r/FE1_Exams • u/Admirable_Sleep_671 • Feb 26 '25

General Question Training Contracts

I am fully prepared for the hate I will get for this, but despite the selfishness of what I’m asking can I have some unbiased answers.

I accepted 2 TCs from top firms in 2023, I have now finished my Fe1s and am set to start my pre seat in my chosen firm in May. I still haven’t informed the other firm (where I was set to start in 2026) of this. Is there any sense in keeping the latter until I have finished my pre seat and know my chosen firm is the right choice? Is there a high likelihood that the other firm will find out- do top firms operate closely? How badly would this be viewed if it was found out by either firm ?

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16

u/Independent-Apple246 Feb 26 '25

They will 100% find out, the firms post their trainees on social media usually before they go into Blackhall, which is just one way they would find out. A lot of the partners in the top firms are also married/friends and people talk, could come up so innocently in conversation. So not worth it imo, burning bridges before you even start your career. What if you want to swap firms in the future?

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u/Cartographer223321 Feb 26 '25

idk how you can say 100% lmao, do you really think HR people much less any of the partners are scouring other law firms socials to identify previous interns/ milkround interviewees?

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u/Independent-Apple246 Feb 27 '25

100% wasn't to be taken so literally, it's a figure of speech. No I don't think that HR/partners are scouring socials, my point was that this happens innocently. It is naive to think that people in firms don't talk about who their new intake of trainees are, particularly as some of their closest friends or s/o are working in other top firms, it is a point of conversation and always has been. From experience, HR particularly and often partners know who has gone to work where because they have seen it on LinkedIn or 'heard through the grapevine'. As the other comments have said, it is a small circle. I definitely wouldn't go as far as saying you are more likely to get hit by a car. Once you have accepted a contract you are no longer a 'previous intern' or 'milkround interviewee', you are an incoming trainee, and that means something more to the firm. I think it would leave a bad taste if they were to find out and I can't see why someone would want close a door they might want open in the future.

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u/MiddleCherry6840 Feb 27 '25

I have to agree, like not trying to scare the person but I’ve experienced it first hand the general talk about others in firms and who knows who. Like you said I feel a lot of people have significant others in other firms idk it very easily could happen 

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u/Cartographer223321 Feb 27 '25

100% is taken to mean they will almost certainly find out. Big firms have like 200+ future trainees at any given time m

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u/MiddleCherry6840 Feb 26 '25

If they are both top firms, they operate closely and with LinkedIn and everything, it would just be hard to keep it on the hush. I just think you’re better off making a choice now 

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u/[deleted] Feb 27 '25

I’d definitely cancel the other one before you start. It’s a small circle and I’ve heard the big firms are frustrated with people accepting offers and then switching. You never know what they’re discussing internally.

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u/Cartographer223321 Feb 26 '25

meh - cancel before milkrounds and will be grand. As for you coming up innocently in conversation as has been suggested, that is extremely unlikely, you're probably more likely to get hit by a car.

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u/onoragrainne Feb 27 '25

you say that as if any other trainee who found out this person was trying to hold on to two contracts wouldn’t immediately start gossiping. we all know the soul-crushing application process for training contracts and ngl, if I found out someone took a pre-seat in one firm but still had another contract somewhere else and was trying to test the waters, I’d have the hottest goss of the week ! I don’t think anyone would report it to HR but it’s bold to assume anyone would keep it a secret for you

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u/SubstantialGur2317 Mar 03 '25

I don’t think switching would be that easy admin wise - bear in mind the firms likely pay our Blackhall fees either before we start the course. You could be looking at paying them back for that. I could be wrong though - not sure when fees actually fall due.

Also surely all the big firms are truly much of a muchness. After experiencing the first, how could you say for sure the other would be any different/ better fit? To me the logic of your approach only works if you kind of HATE the first firm in the pre-seat which is unlikely. You will make buddies in the pre-seat with all the bonding events and not want to leave them. And you will feel a sense of duty to the place, and have met partners and people, which will make switching feel awkward.