Covid 19 and safety net policies

[lpcstudent2021]

Good afternoon all,

I'm currently an LPC student at Ulaw and am looking for some advice. I did the GDL in the pandemic and decided to go straight on to the LPC just to get it done so I can start working. I've done about 12 vac scheme applications this cycle and been rejected from all of them in the first round. I had similar results in the GDL. I was wondering if my grades were the issue.

My issue is as follows, during the Pandemic, my university (Exeter) had a safety net policy to prevent your grades from being disrupted. This helped me scrape a 2:1 as it mitigated my dissertation grade. My dissertation went terribly due to a lack of access to resources I needed to analyze in the dissertation, as the archives containing them were closed. Without the safety net, I would have achieved a mid 2:2 overall. Will law firms see that as a major issue when I apply/ have been applying?


I then went on to the GDL and obtained a distinction due to me getting very lucky with how their safety net policy worked. Long in short I scored a mid 2:1, but due to quirks of Ulaw's policy, I ended up having my entire average based on one result which was a first. Will this also be viewed as a distinction or a mid 2:1, based on the safety net quirk?

I am being ambitious and aiming for big commercial city firms i.e Magic circle, NRF, HSF, Ashurst, Osborne Clark, DLA etc . I know I can do it as I have strong GCSE's(A*-A) and A levels (2A*- 2A's) to back them as well as good extracurriculars ( 1st team sport, Student staff liaison team, committee member and a part-time job ). Should I consider smaller firms in future cycles ?

I do wish to pursue law as a career and am happy to paralegal until I get a TC, I'm just wondering if my grades may be holding me back a bit.

Any and all advice would be super useful!

 

[James Carrabino]

Hi @lpcstudent2021, thank you for posting!

First of all, congratulations on your 2.1 and your Distinction in the GDL - I am in the middle of the GDL and I know how hard that is to achieve 🤣

I can't claim to be an expert on the precise rationale behind safety net policies, but my inclination would be to say that they were put in place for a variety of extremely valid reasons arising from pandemic disruptions. I cannot imagine that they were instigated simply in order to throw students a bone and make them feel good about their grades. Consequently, it would make a mockery of this policy if employers were not to consider your grades at face value! The disruptions were enormous and safety net policies tried to at least mitigate the effects a little.

The one difficulty with these policies is that firms have less information to work with when differentiating between candidates, so the other things inevitably count more. Let's dig into the other components of your application!

• First of all, GCSEs and A Levels are not particularly important. Once you meet the baseline criteria (and many firms no longer even have one), they will not play a further role in your application.

• Secondly, it sounds like you have an excellent mix of extra-curriculars; congratulations! This was a strong area of mine too when applying and I tended to find that my extra-curricular activities appealed more to US firms than UK firms, as I have written about here. You may wish to target more American firms during your next application cycle.

• Thirdly, I am wondering what work experience you have. What is your part-time job? If you are able to get yourself any legal work experience, I have noticed that this gives applicants a significant upper hand in the application process. Even if you got involved in something such as Pro Bono at ULaw, for example, this could show that you know what it is like to do work that involves law. Regardless, you need to make sure that you are really conveying the transferrable skills you have developed in whatever work experience you do have - that is key to making recruiters notice what you have to offer!

• Finally, the application process can really be a numbers game at times. If I had only submitted 12 applications, I would also have come away empty-handed. Instead, I submitted 40 applications and ended up with 3 vac schemes and 2 direct TC offers. It was only after submitting my 32nd application that I received my first Video Interview invitation, which came from the 13th application I submitted! Literally, the first 12 apps I submitted were immediate PFOs.

In conclusion, the application process is not only a numbers game but a learning experience. I know that it was not dumb luck (or misfortune) which meant that my first 12 apps were unsuccessful - I made an effort to constantly reflect and self-assess my applications. Every application I wrote was a little better than the one before until I started seeing results.

I know that with your impressive background, you have what it takes to get a TC at a top firm. Don't worry about your grades, which are already said and done. Focus on the things that you can control such as the quality of your written applications, and see whether you are able to get any legal work experience in the meantime.

I definitely suggest that you make some direct Training Contract applications in the summer (I received two TC offers this way). I think that you still have a great shot of getting a TC by the end of the year

Please reach out if you have any further queries and I hope that this all helps 😊

 

[lpcstudent2021]

Hi James,

Cheers for the response!!

That's good to hear about the school grades, hoping the 2:1 should be fine as prior to some mitigating circumstances in second year and covid I was on a 66% average. I know my average is weaker than most but I'm hoping on nailing the LPC and my electives to cover for this, along with paralegal work giving me a better edge for why law questions, etc

I wasn't aware of this when researching firms that some prefer extracurricular activities. although this may be a reflection on me not doing good research, which as you said is a skill that improves with each application you do. Hopefully, I can bring this up to scratch when applying for vac schemes and training contracts this year.

Part-time work has always been a thing for me, I worked at the university bar during my second and third years to help pay rent and have a bit more to live off. Covid meant I couldn't do that during the lockdown but I'm working weekends while doing the LPC, I got work experience in a small law firm dealing with employment and tax issues for a couple of months which were interesting and I can spin into something good for an interview. I've also done some work with a barrister when I was at school and attended a couple of insight days but that's it. I got into Linklater's pitch for change insight evening this year and also managed some pro bono last year.

On reflection, I think it's my lack of skill in saying how I used these experiences effectively to really sell myself to a firm, partnered with not great research on each firm. i.e just saying HSF has good litigation instead of looking at deals and chambers ratings. Hopefully, I can turn it around and secure something soon!

Thanks for getting back to me, this has helped me put my mind at ease a fair bit!!

 

[James Carrabino]

On reflection, I think it's my lack of skill in saying how I used these experiences effectively to really sell myself to a firm, partnered with not great research on each firm. i.e just saying HSF has good litigation instead of looking at deals and chambers ratings. Hopefully, I can turn it around and secure something soon!

Hi @lpcstudent2021, I applaud you on your self reflection - this sounds like it could be exactly what will make the difference! Your work experience does sound more than adequate after all, so if you are able to truly convey what is transferrable between the experience you have and a career in commercial law, then I think you should be on to a winning strategy

Extremely specific research about the firm is very important! In the example you give, saying that 'HSF has good litigation' would not even be given any points as it is one of those things that every candidate should know. Looking at deals, chambers ratings and partners who you might want to work with can help to really clarify your interest! The one thing I will say is that you will not work out which firms like extra-curriculars from research - that is more of a feel you will start to get after applying to many firms.

I hope this is all useful!

 

[Alison C]

Hi @lpcstudent2021, thank you for posting!

First of all, congratulations on your 2.1 and your Distinction in the GDL - I am in the middle of the GDL and I know how hard that is to achieve 🤣

I can't claim to be an expert on the precise rationale behind safety net policies, but my inclination would be to say that they were put in place for a variety of extremely valid reasons arising from pandemic disruptions. I cannot imagine that they were instigated simply in order to throw students a bone and make them feel good about their grades. Consequently, it would make a mockery of this policy if employers were not to consider your grades at face value! The disruptions were enormous and safety net policies tried to at least mitigate the effects a little.

The one difficulty with these policies is that firms have less information to work with when differentiating between candidates, so the other things inevitably count more. Let's dig into the other components of your application!

• First of all, GCSEs and A Levels are not particularly important. Once you meet the baseline criteria (and many firms no longer even have one), they will not play a further role in your application.

• Secondly, it sounds like you have an excellent mix of extra-curriculars; congratulations! This was a strong area of mine too when applying and I tended to find that my extra-curricular activities appealed more to US firms than UK firms, as I have written about here. You may wish to target more American firms during your next application cycle.

• Thirdly, I am wondering what work experience you have. What is your part-time job? If you are able to get yourself any legal work experience, I have noticed that this gives applicants a significant upper hand in the application process. Even if you got involved in something such as Pro Bono at ULaw, for example, this could show that you know what it is like to do work that involves law. Regardless, you need to make sure that you are really conveying the transferrable skills you have developed in whatever work experience you do have - that is key to making recruiters notice what you have to offer!

• Finally, the application process can really be a numbers game at times. If I had only submitted 12 applications, I would also have come away empty-handed. Instead, I submitted 40 applications and ended up with 3 vac schemes and 2 direct TC offers. It was only after submitting my 32nd application that I received my first Video Interview invitation, which came from the 13th application I submitted! Literally, the first 12 apps I submitted were immediate PFOs.

In conclusion, the application process is not only a numbers game but a learning experience. I know that it was not dumb luck (or misfortune) which meant that my first 12 apps were unsuccessful - I made an effort to constantly reflect and self-assess my applications. Every application I wrote was a little better than the one before until I started seeing results.

I know that with your impressive background, you have what it takes to get a TC at a top firm. Don't worry about your grades, which are already said and done. Focus on the things that you can control such as the quality of your written applications, and see whether you are able to get any legal work experience in the meantime.

I definitely suggest that you make some direct Training Contract applications in the summer (I received two TC offers this way). I think that you still have a great shot of getting a TC by the end of the year

Please reach out if you have any further queries and I hope that this all helps 😊

It's so helpful to see all the numbers in detail. 40 apps... 😵😲😮