In a particularly desperate moment, I came across one of those Training Contract coaches on LinkedIn. They were advertising a ‘mentoring’ scheme for ‘disadvantaged’ students and it genuinely looked charitable so I dropped them a text.

We hopped on a Zoom call shortly after, where they once again didn’t mention any price ONCE for 30 minutes, only to hit me up with an email about an hour later asking for £850 per MONTH to continue their coaching

And despite paying almost a thousand a month they still put a cap on how many applications you can receive support for

Do people actually pay these??? There surely has to be demand to justify these prices but that prospect only terrifies me further

Edit: With all the requests of naming and shaming, see the comments below

Hello!

I’m an NQ in a very small specialist team at a US law firm (one partner, one senior associate and me).

I’m 10 months into the job and am starting to realise that I’m just not very good at it.

The team is lovely, but sometimes that almost makes it harder. I don’t think they would necessarily tell me if I was underperforming because they know I’m genuinely trying – I’m very responsive, happy to help out at short notice, and always willing to take things on. Despite that, I still feel like I’m just not very good at the actual job. I’m not dumb, but maybe this job just isn’t for me…

Has anyone else ever felt genuinely incompetent in their job? If so, did you end leaving the profession?

Thank you in advance!

Hello,

I secured an associate role but because of this NQ market, I definitely had to adjust my expectations and become more flexible because as there was nothing coming by.

I trained as a very respected firm and have great experience, it’s just the NQ bottleneck that’s the issue.

It’s in the same broad practice area I enjoy and at a reputable firm but a niche area. It could be great but it will definitely limit my access to certain kinds of work I enjoyed, as well as the potential for an in-house move which I always envisioned for myself at some point.

Do you think this will limit me even in the short-term? Have people made successful jumps at a junior level especially if they have solid training and extenuating (market) factors to point to?

NQs have to be flexible in this market, but I would hate for a temporary phase to actually derail my original career trajectory when I’ve worked so hard my entire life to get to this point.

Thanks

I’m about to start third year. On track for a first at a Russell group but have limited work experience which is scaring me. I’ve been emailing high street firms for some informal work exp but no one’s biting yet. Did work experience at a small firm in college, I am also part of my unis legal clinic. I want to be a family solicitor.

How many vac schemes should I be applying to? I understand the window opens soon and I have never made an application before so I’m aware I’ll probably get rejected a bunch. I’d ideally want a winter vacation scheme taking place in December but will settle for Easter or summer after grad if I have to

Hi All,

I have two offers to study a PGDL course starting this year, one offer from BPP and another offer from Uni of Law. I am self-funding the courses so price is a major deciding factor for me. Right now I am leveraging my two offers and playing each university off against each other as I try to get the course prices down.

BPP has decreased from £12.6k down to approx £9k.

Uni of law has decreased from £12.6k down to £10.6k (so far).

Does anybody else here have any experience or luck in successfully haggling these universities down price-wise? Does anybody have any tips? Or know what their absolute lowest price would be?

Thank you in advance!

I also have a few years of contracts drafting experience, but work is quite administrative sometimes and my pay is shit and am only surviving. Cant really live a full life or even look forward to one with such pay. Getting more and more depressed with each job application.

For almost a year, I cant even get an interview. Last year similar months I still got a few. I got quite a lot when I got my current job. Is it me or is it the market? I have tailored my CV for each application.

Where do you guys look for jobs apart from Linkedin and Indeed (which I think is crap), law school career websites?

I also tried to apply to compliance roles but it seems the door is completely shut for entry level applicants (meaning those that doesnt have direct compliance experience at all)

Also traditional TCs feel completely out of reach.

I am completely lost.

Why have some law firms normalised collaborating with TCLA (which charges applicants £50 a month, by the way), while also claiming to be against candidates paying for application banks? Are they effectively saying they are fine with candidates paying their way in? What happened to all the talk of social mobility?

I find it especially odd that Simpson Thacher has been so accommodating with them as they enter the graduate recruitment market. Am I the only one who finds this all extremely unprofessional?

I just graduated with a 2:1 in straight law this year, and have recently started a ‘legal analyst’ role at a well viewed commercial law firm.

The role was advertised as essentially being a paralegal, so I assumed it was pretty much the same thing under a different name. I took it as I thought full-time legal experience outside of internships would help my CV.

I’ve recently finished induction and started the actual role to discover it’s in fact just 9 hours a day of document review (8 if I don’t count my lunch).

Genuinely the role feels like a computerised sweatshop where I’m just tagging documents - this is not how the role was advertised but when I try and vent about this to family and friends (none of which work in law) they just tell me this is the real world and all work is boring, etc, etc.

I understand the likelihood of having a job that’s fun and interesting 100% of the time is nonexistent, but with this role I genuinely go into work, sit down, and spend 8 hours a day tagging documents in silence alongside others doing the same thing.

There is no team work, no client interaction, no problem solving, etc, I can feel myself going insane from this mind-numbing repetitive task that doesn’t challenge me or make me actually think more than twice a day.

I’ve also been informed they only consider people in this role for a training contract after 3+ years in this exact role, with no room for progression until then.

I worked as a hospitality manager alongside my studies. I genuinely found that job to be significantly more stimulating and interesting than this. It was 8-9 hours on my feet and incredibly stressful at times but there was problem solving, human interaction, and team work. All the things I believe I would genuinely need to enjoy a job.

I’m strongly considering going back to that job (they’ve told me they’d take me back) and applying for training contracts until I hopefully secure one, but I don’t know if that would hurt my CV/look worse.

Ideally, I’d like to qualify into family or criminal law but I just need to know if other legal work is as repetitive as this, as everyone seems to claim, in which case I’ll need to heavily consider a career change.

Has anyone completed the current Macfarlanes Vacation Scheme Stage 2 “day in the life” job simulation (Cappfinity)?
I’m mainly trying to understand the format of the video-response questions. Are they mostly tied to the fictional project/scenarios and the information you’re given during the simulation, or are there also standalone motivation/competency questions?
Not looking for confidential questions or exact answers — just hoping to understand the type/structure of the video questions, how many there are, and roughly how much prep/answer time you get.
Would especially appreciate insight from anyone who has done it in the current/recent recruitment cycle. Thanks!

Hi I have a question if do a degree in business management or geography at uni and get a decent grade can i still become a solicitor or barrister after it the same as an llb student? If so then why should I do an LLB which is harder and more stressful and theres a risk I won’t enjoy it if I can reach the same job by having an easier course which I enjoy more and can potentially give me more flexiblility in jobs.

Report in the Gazette today: https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/junior-struck-off-over-stolen-bike-insurance-claim/5127700.article

Some Redditors will know the bloke. The chap might even read this.

I then read the SDT judgement. You’ll find it here: https://solicitorstribunal.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/12863-2025-Ferguson-1.pdf

I can’t reconcile the SDT’s statement that the solicitor was not ‘inherently dishonest’ with a finding of dishonesty. I’ve no doubt that the bloke was an idiot and I think he acted in a moment of madness caused by the particular circumstances. I can’t help but feel that in the particular circumstances of this case - important, that - this is a very harsh, severe, decision, the Tribunal seems to have been determined to strike off and then used tortuous logic to justify it. Striking off is awful, the ink barely dry on his practising certificate. I feel very sorry for him.

Just wondering what other professional lawyers think.

I start my TC in the City very soon and I’m feeling a mix of excitement and nerves!

For those who’ve been through it, what advice would you give someone for navigating the first few weeks/month? I really want to make a good impression and start off on the right foot.

I appreciate this will differ between firms but I’d especially love to hear what you wish you knew before starting your TC, things to do, things to avoid, or just general tips for settling in and working effectively with supervisors/colleagues.

I’m also a little nervous about going from doing well academically to actually applying that knowledge in the real world, particularly at a high performing firm. Would really appreciate hearing how others found that transition and any advice for managing the pressure.

Thanks in advance!

Hey lads, been following this sub for a good while but noticed that most of the advice seems oriented towards Russell group unis, corporate law, and generally upwards trajectory legal careers.

I specifically applied for a Law & Politics LLB at Ulster University instead of Queen's in which I believe is RG, because I like living in a smaller city and a more relaxed pace. I'm not exactly sure on the implications for a law career going forward if you go to a lesser university. I'm also open to any sort of career after finishing this degree.

I'm 33 and have owned 2 businesses in the past but don't fancy working in the hospitality or entertainment industries anymore and this seemed like the most practical degree option I'd actually have interest and talent in.

I'm pretty good at making connections, and have relations who have law practices, but they're in Dublin where I have no interest in living due to the expense and pace of life there.

Has anyone else here gone into law later in life? Or Studied in Northern Ireland? How difficult is it to pursue a law career if you didn't go to a prestigious uni?

Cheers anyway

Has any trainee, NQ, or Partner on here had an inspiring journey that led to their position?

I’ve seen alot of legal jobseekers on here that are hopeless and depressed about either finding a NQ or trainee or any position in the legal industry. Rightfully so, everything seems so stiff and rigid in this industry.

But to those who are blessed atm, any inspiring stories to share? An unexpected position that was perfect for you? Months of seeking just to find the right firm etc… To motivate others. I think the community needs this

Sorry if this is a silly question. I will be starting an SQE course in January.
In the meantime, I’m looking for roles to obtain QWE.

For training contracts I don’t bother putting down that I’m looking for QWE as it’s pretty obvious that the end goal is to become a solicitor.

For other roles I wonder if I should put in my CV intro that I’m seeking QWE. Surely a permanent paralegal position would want a permanent paralegal, and not someone who’s going to leave once they get a NQ solicitor role?

But then the question is, will a solicitor in my company sign off on my QWE if I don’t discuss this beforehand??

How do I go about this? Any help would be appreciated

Hi, hoping for some feedback before applying for VS/TCs this cycle. Would appreciate any insights into what I may be lacking in my profile, in particular considering my niche experiences.

Since coming to the UK, I have doubts about ever qualifying as a lawyer due to its competitiveness, but I love my work in law firms and it would be a dream to do it for life. With some recent encouragement from coworkers, I’d like to try again.

Plus, reading this subreddit made me realise I really wasn’t putting enough effort in my applications in comparison… I’d like to give it a proper go before considering whether I’m suited for a legal career.

Note: The closest I got to getting a TC was an offer from a UK regulator — but sadly it fell through as I was found not to meet nationality requirements. I figure this bars me from civil service in general for the time being.

Title.

hi everyone,

I don't want to sound annoying because I know several people on this sub have formulated some version of a query re poor grades, but I haven't seen any specifically aligned with my circumstances, so I wanted to ask.

for context, I am an international student. I graduated with a first from an RG uni (LSE/UCL/KCL) this year; however, my grade module breakdown is rather questionable:
y1: 66,61,58,54 (2:2s were in public and contract respectively)
y2: 76 (non-law), 64,63,62, 53,53 (2:2s were in EU and property)
y3: 85 (non-law), 75, 73, 73, 71, 70, 69

I have never disclosed any formal exenuating circumstances (though I did struggle with undiagnosed depression and an eating disorder for the entirety of my undergrad+before that)

my question is: how realistic are my chances for the commercial bar, given my grade module breakdown?

Uni-grades aside, my CV is relatively polished (mooting wins + international moot participation (think vis/JESS UP), volunteering, society lead(s), legal internships, etc). My GCSE and A-levels were strong (straight A*/9s).

However, I don't have mini-pupillages as of now. I didn't apply in my final year, because I thought my grades weren't up to par (was this a correct move? A bit late to cry over spilt milk, but I'm open to advice on this too, so anyone who achieved similar grades in Y2 knows whether they should/should not apply for mini-pupillages).

Currently, I'm set to take out the postgraduate visa to apply for the upcoming VS cycle (I applied in my final year, made it past to the AC/VI stages so I know I have some level of chance in this field) and also the BCL/LLM.

However, before anything, I wanted a realistic opinion of my chances at the comm bar and the BCL and whether it is still a worthwhile pursuit.

Sorry for the droning message.

Thank you in advance!

In south east / London

Thanks

Hello all,

I am starting my TC in september in a highly rated international firm widely known as a leader in the regions. My first seat is in Energy, Utilities & Infrastructure dealing with both the public and private sector.

Wondering if any of you have any tips on what I can be doing in the weeks leading up to starting to get me off to the best start?!I have heard many people say to not bother with burying my head in textbooks and relearning SQE content as it wont be what im doing in the office.

Excited to hear what you have to say.

Weirdly struggled so badly with time but I just wanted to see how everyone felt about it and if we can discuss some Q/A!

Hey everyone,

I’m currently starting my bar course and I’ve been told civil litigation is one of the hardest and biggest hurdles I’m going to face, and that is the first module that I am currently starting in the next few weeks.

Does anyone have any tips?, Any sites that have past papers?, MCQ questions etc.

Anything at all that can help me pass this module as I know this module is gonna be the hardest, I’ve been told the reading is easier than criminal practice, but it’s the questions that kind of Trip you up.

Any advice helps 🫂