My ongoing training contract journey...fingers crossed I get one this year

[Jessica Pearson - Managing Partner]

Hello everyone,
Hopefully this will serve as a documentation of how I was able to get a successful TC.
It is a bit late in the cycle to start this but I am going stir crazy waiting for responses and updates from firms.
So far I have received 5 PFO's (heartbreaking) but we move.
Currently waiting on
Simmons & Simmons - PFO
Milbank - PFO post stage 2
Paul, Weiss PFO post app
Debevoise & Plimpton PFO post app
Mishcon de Reya
Gibson Dunn
Sidley Austin PFO post app
DWF
Cooley - PFO post WG
Travers Smith
Kirkland & Ellis PFO post app
White & Case PFO post app
MoFo
Morgan Lewis PFO post app
Cleary
Orrick
Winston & Strawn
Ropes & Gray
Shoosmiths
Vinson & Elkins PFO post app
Dechert
...I am sure I'm missing some


Have an AC from:
Mayer Brown
Covington


Going to apply to:
K&L Gates Summer
Fried Frank (later in the year)
King & Spalding (later in the year)
Paul Hastings (maybe DTC)
...and other direct training contracts if I can


I am constantly anxious and dealing with it my keeping up with the news and trying to breathe.
My mum gave the mantra "I will get a vacation scheme and a training contract this year." so I have been saying that on repeat.

Wish me luck!

 

[Jessica Pearson - Managing Partner]

So got a Milbank rejection post stage 2. I am getting very worried - the anxiety is far too much. I am finding it quite difficult to stay motivated some days and I even wonder if all the stress is worth it. No good news this week so far so I would appreciate if law firms could start putting me out of my misery. The only good thing is that I have this forum where all my fellow soldiers in arms are fighting alongside me.

 

[Jessica Pearson - Managing Partner]

Some more bad news today. Feeling quite dejected. Kirkland & Ellis PFO post application. It is quite difficult to keep feeling motivated at this stage when I am getting no feedback. I am wondering - is it my grades, was my application bad, was there anything that I could have done differently.
I did tell myself that if I don't get a TC this year, I might just give up on law and I really don't want to but it feels like I am getting nowhere sometimes. I'm sure others feel the same. I guess we keep going.

 

[Shiv Lawy]

Keep going! I'm feeling the same way after Kirkland PFO but we probably wouldn't enjoy the cut-throat culture anyway! There will be more firms, and we only need 1!

 

[3000to1shoteverytime]

Keep on plugging away. I won't tell you the very high number of applications I made before I got a vac scheme which led to a TC offer (and then I also withdrew from 2 other ACs so who knows where they may have ended up - probably more rejections)!

You can still research and tailor your applications but it is time consuming but worth it. Those who manage to get the offer in 5, 10 or even 25 applications have had luck on their side that things align to some extent. I have ended up with a US firm offer.

 

[Jessica Pearson - Managing Partner]

Hello people. It's been a few days since I have been here. Just took a bit to decompress and reorientate myself. Waiting on some outcomes atm and doing my best not to obsess over it so you might not see me around for a while. Still waiting on Debevoise (likely PFO), Cleary (been waiting a while so who knows), Vinson & Elkins (no idea if it in batches or what), GB post test etc. etc.

Point is that there are so many things on my mind and I want to take a few days to ruminate and get myself in order. I also have plans to do some sporadic applications, improve my WG, testing and interview skills just in case (as I fell at those hurdles after applications), and also start properly applying for paralegal or law-adjacent work.

Send me your best wishes as I wait tentatively for some outcomes and thank you for all the support so far!

 

[Jessica Pearson - Managing Partner]

Two more PFOs this week and I am watching as others are getting invites to stages while my application languishes in someone's inbox.
Feeling: patiently impatient

 

[Deleted member 44323]

I know it sounds easy to say, but what I’m telling myself is that we only need one firm to say yes. You have options still and you’ve got AC invites from good firms so you’re doing something right - we just need to patient and hope one firm says yes!