The firm’s website says that their recruitment standards are the same year on year. If I met them last year I don’t understand how I don’t meet them this year especially since I have more work experience and a better application. I applied late into a rolling type of firm so I made sure to apply early.

It’s been 3 years since I’ve graduated and it seems like everyone can land a graduate job except me. I detach and refuse to let it bring me down though. Can someone shed light into this please?

Introverts, how do you cope? I started working in an open plan office after working in 2-3 person shared offices and I found myself surprisingly drained each day and dreading the office. This isn’t my first time being in an open plan office, but goodness I feel so overstimulated from all the chatter, and rather exposed / watched as I have a fixed seat between my superiors. As a junior I’m not sure it looks good to sit in a quiet booth to work for more than 1-2h daily as well?

How do you also navigate having enough energy to go to work socials / drinks in the eve? By the time I get to Thurs eve, I’m knackered, having gone into the office 3-4 days consecutively! (and I’d rather be home or with friends/family instead! but even if I have my own social plans, I struggle to make it to them due to being tired / social battery at 0)

[To clarify, it’s not about long hours at the moment as my hours are currently okay. And I don’t know if I am neurodivergent but I wouldn’t rule it out.]

Hi everyone, has anyone received a job offer despite not necessarily ticking all the boxes of an ideal candidate for the role, and you felt that the firm took your extenuating circumstances into account?

What do you think helped you stand out?

The vast majority of my day is spent chasing completion/instructions/doing compliance stuff etc- drafting makes up perhaps 5-10% of my time at work. Is this the same for everyone?

Im in my first year for the LLB (uni of Birmingham) program for postgrads, and I haven't really made friends. Im near reading week and I'm bored af (I'm going crazy LOL). I have 2 new friends but it seems like they’re kinda dry towards me LOL. Some things about me: I like going to the gym, I love dancehall
music, and i like drinking. I just wanna hangout so hmu if you have the same interests and wanna be friends or if ur just looking for a friend. I'm brown, F, and I’m from Toronto Canada :)

Considering applying for a TC (London office) and would be great to hear from the experiences of people currently or formerly employed by them (or even on the opposite side). I know these experiences will also differ by office and practice area, but whatever people feel most comfortable sharing would be greatly appreciated.

Hi all, recent grad here trying to land vac schemes (i know most dont require a CV though) at firms specialising in commercial litigation.

As title suggests - honest advice please!

Those who qualified in 2026 and looking for roles. What’s kept you going? How hopeful are you feeling?

Saw a tiktok about a young doctor talking about how awkward he feels with patients his age, and medical professionals were sharing that they essentially just talk to their age-mates like they would a friend. Wondered what the vibe is over here with us.

Has anyone else ever felt that internal awkwardness when working with clients who are your age or younger? Obviously need an SRA disclaimer here so: I maintain a high standard of client care and remain professional, regardless of how I’m feeling internally, but I’m curious whether anyone else has experienced this.

I’ve had clients who use slang I’d use in my personal life or make jokes that I’d make with my own friends, bc we’re obviously in the same tiktok/reddit/humour circles. I’m never sure if it’s okay to mirror their tone slightly to build rapport and help them feel comfortable, or keep my more formal approach to make sure they can trust me as an actual real legal professional🫠

I worry whether being too formal can unintentionally come across as distant or as though I’m putting myself above them, which is obviously never my intention.

At the same time, I want them to feel that they can trust me, feel comfortable opening up to me, and have confidence in my professional judgement and capabilities, regardless of the fact that we’re the same age and I’m not some senior experienced partner.

How do you strike that balance between building a genuine rapport with clients and maintaining professional boundaries, particularly when there’s little or no age gap?

Hello! I am taking the LNAT in December. I’ve been preparing for 2 months and have been getting around 27 on most mocks and I believe I’m able to improve further. However, as I’m an international student and English is not my first language, I don’t really feel that confident with Section B (working on it tho!). My predicted grades are 3A* (and full marks in a law-related EPQ). I’m currently trying to balance out my uni choices between reaches and safeties, as I’m really anxious that on the day of my test something will go wrong and I’ll bomb it. Could you please tell me if this is a good list and if Warwick and QMUL are respected? At this point I really don’t know if I’m underestimating myself, I’m just really really scared. It’s so unfair we can’t get the results before submitting UCAS. For context, I’d love to pursue international criminal law in the future, and work in NGOs, etc. (I know this is very far-fetched tho haha)

KCL LLB
KCL PPL
LSE Anthropology and Law (My PS is really tailored to this one, and yes, I have an equal interest in both subjects)
QMUL English with European Law
Warwick English and French Law

Thank you!!

Thank you to all the people within this subreddit that assisted me in my several CV's up until this one.

This is the one that got me 6 interviews within a single week and two job offers for a paralegal all at credible law firms - I have just graduated in july and was struggling but keep applying and it will work out for you. I hope this CV format and the things in it help those who are struggling to get past screening, KEEP APPLYING!!!

I'm a first year studying History at Loughborough. I was meant to go to Warwick, and I got the grades, but due to illness I was forced to reconsider and stay closer to home. Will the fact that I'm not going to a Russell Group uni hold me back at all?

I have just started university and am already quite disillusioned with it all. I know that experience is key along with academics to get this type of job. It seems like everyone around me already has so much. One girl, 5 legal internships before starting university.

Is it enough just to have: a few open days, a spring week or two, a vacation scheme, and some other minor mooting / extracurricular things?

Thank you for your time.

Hi everyone,

i’ve just started doing the CGQ route with CILEX and was wondering if anyone else on here was also going down this route and how people are finding it/ found it.

Medical negligence salary for nq in north west what is the salary ranges

Starting my paralegal role in a couple of weeks (clinical negligence) and honestly just absolutely shitting my self that I am not gonna be good enough/ can’t handle the pressure or that I’m gonna make bad mistakes

Wanted to be a solicitor since a child I really overcame a lot of adversity from a very poor drug addled family , i have a first class law degree, my LPC and quite extensive knowledge regarding medical stuff

However the past few years my health suffered severely eventually found out I had cancer and I’m now dealing with PTSD as a result,

Has anyone ever actually made it despite such difficulties, part of me wants to tell them I can’t do it and go work part time in a book store.

Hi all, I’m currently applying for training contracts and vac schemes at UK/US law firms. I seem to do well at the first stages and progress to SJT assessments, usually Cappfinity or Amberjack. But then I struggle a lotttt with these and it weakens my applications and I don’t progress

Unfortunately, I’m under a lot of financial constraints atm and can’t really spend £80-90 on question banks like a lot of the ones I’m seeing. Does anyone know of any free resources or even budget friendly ones which are helpful, that they use to get better at these SJTs?

Thanks

I completed an interview with a firm the other day and have now been invited to a final interview with a partner.

The only issue is during the interview I was asked about my notice period, and I said it was 2 months. However, upon reviewing my contract today, it is actually 3 months.

I haven’t been offered the job, but do you think I should correct this in the interview or with the recruiter by email?

Harvey seems to have bought up all the advertising space in Temple for "Harvey for Barristers". I'm incredibly skeptical of what is, essentially, a custom harness / GPT wrapper but - that aside - has anyone signed up or gotten a quote? I'm curious about how they plan to charge sole traders but I don't want to get spam calls from them for the next 6 months.

Can you please tell me what is needed in a handover note, something that helped you a lot and that’s needed, specific processes, unwritten rules etc…

I’m considering a Senior Paralegal role in international arbitration at a City law firm, and the proposed contract includes a three-month notice period.
Is this normal for senior paralegal positions at City firms, particularly in international arbitration or commercial litigation?
My main concern is that a three-month notice period could put off prospective employers or make it difficult to secure another role, especially if a new employer wants someone to start sooner.
Would you negotiate for a one-month notice period, or is three months fairly standard for this level? I’m also interested in hearing from people who have changed firms while subject to a three-month notice period.
Would appreciate any advice from people working in London law firms, particularly in disputes or arbitration.

Hi All, I'm posting to find out honestly whether I'd be a suitable and desirable candidate for applying to a TC (will need to do a law conversion), or whether this isn't the right path for me.

About me: I'm 30 and would like to retrain as a personal injury solicitor. I'm specifically interested in catastrophic brain injury claims.

My background: I have psychology degrees (UG & PG). After graduating, I worked as a support worker, assistant psychologist, and a brain injury care manager at a dom care company. I now work in business development at a hospital, within our trauma and rehab team. I work with solicitors (claimant & defendant), motor insurers and rehab case managers.

Throughout all of it, I've been passionate about supporting people with brain injuries. I've supported clients directly, and in case coordination I liaised with legal teams, the MDT and case managers to plan interventions that helped clients meet their goals. I've seen the barriers at every stage, from rehabilitation to litigation to life after settlement.

Why law: Law has interested me for a while, but I’ve been thinking about it seriously now . When I think about my long-term career, I see myself moving into senior commercial, strategy or BD roles in healthcare. But the more senior you get, the more it's about wider business growth, revenue, profit, and the further it takes you from clients. What interests me, and what I'm passionate about, is working as closely as possible with clients. My earlier roles allowed me to do that, and I want to keep doing it, albeit in a different capacity. Working as a solicitor, would allow me to support a client through their entire journey. And I think, I do have real understanding of how solicitors, insurers, clinicians and rehab providers fit/work together. I know law firms are businesses too, and my BD experience has given me valuable commercial insight/skills that I'd bring with me.

My worry: I'm a non-law graduate, and many people going for training contracts are law graduates, paralegals, or already working at the firm (e.g, within the firms rehab team). Would claimant firms look at my experience and see someone who could make a good lawyer? Is this the right choice? Or have I got way to far ahead of myself?

Happy to answer any questions in the comments!

I've noticed that a lot of UK commercial law firms ask for AAB at A level or equivalent as part of their academic requirements. I completed the IB Diploma and achieved 33 points, which does say is either an ABB or BBB on some websites.

I still somehow managed to get into an RG uni where I'm currently in my second year studying PPL, and I got a first class average in my first year.

So how would firms approach this? Do strong uni grades help compensate for lower secondary school results, or would firms with fixed academic screening criteria generally reject applicants who don't meet the stated requirements, regardless of subsequent academic performance?

For context, I didn't have any mitigating circumstances affecting my IB results.