Do law firms generally prefer penultimate year students?

[nisadee]

I ask this, particularly after seeing what Clifford Chance have chosen to do this year but also with regards to my own experiences. Last year, (when I was in penultimate year of my law degree and had no legal experience), I applied to about 5 or 6 firms, some even the day before the deadline and I received responses from all almost immediately inviting me to tests or ACs. I was successful in gaining a VS at one firm and had to decline an AC from another firm. Ultimately I didn't convert the VS into a TC but I thought having the experience would be good for applications come this cycle. Especially considering the reason I wanted to do a VS was for the legal experience as I thought it'd look good when applying to firms in the future.

Now I'm in my final year, I have legal experience under my belt as well as a new extra curricular at uni, I thought this would set me up in a good position for apps this cycle. However, I've been rejected at the app stage despite attending open days and law fairs and networking. It almost seems like all these firms are seeing is that I'm a final year student who failed to convert a VS to a TC so I'm thrown in the bin (despite that the VS was virtual and the only assessment for the TC was the VS AC - but of course, they don't know this seeing just my application). It's making me regret not applying to more firms last year as a penultimate year student with no legal experience since this seems more desirable. Almost feels like I've lost my prime time :/

 

[Alice G]

I ask this, particularly after seeing what Clifford Chance have chosen to do this year but also with regards to my own experiences. Last year, (when I was in penultimate year of my law degree and had no legal experience), I applied to about 5 or 6 firms, some even the day before the deadline and I received responses from all almost immediately inviting me to tests or ACs. I was successful in gaining a VS at one firm and had to decline an AC from another firm. Ultimately I didn't convert the VS into a TC but I thought having the experience would be good for applications come this cycle. Especially considering the reason I wanted to do a VS was for the legal experience as I thought it'd look good when applying to firms in the future.

Now I'm in my final year, I have legal experience under my belt as well as a new extra curricular at uni, I thought this would set me up in a good position for apps this cycle. However, I've been rejected at the app stage despite attending open days and law fairs and networking. It almost seems like all these firms are seeing is that I'm a final year student who failed to convert a VS to a TC so I'm thrown in the bin (despite that the VS was virtual and the only assessment for the TC was the VS AC - but of course, they don't know this seeing just my application). It's making me regret not applying to more firms last year as a penultimate year student with no legal experience since this seems more desirable. Almost feels like I've lost my prime time :/

Hi there,
I’m sorry you are feeling this way but I really really don’t think that’s the case at all. I applied as a non law graduate 18 months after leaving uni (no real legal experience to my name bar a week when I was 15 and open days) and in my first cycle I failed to convert two Vac schemes which really worried me at the time but I was still progressed for all but one firm post app stage in my second cycle.

is there anything objectively speaking which you think might be different in your apps this year to last year? Have you really written well about your legal work experience you gained in the interim and have your motivation responses been enhanced in light of this experience (I.e. do you say what you learned and gained from that experience and why it’s cemented your desire to be a lawyer?)

 

[Jaysen]

I ask this, particularly after seeing what Clifford Chance have chosen to do this year but also with regards to my own experiences. Last year, (when I was in penultimate year of my law degree and had no legal experience), I applied to about 5 or 6 firms, some even the day before the deadline and I received responses from all almost immediately inviting me to tests or ACs. I was successful in gaining a VS at one firm and had to decline an AC from another firm. Ultimately I didn't convert the VS into a TC but I thought having the experience would be good for applications come this cycle. Especially considering the reason I wanted to do a VS was for the legal experience as I thought it'd look good when applying to firms in the future.

Now I'm in my final year, I have legal experience under my belt as well as a new extra curricular at uni, I thought this would set me up in a good position for apps this cycle. However, I've been rejected at the app stage despite attending open days and law fairs and networking. It almost seems like all these firms are seeing is that I'm a final year student who failed to convert a VS to a TC so I'm thrown in the bin (despite that the VS was virtual and the only assessment for the TC was the VS AC - but of course, they don't know this seeing just my application). It's making me regret not applying to more firms last year as a penultimate year student with no legal experience since this seems more desirable. Almost feels like I've lost my prime time :/

I don't think your outcome this year has anything to do with the fact that you are in your final year. It's also very common for candidates not to convert a vacation scheme It sounds to me like you did exceptionally well the first time - there aren't too many people who have that kind of success rate in their first cycle.

How many applications did you send off this year?

 

[nisadee]

I don't think your outcome this year has anything to do with the fact that you are in your final year. It's also very common for candidates not to convert a vacation scheme It sounds to me like you did exceptionally well the first time - there aren't too many people who have that kind of success rate in their first cycle.

How many applications did you send off this year?

Thank you!

This year I've sent off 9, had rejections from 3 already and a lot of the others are sending out ACs already so seems like they'll be rejections too.

 

[nisadee]

Hi there,
I’m sorry you are feeling this way but I really really don’t think that’s the case at all. I applied as a non law graduate 18 months after leaving uni (no real legal experience to my name bar a week when I was 15 and open days) and in my first cycle I failed to convert two Vac schemes which really worried me at the time but I was still progressed for all but one firm post app stage in my second cycle.

is there anything objectively speaking which you think might be different in your apps this year to last year? Have you really written well about your legal work experience you gained in the interim and have your motivation responses been enhanced in light of this experience (I.e. do you say what you learned and gained from that experience and why it’s cemented your desire to be a lawyer?)

I guess I'm just comparing myself to a lot of others at my uni who secured TCs last year because they applied to a lot more firms and I can't help but feel I made the wrong decisions last year about where I applied and my strategy in general.

I have tried not to make my applications this year predominantly about the VS so I've mentioned that the experience confirmed that commercial law is right for me. I also mentioned what I did on the vac scheme such as writing a due diligence report and how I can transfer these skills to the firm I'm applying to. I've also briefly said how the experience has made me realise the type of law firm that I'd like to work out (such as a more international one).

 

[Dheepa]

I guess I'm just comparing myself to a lot of others at my uni who secured TCs last year because they applied to a lot more firms and I can't help but feel I made the wrong decisions last year about where I applied and my strategy in general.

I have tried not to make my applications this year predominantly about the VS so I've mentioned that the experience confirmed that commercial law is right for me. I also mentioned what I did on the vac scheme such as writing a due diligence report and how I can transfer these skills to the firm I'm applying to. I've also briefly said how the experience has made me realise the type of law firm that I'd like to work out (such as a more international one).

I know it can be really hard to stop comparing yourself, but as Jaysen has said, you're definitely not alone in feeling this way.

I think it's important to remember that there is no such thing as a right or wrong application strategy. While the process can be a numbers game sometimes, it's also very subjective. Some people send out 3/4 great quality apps and get multiple TC offers just off of that.

I think in terms of application strategy and preparing for the next cycle, really take the time to work out what kind of firms you want to be working at. You've mentioned international presence, but also work out whether you have an interest in particular practice areas, what kind of training structure you'd like and what kind of culture appeals to you. (D&I, pro bono etc.) Once you've decided which firms fit these criteria, I'd suggest getting organised. Decide which ones you'd like to make direct TC apps to (you have VS so this is definitely something you can do), and which ones you want to make VS apps to. Following on from that, for the firms that you like best start your research for the application and even draft some answers out early on if need be. The more time you spend trying to write a good app, the higher the chances of getting past that initial stage. Other things you can do in advance is working on your answer for the "why commercial law" question that every app inevitably asks, and also drafting out summaries of your work experiences to date (there's some great advice here for that)

Some application cycles are tougher than others and as hard as it can be to accept, sometimes it's not really a linear progression of being able to improve every cycle in terms of progression from one stage to the next. While I think it's great that you're trying to re-think your approach, try not to doubt yourself too much. It's incredible that you've already done a VS and you really are in a much better position that most to secure that TC.

 

[nisadee]

I know it can be really hard to stop comparing yourself, but as Jaysen has said, you're definitely not alone in feeling this way.

I think it's important to remember that there is no such thing as a right or wrong application strategy. While the process can be a numbers game sometimes, it's also very subjective. Some people send out 3/4 great quality apps and get multiple TC offers just off of that.

I think in terms of application strategy and preparing for the next cycle, really take the time to work out what kind of firms you want to be working at. You've mentioned international presence, but also work out whether you have an interest in particular practice areas, what kind of training structure you'd like and what kind of culture appeals to you. (D&I, pro bono etc.) Once you've decided which firms fit these criteria, I'd suggest getting organised. Decide which ones you'd like to make direct TC apps to (you have VS so this is definitely something you can do), and which ones you want to make VS apps to. Following on from that, for the firms that you like best start your research for the application and even draft some answers out early on if need be. The more time you spend trying to write a good app, the higher the chances of getting past that initial stage. Other things you can do in advance is working on your answer for the "why commercial law" question that every app inevitably asks, and also drafting out summaries of your work experiences to date (there's some great advice here for that)

Some application cycles are tougher than others and as hard as it can be to accept, sometimes it's not really a linear progression of being able to improve every cycle in terms of progression from one stage to the next. While I think it's great that you're trying to re-think your approach, try not to doubt yourself too much. It's incredible that you've already done a VS and you really are in a much better position that most to secure that TC.

Thank you for this!

 

[Andrew M]

I ask this, particularly after seeing what Clifford Chance have chosen to do this year but also with regards to my own experiences. Last year, (when I was in penultimate year of my law degree and had no legal experience), I applied to about 5 or 6 firms, some even the day before the deadline and I received responses from all almost immediately inviting me to tests or ACs. I was successful in gaining a VS at one firm and had to decline an AC from another firm. Ultimately I didn't convert the VS into a TC but I thought having the experience would be good for applications come this cycle. Especially considering the reason I wanted to do a VS was for the legal experience as I thought it'd look good when applying to firms in the future.

Now I'm in my final year, I have legal experience under my belt as well as a new extra curricular at uni, I thought this would set me up in a good position for apps this cycle. However, I've been rejected at the app stage despite attending open days and law fairs and networking. It almost seems like all these firms are seeing is that I'm a final year student who failed to convert a VS to a TC so I'm thrown in the bin (despite that the VS was virtual and the only assessment for the TC was the VS AC - but of course, they don't know this seeing just my application). It's making me regret not applying to more firms last year as a penultimate year student with no legal experience since this seems more desirable. Almost feels like I've lost my prime time :/

It hasn't been the case for me. Last year I applied for 10 firms and was rejected at application stage on 8 of those. This year I have applied for 7 firms and progressed at 5 (yet to hear back from the other 2).