other people get interviews. I follow up, and get told I'd "hear back in due course".
Late May/early June, I see the rejections go out and watch my inbox like a hawk. Nothing. One hour goes by, then two, then it's been a couple days and I haven't gotten a rejection. Maybe my December interview has been used as my DTC interview?
Two weeks after the rejections go out, I get an email. Apparently, I didn't even pass the first test. Didn't even make it far enough for individual feedback, or a personalised email (the repeated first sentence really was the cherry on top).
I understand law firms are busy, I understand there are a lot of applications. But seven months?
Afterwards, I emailed them twice, once a thank you for their help, and the second a polite request for any general feedback. The first one was ignored, the second got a response from their assistant.
It's been a month, and I still don't really know what happened. Maybe my test was really that awful, but I feel, if that was the case, I should have been put out of my misery earlier. In my opinion, there is no worse way this firm could've handled the situation.
TLDR: A firm asked I apply, helped me with my application, then rejected me without explanation.
