Hi
@Thesillypomegranate
Just wanted to start by saying how impressive it is that, despite such serious challenges, you’ve made it into a competitive degree like Neuroscience and are on track for a first. That is incredible and I hope you appreciate that.
In terms of A-levels, I wanted to emphasise that many firms are now much more conscious of an applicant's background context. As I'm sure you already know, several firms (including many in the City) have contextual recruitment tools in place; these help them flag applicants who have performed strongly despite challenges, and can often trigger a more holistic review of your application rather than a hard cut-off based on A Levels or GCSEs. Moreover, I've had friends at several US and Magic Circle firms who applied without A-levels because they were also in care and had faced significant personal challenges.
As for your non-law background, your background in neuroscience will not be detrimental. I've met trainees at many US and British firms with extraordinary STEM backgrounds. There are also many candidates who only develop an interest in commercial law
after university and still go on to secure vac schemes and TCs. I think what firms care about is not when you became interested, but whether you’ve taken steps to explore and understand the profession, and whether you can clearly articulate
why you want to become a solicitor now. That said, I still think there are a few things you might want to consider doing to put yourself in a good position when you decide to apply:
- Use your university careers team/attend law fairs. This is a great way to just start seeing how you can frame your motivations as conveyed in your CV and cover letters, and attending open days or fairs will allow you to see which firms best align with your interests and background.
- Be honest and contextual in your applications, especially in mitigating circumstances boxes on application forms. Try to keep any explanations about your A-levels and GCSE's brief and professional.
- Consider joining organisations that assist diverse candidates with understanding the profession and getting to know firms. As someone who was the first in my family to attend university, I really appreciated the work of organisations like Rare, SEO London, and Aspiring Solicitors. Please do give them a look/search whenever you can!
Let me know if you have any other questions; I'd be happy to help!
