2nd year law student query on a legal career within the corporate world

[Aleksandar]

Hi all!

I have come across many forums that relate to law to try and get some general advice on what direction I should be focusing on to have a legal career.

My situation is very difficult, partly due to covid, but I do want to take most accountability for the reason why I put myself in such a situation.

I am a 2nd year law student at a university within central London currently undertaking my LLB bachelor. To give some context on my current position, I did my a level from 2018-2019. I finished my first year and went onto start my second year at a level but covid hit and my a levels had been cancelled resulting in our teachers marking our grades. I was marked a Merit in IT, C in Criminology and an E in law... yes an E... Both covid and my lack of enthusiasm for the subjects that I did for a level hit me hard but there is no one but myself to blame so I took it up on my chin and moved on...


After finishing my first year with around 70% I have entered my second year with a goal of pushing hard and getting a first. I am working 15+ hours a day to try and achieve this goal. I’m in a situation where I want to peruse a career in corporate law within a magic circle firm but I’m not sure if that will be possible...

I have set myself a plan that I will want to take a masters after university at a more prestigious university then the one that I’m currently in. Along with this I was contemplating doing a PHD at a prestigious university within London but upon looking at another thread on here and coming to the conclusion that it may be too academic and firms may not see it as an advantage of other students, I have decided to hold onto this idea until I get close to finishing my masters.

The whole idea about why I wanna do a phd and a masters, to some extent, depend on two reasons...

1) to essentially try and stand out and...

2) show that I am in fact dedicated in having a legal career within the corporate world, despite the mistakes I made at a levels.. in other words I want to show that I took accountability and acted on my mistakes..

To be plain and simple the reason that I am interested in Corporate law is that it is something that I find interesting and it pays very well. Upon doing my uni work I have been on the look out for various of opportunities that my university forwards me, in the hopes of getting some experience that relate to the corporate world.

Hopefully I can get some general feedback and I’ll make sure I reply if there are any questions regards anything that I have or haven’t talked about.

 

[George Maxwell]

Hi all!

I have come across many forums that relate to law to try and get some general advice on what direction I should be focusing on to have a legal career.

My situation is very difficult, partly due to covid, but I do want to take most accountability for the reason why I put myself in such a situation.

I am a 2nd year law student at a university within central London currently undertaking my LLB bachelor. To give some context on my current position, I did my a level from 2018-2019. I finished my first year and went onto start my second year at a level but covid hit and my a levels had been cancelled resulting in our teachers marking our grades. I was marked a Merit in IT, C in Criminology and an E in law... yes an E... Both covid and my lack of enthusiasm for the subjects that I did for a level hit me hard but there is no one but myself to blame so I took it up on my chin and moved on...


After finishing my first year with around 70% I have entered my second year with a goal of pushing hard and getting a first. I am working 15+ hours a day to try and achieve this goal. I’m in a situation where I want to peruse a career in corporate law within a magic circle firm but I’m not sure if that will be possible...

I have set myself a plan that I will want to take a masters after university at a more prestigious university then the one that I’m currently in. Along with this I was contemplating doing a PHD at a prestigious university within London but upon looking at another thread on here and coming to the conclusion that it may be too academic and firms may not see it as an advantage of other students, I have decided to hold onto this idea until I get close to finishing my masters.

The whole idea about why I wanna do a phd and a masters, to some extent, depend on two reasons...

1) to essentially try and stand out and...

2) show that I am in fact dedicated in having a legal career within the corporate world, despite the mistakes I made at a levels.. in other words I want to show that I took accountability and acted on my mistakes..

To be plain and simple the reason that I am interested in Corporate law is that it is something that I find interesting and it pays very well. Upon doing my uni work I have been on the look out for various of opportunities that my university forwards me, in the hopes of getting some experience that relate to the corporate world.

Hopefully I can get some general feedback and I’ll make sure I reply if there are any questions regards anything that I have or haven’t talked about.

Hi @Aleksandar,

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your story with the forum! It is great to meet you. Congratulations on your fantastic university grades.

I found your post inspiring. It sounds like you are someone who went through a difficult time during your A-levels, and as a result, your grades suffered. Your determination to succeed is obvious and apparent. This is exactly the sort of reaction that commercial firms will look for in future trainees (i.e., resilient individuals who are highly-motivated).

With regards to your plan, there is no 'right' answer on this, nor is there a necessarily clear answer on what exactly firms will be looking for, nor what the 'best' candidate looks like. Many firms will also take mitigating circumstances seriously and some do not take school grades into account at all(!). However, in my opinion, focusing on your university course for now does sound like a good plan.

However, make sure that you are putting time aside for other things. No one can work all the time with no break. It just is not efficient to do so and I worry that it may risk burnout. Firms, from my experience, also look for people with interests that are external to law.

I am tagging @Jessica Booker here for her thoughts on the utility of doing a PhD.

Please do reach out if you would like any further advice or help with your applications!

 

[IRO]

I wouldn't advise doing a PhD unless you have genuine research interests that you want to pursue and/or are considering becoming an academic. I'm about to finish my doctorate and whilst I'm sure it helped my TC applications somewhat I doubt it made a large amount of difference. It's also incredibly difficult to do a PhD and you might struggle with the workload if your heart isn't really in it. I'm also not sure how much the prestige of unis is taken into consideration, I've been at Oxbridge for all 3 of my degrees and I don't think it made a difference.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Postgraduate study is not a requirement for the job and so rarely makes a candidate stand out. A masters can show your intellectual capabilities, especially if a firm is a little more sniffy about the university you attended (less likely if you are looking at MC firms though). But a PhD is exceptionally rare and usually only undertaken if you want a career in academia, not in commercial law.

Your dedication can be shown in many other ways, and many will be more practical than a masters or a PhD. There aren’t huge connections/correlations between academic law and working in a commercial law firm, and so firms won’t necessarily think that a PhD demonstrates this dedication. In some instances, it may make them question whether you are more interested in academic law.

The advice from most graduate recruiters will be to only pursue postgraduate study if it’s something you personally want to pursue - very few will recommend it from a “it will make your application stand out perspective”. The exceptions are if you are going into a niche area of law and your masters is aligned to that niche.

 

[AvniD]

Hi all!

I have come across many forums that relate to law to try and get some general advice on what direction I should be focusing on to have a legal career.

My situation is very difficult, partly due to covid, but I do want to take most accountability for the reason why I put myself in such a situation.

I am a 2nd year law student at a university within central London currently undertaking my LLB bachelor. To give some context on my current position, I did my a level from 2018-2019. I finished my first year and went onto start my second year at a level but covid hit and my a levels had been cancelled resulting in our teachers marking our grades. I was marked a Merit in IT, C in Criminology and an E in law... yes an E... Both covid and my lack of enthusiasm for the subjects that I did for a level hit me hard but there is no one but myself to blame so I took it up on my chin and moved on...


After finishing my first year with around 70% I have entered my second year with a goal of pushing hard and getting a first. I am working 15+ hours a day to try and achieve this goal. I’m in a situation where I want to peruse a career in corporate law within a magic circle firm but I’m not sure if that will be possible...

I have set myself a plan that I will want to take a masters after university at a more prestigious university then the one that I’m currently in. Along with this I was contemplating doing a PHD at a prestigious university within London but upon looking at another thread on here and coming to the conclusion that it may be too academic and firms may not see it as an advantage of other students, I have decided to hold onto this idea until I get close to finishing my masters.

The whole idea about why I wanna do a phd and a masters, to some extent, depend on two reasons...

1) to essentially try and stand out and...

2) show that I am in fact dedicated in having a legal career within the corporate world, despite the mistakes I made at a levels.. in other words I want to show that I took accountability and acted on my mistakes..

To be plain and simple the reason that I am interested in Corporate law is that it is something that I find interesting and it pays very well. Upon doing my uni work I have been on the look out for various of opportunities that my university forwards me, in the hopes of getting some experience that relate to the corporate world.

Hopefully I can get some general feedback and I’ll make sure I reply if there are any questions regards anything that I have or haven’t talked about.

As someone undertaking a Masters right now, I would recommend you only do it if you have a genuine interest in it. A Masters can be really time-consuming, challenging and expensive and it makes no sense to pursue it until you derive some value beyond trying to stand out in applications, which as @Jessica Booker rightly said rarely happens on the basis of the fact that/where you did your Masters.

In my experience, a better way to show that you are dedicated to a career in corporate law is by attending networking events, webinars, Open Days and undertaking internships with commercial firms. The first step is to have an interest in commercial law (which you already do! 👏👏👏 ) and the next steps are to build on it. Find out how commercial law firms operate, what the differences between firms are, what practice areas and sectors commercial law firms work in and how business news impacts lawyers' work and their clients. Put in the work so that commercial firms find it impossible to question your motivations and suitability for a career in law.

Lastly, be honest in your applications about how the pandemic impacted your ability to perform to your fullest academic potential in your second year. The past couple years have not been easy on students and the fact that you're examining what you can do different and are willing to make changes to improve your grades is seriously commendable 👏👏👏

 

[James Carrabino]

Hi all!

I have come across many forums that relate to law to try and get some general advice on what direction I should be focusing on to have a legal career.

My situation is very difficult, partly due to covid, but I do want to take most accountability for the reason why I put myself in such a situation.

I am a 2nd year law student at a university within central London currently undertaking my LLB bachelor. To give some context on my current position, I did my a level from 2018-2019. I finished my first year and went onto start my second year at a level but covid hit and my a levels had been cancelled resulting in our teachers marking our grades. I was marked a Merit in IT, C in Criminology and an E in law... yes an E... Both covid and my lack of enthusiasm for the subjects that I did for a level hit me hard but there is no one but myself to blame so I took it up on my chin and moved on...


After finishing my first year with around 70% I have entered my second year with a goal of pushing hard and getting a first. I am working 15+ hours a day to try and achieve this goal. I’m in a situation where I want to peruse a career in corporate law within a magic circle firm but I’m not sure if that will be possible...

I have set myself a plan that I will want to take a masters after university at a more prestigious university then the one that I’m currently in. Along with this I was contemplating doing a PHD at a prestigious university within London but upon looking at another thread on here and coming to the conclusion that it may be too academic and firms may not see it as an advantage of other students, I have decided to hold onto this idea until I get close to finishing my masters.

The whole idea about why I wanna do a phd and a masters, to some extent, depend on two reasons...

1) to essentially try and stand out and...

2) show that I am in fact dedicated in having a legal career within the corporate world, despite the mistakes I made at a levels.. in other words I want to show that I took accountability and acted on my mistakes..

To be plain and simple the reason that I am interested in Corporate law is that it is something that I find interesting and it pays very well. Upon doing my uni work I have been on the look out for various of opportunities that my university forwards me, in the hopes of getting some experience that relate to the corporate world.

Hopefully I can get some general feedback and I’ll make sure I reply if there are any questions regards anything that I have or haven’t talked about.

Hi Aleksandar,

First of all, congratulations on your 70% during first year - that is a very difficult feat by itself!

Secondly, you will be pleased to know that many firms simply don't take A Level grades into account. @WillkieGemma attests to the fact that Willkie does not specify A Level grades here: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....llkie-farr-gallagher-anything.4439/post-90305. There are some firms that do consider A Levels significantly, but plenty that don't - this alone should not be your reason for not applying, especially considering how well you are doing at uni.

In answer to your first point about a PhD - it can definitely make you stand out, but not in the way you might think. There is nothing about a PhD that law firms will specifically value as preparing you for the practice of law, unless perhaps it is a very specific area of law such as IP, but a PhD is not necessary even then. A PhD will, however, make a difference in that it will make you a unique candidate. In the same way that some candidates perhaps competed in a sport at a national level or spent time volunteering for an international charity, your PhD will define who you are as a person. As a result, it should really only be something you do if you are deeply passionate about the topic; the degree itself will not make a difference in your law applications, but your excellence within a field and your commitment to a course of study would demonstrate some of the unique qualities and competencies that law firms are looking for. A PhD is absolutely not a substitute for work experience or for anything else; it is something you should do (and not be afraid of doing) if it is something you really want to do, completely regardless of your future career as a solicitor. Therefore, in response to your second point, I don't think that a PhD will help demonstrate your commitment to commercial law.

I think your priority now should be to obtain work experience - legal or non-legal. Legal work experience can be very useful (I noticed that my success rate of getting past the application stage increased by almost 600% between not having done a vac scheme before to having done one), but non-legal experience can equally showcase the skills needed for commercial law. Do research into a wide range of firms and apply for vacation schemes at firms that you judge to value your unique experiences.

With good results at university, interesting work experience and well-polished application forms, you will be as good a candidate as any for the majority of firms, in my opinion. That is not to say you will find the process easy - we all find it tough! Nevertheless, you will then be able to have confidence that you are in the right position to be applying for training contracts and we will be able to help you with application technique and interview preparation. I hope that this all helps

 

[WillkieGemma]

Hi Aleksandar,

First of all, congratulations on your 70% during first year - that is a very difficult feat by itself!

Secondly, you will be pleased to know that many firms simply don't take A Level grades into account. @WillkieGemma attests to the fact that Willkie does not specify A Level grades here: https://www.thecorporatelawacademy....llkie-farr-gallagher-anything.4439/post-90305. There are some firms that do consider A Levels significantly, but plenty that don't - this alone should not be your reason for not applying, especially considering how well you are doing at uni.

In answer to your first point about a PhD - it can definitely make you stand out, but not in the way you might think. There is nothing about a PhD that law firms will specifically value as preparing you for the practice of law, unless perhaps it is a very specific area of law such as IP, but a PhD is not necessary even then. A PhD will, however, make a difference in that it will make you a unique candidate. In the same way that some candidates perhaps competed in a sport at a national level or spent time volunteering for an international charity, your PhD will define who you are as a person. As a result, it should really only be something you do if you are deeply passionate about the topic; the degree itself will not make a difference in your law applications, but your excellence within a field and your commitment to a course of study would demonstrate some of the unique qualities and competencies that law firms are looking for. A PhD is absolutely not a substitute for work experience or for anything else; it is something you should do (and not be afraid of doing) if it is something you really want to do, completely regardless of your future career as a solicitor. Therefore, in response to your second point, I don't think that a PhD will help demonstrate your commitment to commercial law.

I think your priority now should be to obtain work experience - legal or non-legal. Legal work experience can be very useful (I noticed that my success rate of getting past the application stage increased by almost 600% between not having done a vac scheme before to having done one), but non-legal experience can equally showcase the skills needed for commercial law. Do research into a wide range of firms and apply for vacation schemes at firms that you judge to value your unique experiences.

With good results at university, interesting work experience and well-polished application forms, you will be as good a candidate as any for the majority of firms, in my opinion. That is not to say you will find the process easy - we all find it tough! Nevertheless, you will then be able to have confidence that you are in the right position to be applying for training contracts and we will be able to help you with application technique and interview preparation. I hope that this all helps

@James Carrabino @Aleksandar James, this is excellent advice.

 

[James Carrabino]

Thanks @WillkieGemma!

@Aleksandar, I hope that is useful. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[Jane Smith]

Good advice above. Also as you are in the second year of your law degree look at the deadlines for law firms who sponsor trainees on their websites so you have an idea of how many years ahead some firms recruit people. Also look at the exercises and procedures the firms use and practise those tests if you can. I can be the Queen of typos so not one to make this point... but I did have a feeling from your first post that improving your written English might be more useful than post graduate study in order to increase your chances at the big firms with high pay where you want to work. I only mention this to be helpful.

 

[AK105]

Hi all!

I have come across many forums that relate to law to try and get some general advice on what direction I should be focusing on to have a legal career.

My situation is very difficult, partly due to covid, but I do want to take most accountability for the reason why I put myself in such a situation.

I am a 2nd year law student at a university within central London currently undertaking my LLB bachelor. To give some context on my current position, I did my a level from 2018-2019. I finished my first year and went onto start my second year at a level but covid hit and my a levels had been cancelled resulting in our teachers marking our grades. I was marked a Merit in IT, C in Criminology and an E in law... yes an E... Both covid and my lack of enthusiasm for the subjects that I did for a level hit me hard but there is no one but myself to blame so I took it up on my chin and moved on...


After finishing my first year with around 70% I have entered my second year with a goal of pushing hard and getting a first. I am working 15+ hours a day to try and achieve this goal. I’m in a situation where I want to peruse a career in corporate law within a magic circle firm but I’m not sure if that will be possible...

I have set myself a plan that I will want to take a masters after university at a more prestigious university then the one that I’m currently in. Along with this I was contemplating doing a PHD at a prestigious university within London but upon looking at another thread on here and coming to the conclusion that it may be too academic and firms may not see it as an advantage of other students, I have decided to hold onto this idea until I get close to finishing my masters.

The whole idea about why I wanna do a phd and a masters, to some extent, depend on two reasons...

1) to essentially try and stand out and...

2) show that I am in fact dedicated in having a legal career within the corporate world, despite the mistakes I made at a levels.. in other words I want to show that I took accountability and acted on my mistakes..

To be plain and simple the reason that I am interested in Corporate law is that it is something that I find interesting and it pays very well. Upon doing my uni work I have been on the look out for various of opportunities that my university forwards me, in the hopes of getting some experience that relate to the corporate world.

Hopefully I can get some general feedback and I’ll make sure I reply if there are any questions regards anything that I have or haven’t talked about.

I am sure that you will manage to become a corporate lawyer with your degree results. I have performed poorly in my A levels (B & C grades) and at university. I did have mitigating circumstances but even the grades that were not affected by my mitigating circumstances were a low 2:1. I am also trying to improve my grades. Based on my experience applying to insight schemes, mitigating circumstances at A level followed by an inconsistent performance at university puts you in a very different position to someone with mitigating circumstances and strong performance at uni. I can almost guarantee that if you keep up your performance at uni, and apply to firms, you won't be rejected at the app stage (at least for academic reasons). Sorry for the late reply, I just stumbled upon this post, and I want to assure you that you don't need to stress.