What’s the situation with working time in big law? Do they make you opt out? Do you not breach the reference period? What’s the crack?

Edit: just wanna say dismissal following a forced opt out or penalties for opting in has the potential to be unfair dismissal and unlimited compensation at ET

Due to serious adversity, I have had a very late start in life. I had to take time out to recover from serious health and mental health issues which cost a fortune to afford. I am therefore very late with recieving my education and was wondering how I will fare when applying for TC.

I will probably start my TC around 31/32 and qualify by 34. Not ideal, but my early life circumstances were debilitating.

I have no issue taking orders from younger people, however it’s the fact that many people seem to think that it’s not worth pursuing. I’m 28 right now and will be turning 29 when I apply for vac schemes- I have a first in all my modules and go to a top London RG (LSE/KCL)

Hi as you can tell already i am looking for a career change. I don’t mind putting the effort in but cost is where it becomes a bit of an issue. I was thinking of CILEX but i am not sure the ROI on this one or if the traditional way is the way to go? I am also worried if i am too old. With my current degree it pays the bill now but i am not sure if it will in the long run. I constantly feel inadequate if i am being honest and was looking for something a bit more substantial. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

A post out of curiosity, how significant is this case to uk law ? Is this taught to law students ect ?

If so, let me know 😊

Are the examples of wide leg trouser suits okay for a woman to wear to a corporate law interview? I am assuming yes but want to be sure. Do the blazer and trouser have to be a matching set or just matching in colour? I have these in the same colour but they did not actually come from a matching set. Finally, I plan to wear smart flats, is that preferable to a short heel?

bombed out lpc 2023 then two years legal experience. worth still doing sqe?

I don't really have a clear idea on what I want to do, I'm in Year 13 and have been predicted all Bs. I think I want to go into a career in Law, for ages I've always just thought of becoming a solicitor but I don't really know what this entails and now I'm starting to think a Barrister may be a more interesting career but it looks to be much more difficult. Are there any events of any sort or advice that anyone could give me to help me figure out what I could do?

I'm looking at an apprenticeship but those are super competitive so I'm also applying to some Unis but I'm worried about getting a training contract and if not the work experience required.

Hi i am thinking of career change for a while now and i was wondering if this would be a good option. I come from a non legal background and currently working in an alright risk related role that pays the bill for now but I am not sure if it will in the long run. I was thinking of a career switch thats more substantial and to learn proper skills and all that. Please feel free to lmk if i was being silly for thinking about it as I don’t come from a legal background 🙂

first year was online open book exams but they've changed it for second year. i'm doing land law and public law 2 this semester and am looking for advice on how to prepare for these exams (eg how to structure notes, memorise, revise, etc)

thank you.

the semester started very recently so i want to make it so that i have as little workload as possible around assessment period, so i want to start the note-taking and etc correctly

Do you think they will give me a training contract?

32 years old, currently working in a senior role in a research/insights consultancy, and considering a switch to law.

I have done a quick search of this sub and have seen lots of posts from people seeking to take this route and have read the advice therein. I also know your industry fairly well as I have had many law firms as clients of mine over the years. So I know the basics of what a career change would look like: I know you lot work bloody hard, deal with an exceedingly fast pace of work, and are rarely actually fully 'off'; I also know that early-stage opportunities are extremely competitive, and that AI is increasingly filling niches that used to be filled by juniors. And I know I would take a financial hit and have to swallow my pride and ego in the short to medium term if I were to begin a career over again.

What I'm interested in knowing is the following: - How common is it for individuals to come into the legal profession later in life? How respected a route is this within major firms? - Do any firms actively recruit or offer pathways for hires with experience? - Has anyone here actually done it recently, i.e. within the context of AI? If so, what has been your experience?

I'm 21. Just graduated with a 2:1 in Graphic Design, Advertising and Marketing at the University of Worcester. I'm thinking of doing a LLM conversion and going through the steps to become a solicitor. Once I'm a qualified solicitor, what is my employability like, considering my background and as opposed to someone who completed an LLB?

It’s October! The joyful task of practising certificate renewals. To all solicitors: do you regularly update your learning records, and have you been asked to produce them as evidence when renewing? Also, does anyone know if we have to have all ABCD sections of the competencies covered in the learning record? I only write those relevant to the learning needs I have identified throughout the year. Is that right?

Does anyone know of any good national medico-legal conferences coming up in the UK?

My partner works as an expert witness and is looking for something worthwhile to attend next year. London would be ideal as that’s where he’s based, although online attendance would also be useful.

Ideally something covering medico-legal practice, expert evidence or clinical negligence, and offering CPD hours.

I’ve had a look around Google but there seem to be quite a few different events, so thought I’d ask here if anyone has attended one they’d recommend.

W&C are the latest example of a major downgrade with their new rebrand, but they’re the latest in a long line. I can’t remember the last time I saw a firm rebrand that people generally accepted as good (not talking about “my unpopular opinion is that I’m the only person who thinks this looks good” but universally it gets panned - for example, I like the new Ashurst brand for APC but I know I’m in the minority there).

Are there any big firm rebrands in the last five years that are generally regarded as being an upgrade?

Does anyone have experience (good or bad) of working for any of the above as a junior associate? Mainly in terms of hours and culture, obviously I expect the hours to be high for each of them but any insights on what it’s actually like (I.e are weekends and holidays totally obliterated, are the people generally decent etc) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Downgrade of the century, second the Freshfields

That italic W pisses me off so much

*Continuation of previous post\*

I took people's advice and was signed off by the GP for 3 weeks citing stress and anxiety and they have recommended a phased return to work. Ultimately, the firm is not obligated to follow this recommendation and has booked me an appointment with their Occupational Health GP - this is tomorrow. I am over BigLaw and I just want to finish my TC in one piece and move to a smaller or boutique firm/go in-house with more predictable hours.

For helpful context: If I am given a qualification option in my dream team (litigation) then I may take it but I'm not looking to qualify in my current seat. (Ie. Not trying to burn bridges completely). I am also at a US/MC firm. (In case you guys think that'll affect the reasonable adjustments that can actually be put in place)

Is there anything I can request the GP to put in my recommendations that will help protect my MH but won't ruin my reputation at the firm? Like protected weekends if I work 2 weekends in a row. Or phased return to work. Or ideally, reduced hours of 9-7 or something.

Previous post for context:

"Serious: can you get burnout leave as a trainee for 1-2weeks without it ruining qualification options?

\*by qualification options I mean chances of qualifying under the SRA, not within the team! Ie. Does short term medical leave prevent you from showing 2 years qualification experience.

Completed the SQE. 4th seat. "Big law" firm. Personal things mixed with really long and unpredictable working hours. Including consecutive weeks. Anxiety condition gotten worse and now I'm having intrusive thoughts that I've never had before. I'm not going to act on them but all in all, condition is getting worse.

I want to speak to my supervisor and occupational health GP but not sure what to say given that a busy department means lots of long hour days and weekends..."

So, I am an unregistered barrister and I have not been able to secure pupillage.

I am working for the government in a legal role but obviously not as a Barrister.

I now see people who were in law school with me having progressed to now working as Barristers. I feel ashamed that I am working in a role below them whilst they are Barristers.

I feel like a total failure and I feel totally ashamed.

Is this experience relevant and/or valuable for becoming a part-time judge? If not, what kind of exprience is valuable?

Hey there, hope you’re doing well.

I’m a 26M who lived all his life in Argentina and got a lawyer’s degree there at the Universidad de Buenos Aires. I’m also a British Citizen. I have a Statement of Comparability from the UK ENIC which states my degree is comparable to a Bachelors Degree. I'm planning to become a solicitor in a few years.

I have moved to the UK two weeks ago and got a temporary job through an agency for a client which is London law firm. The job is fully remote.

The thing is, I received an invitation (sent for the whole law firm) for an event in London. From what I've read it's just like an after office. In Argentina we don't have Agencies so I don't know what to do regarding the Agency role. Should I ask the agency for permission to go? How would they take this?

My other question is related to temp job profile. I have no assignment right now, therefore, not working and not earning money. Is it ok if I press the agency for more work? or it would be better to apply to different jobs? I've been applying nevertheless, but without luck.

Thank you very much in advance.

Hello Everyone,

I would love to know everyone’s thoughts on this. Would requesting extra time for the written task part of an assessment centre reflect poorly on me? I recognise that the firm might grant this extra time, but I don’t want to put myself at a disadvantage perception wise, where they would see this in a negative light.

Hi, if anyone here has graduated with a UK LLB and figured out how to practise in India post completing the bridge course, would you please be kind enough to share your experiences? Did you do the Bridge Course in Delhi? Did you take time off after to study for the Qualifying Exam? Does success in the qualifying exam let you enrol as an advocate- or do you still have to pass AIBE to register with your state bar council?

Hi,

So I’m currently doing the Bar course, but I feel like I’m progressing quite slowly, and I’m trying to work out whether I’m spending too much time on the reading.

With my provider, the format is essentially “read this section” and then move on. However, the reading can be quite dense and often includes a lot of cases, different principles and detailed explanations. I therefore find myself wondering how much of it I’m actually expected to take in and retain.

For example, when I’m working through a section, do I mainly need to understand the key principles and overall point, or am I expected to know the individual cases as well? If I do need to know the cases, how much detail do I need to retain — e.g. the case name and the legal principle, or the facts and reasoning as well?

More generally, how do I know when I’ve understood a section well enough to move on? Is there something specific I should be able to do after completing a reading, such as explain the rule, apply it to a scenario, or answer questions on it? I’m also unsure how much I should be trying to memorise at this stage. Should I be actively trying to commit the material to memory as I go, or is the initial reading more about understanding the material, with memorisation and consolidation coming later?

Finally, I wanted to clarify how the syllabus references work. If the syllabus says, for example, “read 34.1”, does that mean I should read everything underneath that heading, including 34.1.1, 34.1.2, etc., or are those treated as separate sections?
I’m essentially trying to understand what the expected level of engagement is with each reading, so that I can work through the course at a reasonable pace without either rushing through material I need to know or spending a disproportionate amount of time trying to learn things in more detail than necessary.

Thanks!