Seeking Advice in PGDL pathway and qualifying as a Solicitor

[FutSolMARQ]

Hello Everyone! How are you all? I hope this message finds you well. First of all, this is my first time signing up on this website and posting a query. I honestly don't know anything about posting on right discussions threads etc. so I apologize for mistakes or shortcomings. I am a final-year undergrad averaging at 96% from a non-law background set in graduate in 2026. I plan to qualify as a solicitor from the UK and secure a TC 2028 at a Biglaw. I am interested in corporate law especially M&A practice. It would be really helpful to me if you guys help me on the following: 1) Is a PGDL necessary for a Biglaw or will MA(law conversion) work? 2) What courses shall I take as I have finished multiple courses related to law, finance from coursera so what else can i do rn as I can't start my intern except after graduation. 3) Also, I secured very low marks in A-levels but earned First-class honors since my first year of uni till now. Will it suffice at biglaw?
please help . Thanks

 

[Amma Usman]

Hey,

It’s great to hear you’re interested in breaking into the profession!

As you’re interested in M&A, I suggest tailoring your applications more towards firms that have core offerings in transactional practices. Know why it interests you, why you want to partake in it at that firm specifically, and why you‘ll be a great fit.

As you are a non-law student, you will most likely do the PGDL, and most big city law firms will sponsor for this, as opposed to the MA Law conversion course.

To be honest, there is not much to study or prepare for right now. A lot of it will be covered during the actual course and they are scheduled such that you have enough time to study, attend classes, and prepare adequately during the set course duration.

Regarding the A-Level grades, most firms will have set requirements (see below link), but there is the opportunity to disclose any mitigating circumstances in your application.

Law Firms: A-Level Requirements List

Hello everyone! We have been getting a lot of inquires relating to A-Level requirements, so we created this thread with a list of law firms (arranged alphabetically) to help out this cycle! Feel free to let us know if you need any more information or guidance. Name of Law Firm A-Level...

www.thecorporatelawacademy.com

 

[Amma Usman]

RE: posting in the forums…

So first go to the TCLA website - this is the main forum where people talk about law firm applications, interviews, and so on.

Once you're on there, make sure you're signed in. After that, you’ll see that the forum is split into different sections.

If you want to talk about anything interview-related, like what to expect, questions you got asked, how it went, etc., go to the Interview Discussion section. Click into that and either reply to an existing thread or start a new one if your question hasn’t already been asked.

For anything application-related - whether it’s asking for advice, talking about your progress, or wondering what to put in a certain answer - go to the Application Discussion section.

Within Application Discussion, there are two really active threads that are popular for this cycle: the Vacation Scheme thread and the Training Contract thread. If you have any questions or updates related to your vac scheme or TC applications, post them in the relevant thread.

There are many other sections too, such as Commercial Awareness, etc. Just use your discretion to see which fits best with your query!

Hope this helped.