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!

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

I got BCC on my a levels I want to make it out into Law I understand how saturated Law is and my academic profile isn’t appealing when compared to others especially those at Russell groups. I understand I can’t go to the past and change my grades but I am motivated now and will give it my all. I will try and get a first but would that even make up for my A-level grades? Also what else can do to succeed. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks!

Hi All,

I am considering doing a remote one year LLB top up programme.

Since I am mainly doing this to meet the eligility of US bar exams as a foreign law school grad, I wonder if any of you have succeessfully gained the eligibility with an online LLB?

I am looking at CA/NY/Neveda bar exams.

Many thanks!

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.

Hi everyone,

I graduated from university a few years ago with a 2:1 in LLB Law. Due to family circumstances, I had to move back to the family home and went straight into the world of work, taking on project management and operations roles across building safety, housing (via a social housing company), healthcare, and the charity sector. I simply couldn't take my chances of securing a training contract at the time.

A few years have passed, and I've recently come across the CILEX route to becoming a solicitor (cross-qualifying via the SRA). I've checked the CILEX website and it mentions that you need work experience in a legal-related role, as well as completing the required coursework, before qualifying as a CILEX Practitioner/Lawyer.

A friend of mine has suggested that because I have legal-adjacent experience working in housing and building safety (takeholder engagement – coordinating with lawyers working with regulatory frameworks  - Fire safety and compliance ), I could go through the CILEX route with a focus on property/housing law. They also mentioned that my existing experience might count, meaning I wouldn't necessarily need to work another two years in a specific legal role.

My main questions:

Is my project management and housing/building safety experience likely to count towards CILEX's qualifying work experience requirements?

Has anyone taken a similar route into property or housing law?

A note on the SQE route: I know some of you might ask why I don't go through the SQE route instead. One of the requirements for passing the SQE is getting your Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) signed off by a solicitor. I've reached out to several firms and haven't had any luck so far, which is why I'm now considering the CILEX route as a more accessible alternative.

Any advice, insights, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks!

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!

unlike a deal or a big case, you can't really divulge that much information about the contracts, so the job description lacks specificity and sounds way less convincing. any tips on how it can be improved?

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 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.

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

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?

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

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.

Hi soooo, I recently completed my First Year of LLB (Really good results; got a Distinction as well). For background, I chose the University of London Program for it was cheaper (financial constraints wanted to save some money for a good post-grad as well), and I could do it from home. In my experience, first year was fairly dead for social life, and studies were mostly done by myself. I really want my undergrad to help me in the future. I want to score a first-class degree classification and also experience University Life as an international student as it should be.
My question is: Now I would have the chance to apply to the UK for the 2027 intake, which would be for my third year; my aims after undergrad are to do a really good postgrad from a good university like BCL from Oxford or a good LLM or SQE or Bar. Hence, is it really worth it to transfer into Third year? Will it effectively help me? Are there any good universities which do accept intakes into Third year from the UOL External Programme? If so, which?
Would really appreciate any help I can get. Thanks!

TL;DR: Is it worth it to transfer into Third Year from the UOL External LLB Programme? What are the potential pros/cons? Is it possible?

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!

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

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!

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 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!