Should I defer my TC to attend ACs?

[m.a.t.]

Hey guys
I’m currently facing a little conundrum and I would appreciate any advice. I currently have a TC with a silver circle law firm and I am supposed to start the LPC in February and start my TC in September 2022. However, I just got an AC with Linklaters and Hogan Lovells in February for the direct TC as well. I am not sure if I should go ahead and start the LPC with the silver circle firm or defer to see if I will get a TC offer from Links/HL.

Starting the LPC next month is advantageous for me because I am an international student and my visa expires soon so if I start the LPC with the silver circle firm, I wouldn’t have to pay for the visa fees myself. The second advantage of starting in February is that I wouldn’t have to do the SQE which is longer and more uncertain. However, the advantage of deferring to September 2023, which is the next available start date, is that I would have more time to see if I can secure a TC at Linklaters or Hogan Lovells. I am not sure if that is a good enough reason to potentially waste a year and to risk doing the more uncertain SQE. Is the prospect of training at a MC firm worth it or should I go ahead with starting the LPC and TC with the silver circle firm?

@Jessica Booker Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hey guys
I’m currently facing a little conundrum and I would appreciate any advice. I currently have a TC with a silver circle law firm and I am supposed to start the LPC in February and start my TC in September 2022. However, I just got an AC with Linklaters and Hogan Lovells in February for the direct TC as well. I am not sure if I should go ahead and start the LPC with the silver circle firm or defer to see if I will get a TC offer from Links/HL.

Starting the LPC next month is advantageous for me because I am an international student and my visa expires soon so if I start the LPC with the silver circle firm, I wouldn’t have to pay for the visa fees myself. The second advantage of starting in February is that I wouldn’t have to do the SQE which is longer and more uncertain. However, the advantage of deferring to September 2023, which is the next available start date, is that I would have more time to see if I can secure a TC at Linklaters or Hogan Lovells. I am not sure if that is a good enough reason to potentially waste a year and to risk doing the more uncertain SQE. Is the prospect of training at a MC firm worth it or should I go ahead with starting the LPC and TC with the silver circle firm?

@Jessica Booker Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you!

If your LPC course is starting in a matter of weeks, I am assuming you have started/completed the enrolment process. If that is the case, then you are going to have a financial tie to your SC firm anyway.

Aren't the likes of Linklaters and HL currently recruiting for their 2024 intakes? If so, you will have qualified with your SC firm by the time that you would start a TC with another. There is quite a significant opportunity cost to that.

HL is really considered the equivalent of a SC firm anyway, so although it might fit your personal preferences more, it probably wouldn’t be much of a brand upgrade to your current offer. Linklaters might be slightly different, but even then the difference is not huge. It might be possible to even move to HL or Links as an associate if that’s who you want to aim for longer term.

 

[DT89]

I am sorry if this sounds rude or bitter. But have you not read this? - https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/en/to...ry-code-of-recruitment-for-trainee-solicitors
I mean for all the integrity and moral horse people talk about themselves on their application, it's quite hard not to judge.

 

[Jessica Booker]

I am sorry if this sounds rude or bitter. But have you not read this? - https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/en/to...ry-code-of-recruitment-for-trainee-solicitors
I mean for all the integrity and moral horse people talk about themselves on their application, it's quite hard not to judge.

The problem with the code is that it is completely voluntary - many firms don’t even stick to it, so it’s pretty difficult to ask candidates to do the same.

 

[James Carrabino]

Hey guys
I’m currently facing a little conundrum and I would appreciate any advice. I currently have a TC with a silver circle law firm and I am supposed to start the LPC in February and start my TC in September 2022. However, I just got an AC with Linklaters and Hogan Lovells in February for the direct TC as well. I am not sure if I should go ahead and start the LPC with the silver circle firm or defer to see if I will get a TC offer from Links/HL.

Starting the LPC next month is advantageous for me because I am an international student and my visa expires soon so if I start the LPC with the silver circle firm, I wouldn’t have to pay for the visa fees myself. The second advantage of starting in February is that I wouldn’t have to do the SQE which is longer and more uncertain. However, the advantage of deferring to September 2023, which is the next available start date, is that I would have more time to see if I can secure a TC at Linklaters or Hogan Lovells. I am not sure if that is a good enough reason to potentially waste a year and to risk doing the more uncertain SQE. Is the prospect of training at a MC firm worth it or should I go ahead with starting the LPC and TC with the silver circle firm?

@Jessica Booker Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you!

I am sorry if this sounds rude or bitter. But have you not read this? - https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/en/to...ry-code-of-recruitment-for-trainee-solicitors
I mean for all the integrity and moral horse people talk about themselves on their application, it's quite hard not to judge.

First of all, congratulations on receiving an offer from such an excellent firm!!

To be completely honest here, the decision seems like a no-brainer to me unless, of course, there are factors influencing your decision making process which you have not mentioned here (e.g. practice area focus)!

A lot of us at TCLA know from experience that an AC can be a far cry from a TC... 🤣 I am sure that you would be a great candidate and can ace your AC, but even then you will have at least a year delay before starting your TC regardless of which path you choose.

Now, if there is something that you were already considering doing for a year then this is not a consideration at all or could even be a plus factor for you. Otherwise, the year delay in starting your career could cancel out the perceived brand difference between the two since you will have excellent training regardless and a year of extra experience could be desirable should you want to move elsewhere. Only if you know that Linklaters or Hogan Lovells is your dream firm where you ultimately want to spend your career, then might I consider delaying (although there could still be a good chance of ending up there later on).

It also all depends on what kind of law you want to do. If your silver circle firm is Macfarlanes and you want to do private client work, then I would absolutely go there instead of Hogan Lovells or Linklaters even if the offers were all to start at the same time. Note that the Wikipedia article about the Magic Circle clarifies that Silver Circle firms often rank higher than Magic Circle firms in a range of areas and that the main difference is their more domestic focus as opposed to the MC's global focus - 'Contrary to what the term Silver Circle may suggest, there is no Golden Circle'.

You will have excellent training at your Silver Circle firm and there is high liquidity in the associate market meaning that you could easily end up at a Magic Circle firm later on. Both Magic Circle and Silver Circle trainees often end up at US firms anyway!

Considering the visa issue and the year delay (unless this could be a plus for you), in addition to the uncertainty of whether you will even get an offer, I would definitely begin your Silver Circle TC. On the other hand, I would not worry about the SQE consideration - everyone will be doing it next year so it really cannot pose that much uncertainty. Besides, one would hope that they are implementing it since it is better than the LPC...

Finally, is it possible to do the interviews and simply not defer your current offer? You could then drop out if necessary, and I disagree with @DT89 on the point about ethics because there is a reason that the SRA withdrew from the code of good practice in recruitment back in 2015... it is impossible to enforce and many firms choose not to uphold it. Ultimately, applicants have very little power in this process so it could be seen as unfair to ask them to uphold a recruitment code which firms do not.

Congratulations again and do let us know what you decide