2020-21 Direct Training Contract Applications Discussion

[northernlawstud]

Do people have back-up plans in case they don't get a training contract? I'm starting to think that I need one but got no clue what I could do instead...

 

[Sam55]

Congrats Sam! When did you apply?

Thanks! I applied on 31 Dec

 

[AlRJ]

Thanks! I applied on 31 Dec

Thank you, I applied a couple weeks after you so wanted to see how they are responding to people. Super good luck!

 

[zigzag84]

Do people have back-up plans in case they don't get a training contract? I'm starting to think that I need one but got no clue what I could do instead...

Hey, are you a final year student?

 

[northernlawstud]

Hey, are you a final year student?

I'm currently doing my LLM, will graduate this year

 

[zigzag84]

I'm currently doing my LLM, will graduate this year

Ooo ok so I graduated last year an hadn’t secured a TC so I went looking for legal assistant/ paralegal roles. (I know this is easier said than done in the current market) but I landed a position as a legal assistant. So something like that is always an option.
But you still have a lot of opportunities to gain a TC so best of luck

 

[letsee]

Hi -- I hate to be that guy, but does anyone know how much time roughly passes between the final interview and offers/rejections going out? The interviewer said they were about half-way through and there are 10 spots on their programme.

 

[zigzag84]

Hi -- I hate to be that guy, but does anyone know how much time roughly passes between the final interview and offers/rejections going out? The interviewer said they were about half-way through and there are 10 spots on their programme.

Hey, definitely firm dependant but I would say the latest date your looking at is a week after their last interview. Some give offers out whilst still interviewing, but 10 is such a small number they might wait till all interviews are done

 

[letsee]

Hey, definitely firm dependant but I would say the latest date your looking at is a week after their last interview. Some give offers out whilst still interviewing, but 10 is such a small number they might wait till all interviews are done

Thank you, I'm biting my nails to stubs so the insight is really appreciated!

 

[LawStudentTC]

Even though WBD have not provided us with the outcome of applications, i hope they know how HUGELY appreciated it is to receive an update. It relieves a huge amount of anxiety!

 

[zigzag84]

Thank you, I'm biting my nails to stubs so the insight is really appreciated!

I know the wait can be horrible but just try distract yourself and at least now it’s the weekend so just relax because you know they are not going to call over the next two days

 

[Anon 11031]

Also, to add onto the back of my last comment. Someone close to me, who has worked for 2 international law firms in their 4 years PQ, didn't manage to get a TC for 5 years after graduation. In the meantime, they worked paralegal and assistant jobs to gain experience and got a TC with a small firm.

So, it's not the end if it takes a couple of years. It's good to apply for professional roles because it increases your experience and credibility. So definitely apply for jobs other than TCs! I'm sure you will get there in the end ❤️

 

[NLaw18]

Questions like this are both really easy and really difficult because there is no right or wrong answer. You can discuss really anything you'd like to. It's a question that is trying to understand what you do in your free time that your particularly passionate about/what makes you happy/what can you talk about for hours without ever getting bored? Since you say you're a football fan then go ahead an talk about the VAR, but don't feel the need to talk about anything legal because I think the further away you stay from legal topics the better.

Hi Deepa,
I was wondering if I could possibly discuss pro bono work here, since it is something I am genuinely passionate about and have volunteered for in the past or would that be too legal a topic to discuss? I would really appreciate some guidance on the same, thanks a lot!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Deepa,
I was wondering if I could possibly discuss pro bono work here, since it is something I am genuinely passionate about and have volunteered for in the past or would that be too legal a topic to discuss? I would really appreciate some guidance on the same, thanks a lot!

Though I’d respond to this as have seen a lot of BM applications over the last 6 months.

It is fine to use pro bono if it is truly something you can talk about and evidence. If you do, focus on why it excites/inspires you rather than the specific detail of the processes you have done during pro bono work. People tend to go wrong by trying to prove their skill set or motivation for law in the answer rather than answering the question.

However, if your pro bono work is elsewhere in your application (eg in a work experience section or used in other questions) then this could be a missed opportunity to demonstrate a wider range of interests and show you to be much more multifaceted individual. So just think about how it fits into your wider application. It may mean you keep this as your “excites and inspires” question but you swap out other answer to show there is more to you than just law.

 

[Dheepa]

Hi Deepa,
I was wondering if I could possibly discuss pro bono work here, since it is something I am genuinely passionate about and have volunteered for in the past or would that be too legal a topic to discuss? I would really appreciate some guidance on the same, thanks a lot!

When I said try not to talk about something legal in my initial response I was just indicating that a lot of candidates feel the need to tie it back to the firm or their motivations for law when really there’s no need to do either with a question like this. It should be all about you - and if pro bono is something you really are passionate about then of course that’s what you should be discussing.

Completely agree with Jess on keeping your wider application in mind as well - if pro bono comes up elsewhere and there maybe is another interest you could discuss then do that instead. Really the point of questions like this is for the firm to get a better picture of your personality so just keep in mind that you want to give them the “full” picture and not just rehash information found in other parts of your app.

 

[TT98]

me too, mine is on the 7th! when is yours, really thought I messed up the VI

Congrats! Mine is on the 26th March so quite soon, it all feels very last minute!! I thought mine went quite badly too so I am surprised I even got to this point. Is your AC for the London office too?

 

[Alessandro]

Hey all! Hope you all had good weekends. I was wondering, does anyone put their Open Days and Insight Days, as work experience on their applications? I'm a career changer so have a fair amount of exp in other related fields but absolutely nada in law itself, so was wondering if this is a valid way of showing commitment to law seeing as I'm yet to study it and am yet to get any exp at a law firm?

 

[LEL]

Hey all! Hope you all had good weekends. I was wondering, does anyone put their Open Days and Insight Days, as work experience on their applications? I'm a career changer so have a fair amount of exp in other related fields but absolutely nada in law itself, so was wondering if this is a valid way of showing commitment to law seeing as I'm yet to study it and am yet to get any exp at a law firm?

Yes definitely, it demonstrates your commitment, particularly if you're applying to a similar firm you've attended an open day for. Just write a few sentences about what you learned during the day and how it reinforced your motivation for commercial law. If you've attended many open/insight days, best just to group them under one work experience.

 

[to law or not to law?]

Is it too late for me to apply for the Macfarlanes direct TC? the deadline is 31 July and I know they are rolling so I am not sure if there is any point

 

[JoeyTr]

Is it too late for me to apply for the Macfarlanes direct TC? the deadline is 31 July and I know they are rolling so I am not sure if there is any point

never too late! go for it we're rooting for you