Foreign educated law graduate

[Wajahat Jilani]

Hi,
I am an Indian law graduate and have recently completed my LLM from King’s College London. I have been applying for TC’s and VC recently but have already received rejections. I am aware of the immense competition. However, I also wish to be realistic with my options. Most law firms I meet say they accept international students. However, I am unsure if they mean UK educated international students, specifically undergraduate.

I am beginning to think that perhaps my undergraduate marks are resulting in my rejections. Is there a way for someone from TCLA to have a look please and suggest if that might be the case?

Regards
Wajahat

 

[Jessica Booker]

Vac schemes are probably almost impossible for you to be considered for unless you have the right to work in the U.K. Firms are unlikely to spend several thousand pounds on a visa for someone coming into the firm for a couple of weeks.

Training contracts will be a different matter. Feel free to PM me with your grades and I can let you know if that could be an issue.

 

[stephanie55]

Vac schemes are probably almost impossible for you to be considered for unless you have the right to work in the U.K. Firms are unlikely to spend several thousand pounds on a visa for someone coming into the firm for a couple of weeks.

Training contracts will be a different matter. Feel free to PM me with your grades and I can let you know if that could be an issue.

Hi Jessica! I am a law student from Indonesia (currently studying at Universitas Gadjah Mada) who is interested to apply for Training Contracts in the UK. Do you think I have a chance to get accepted? Thank you!!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica! I am a law student from Indonesia (currently studying at Universitas Gadjah Mada) who is interested to apply for Training Contracts in the UK. Do you think I have a chance to get accepted? Thank you!!

Yes, for law firms that sponsor work visas there is no reason why you couldn’t have a chance based on that information alone.

 

[stephanie55]

Yes, for law firms that sponsor work visas there is no reason why you couldn’t have a chance based on that information alone.

Thank you so much!

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker Hi Jessica, for an international law student who has done their degree outside the UK, but is a British citizen (so has the right to work in the country), would it be better to apply for a vacation scheme or a training contract? From the perspective of better chances of selection?

And do you recommend any firms that do not put international students at a disadvantage as compared to UK grads for the VS/TC process?

Unfortunately it isn't as simple as that.

You should be applying to programmes based on your availability and on the basis of whether you need to build up your work experience. Having an international law degree just puts you in the same category as a non-law student. International students are not at a disadvantage, especially if they have the right to work in the UK.

 

[IT7]

Unfortunately it isn't as simple as that.

You should be applying to programmes based on your availability and on the basis of whether you need to build up your work experience. Having an international law degree just puts you in the same category as a non-law student. International students are not at a disadvantage, especially if they have the right to work in the UK.

@Jessica Booker This makes sense, thank you! So does this mean international law students should apply in the non-law student category for all firms, or does it differ depending upon the firm?

Further, do you have any idea about firms that usually take on a large number of international students as part of its VS/TC intake? Atleast relatively, in comparison to other firms?

 

[TC fiend]

@Jessica Booker This makes sense, thank you! So does this mean international law students should apply in the non-law student category for all firms, or does it differ depending upon the firm?

Further, do you have any idea about firms that usually take on a large number of international students as part of its VS/TC intake? Atleast relatively, in comparison to other firms?

Hey, as an international student (foreign LLB, English LLM, current GDL), I can help with this:

You're considered a non-law student as long as you have not done an English LLB or GDL, as you do not have an English law background. So you should apply within the non-law window.

As for how many international students a firm takes on, if you go to Legal Cheek's firm database there's a really useful infographic at the bottom of each firm profile which reflects the background of the trainees (where known). So percentage international / percentage RG grads / percentage Oxbridge / etc. So that should help But at any rate, there's no firm that won't take international students out of principle - but as Jessica said, if you have to get a visa specially for the vac scheme firms will be less likely to want to pay that as it costs them thousands of pounds.

 

[Jessica Booker]

@Jessica Booker This makes sense, thank you! So does this mean international law students should apply in the non-law student category for all firms, or does it differ depending upon the firm?

Further, do you have any idea about firms that usually take on a large number of international students as part of its VS/TC intake? Atleast relatively, in comparison to other firms?

In the vast majority of instances you will be considered a none-law applicant and should apply to programmes based on that. You may want to double check with firms before you apply though.

You aren't really an international student in a traditional sense if you are a UK citizen.