How Important Are A-Levels?

[Ellis Finch]

Hi folks,

Basically, I have been met with rejection after rejection in the last cycle. I have BCC in my A-levels, a first-class LLB degree from non-RG uni, and then a distinction in an LLM from a RG uni. I have some mitigating circumstances for my A-levels. I also have 9 months' experience as a paralegal, which is my current role. I have 3 mini-pupillages with very respectable barristers' chambers. I also have a couple of awards from Inner Temple for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

However, with all these things, I still cannot secure a vacation scheme or training contract. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong, other than there being strict cut off A-level requirements. I am just feeling a bit hopeless. I worked so hard to make up for the bad A-levels, and it's beginning to feel like it didn't matter.

I'd really appreciate some words of encouragement or people in similar circs that have managed to get a VS/TCs to offer their guidance.

 

[AvniD]

Your achievements are very commendable 👏👏👏 Since you have mitigating circumstances for your A-Levels, I doubt that this is what's causing your applications to not progress forward. @Jessica Booker would be best to confirm this.

One of the biggest mistakes I made while making applications was thinking that getting good grades and having work experience and extracurriculars were enough on their own to make my application stand out. This also meant that I assigned little importance to those events and times in my life that didn't result in achievements but nevertheless taught me a lot.

It was only when I spent time on 'selling' these experiences and the skills, knowledge and attributes I developed from them that I progressed further. While your achievements are outstanding, have you considered whether you're expressing and elaborating upon them well in your applications? Are you able to demonstrate that you can utilise your learnings from your achievements and apply them to a career in law?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi folks,

Basically, I have been met with rejection after rejection in the last cycle. I have BCC in my A-levels, a first-class LLB degree from non-RG uni, and then a distinction in an LLM from a RG uni. I have some mitigating circumstances for my A-levels. I also have 9 months' experience as a paralegal, which is my current role. I have 3 mini-pupillages with very respectable barristers' chambers. I also have a couple of awards from Inner Temple for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

However, with all these things, I still cannot secure a vacation scheme or training contract. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong, other than there being strict cut off A-level requirements. I am just feeling a bit hopeless. I worked so hard to make up for the bad A-levels, and it's beginning to feel like it didn't matter.

I'd really appreciate some words of encouragement or people in similar circs that have managed to get a VS/TCs to offer their guidance.

Are you claiming the mitigating circumstances in your applications?

 

[George Maxwell]

Your achievements are very commendable 👏👏👏 Since you have mitigating circumstances for your A-Levels, I doubt that this is what's causing your applications to not progress forward. @Jessica Booker would be best to confirm this.

One of the biggest mistakes I made while making applications was thinking that getting good grades and having work experience and extracurriculars were enough on their own to make my application stand out. This also meant that I assigned little importance to those events and times in my life that didn't result in achievements but nevertheless taught me a lot.

It was only when I spent time on 'selling' these experiences and the skills, knowledge and attributes I developed from them that I progressed further. While your achievements are outstanding, have you considered whether you're expressing and elaborating upon them well in your applications? Are you able to demonstrate that you can utilise your learnings from your achievements and apply them to a career in law?

I really like this piece of advice @AvniD.

It is definitely about what you gain from your experiences and how you draw out relevant skills to commercial law, rather than the actual experience that is important. Any experience can be valuable, it is just what you got from it and how you developed as a result!

Hi folks,

Basically, I have been met with rejection after rejection in the last cycle. I have BCC in my A-levels, a first-class LLB degree from non-RG uni, and then a distinction in an LLM from a RG uni. I have some mitigating circumstances for my A-levels. I also have 9 months' experience as a paralegal, which is my current role. I have 3 mini-pupillages with very respectable barristers' chambers. I also have a couple of awards from Inner Temple for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

However, with all these things, I still cannot secure a vacation scheme or training contract. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong, other than there being strict cut off A-level requirements. I am just feeling a bit hopeless. I worked so hard to make up for the bad A-levels, and it's beginning to feel like it didn't matter.

I'd really appreciate some words of encouragement or people in similar circs that have managed to get a VS/TCs to offer their guidance.

@Ellis Finch,

I am sorry to hear that you are having a difficult time. Your story is impressive. Just remember, all it takes is for one firm to flag your application as being interesting. Incidentally, judging from this poll by @Paul - Shearman & Sterling here on LinkedIn, often successful applications can feel a bit random (I can attest to this!).

Firstly, my understanding is that increasingly, many firms no longer take A-Levels into account, so I would keep an eye out for this.

Secondly, just purely based on what you have said about your experience doing mini-pupillages, have you made sure to justify why you are pursuing the solicitor route, rather than the Bar in your applications?

Thirdly, as a paralegal, could you reach out to lawyers in the firm that you are working for to speak to them about applications and their motivations for a career in law? I found speaking to others in the profession invaluable (sometimes it breathed new life into my applications!).

Finally, my biggest piece of (abstract) advice regarding applications is to make sure that you are employing a discernible structure in your answers. I would often at the start of answers write "There are Y reasons why Z. These are A, B, C". I would then and then actively signpost at the start of the following paragraphs to make it as easy as possible for a reviewer to follow.

Do reach out for further advice. We are always here to give support where needed!

 

[Jessica Booker]

To follow on from @George Maxwell 's post, the mini pupillages and chambers' awards could be more of an issue than the A-level grades, especially if you are claiming the mitigating circumstances in applications.

However, this is a major assumption. It could be 101 other reasons why your applications are unsuccessful, and some of those could seem so much more insignificant or unimportant than A-level grades. However, decisions are often made on very fine margins. Yes, there might be some firms that are rejecting you outright based on your A-level grades, but I would expect these to be in an exceptionally small minority, especially if you are claiming the mitigating circumstances.

 

[James Carrabino]

Hi folks,

Basically, I have been met with rejection after rejection in the last cycle. I have BCC in my A-levels, a first-class LLB degree from non-RG uni, and then a distinction in an LLM from a RG uni. I have some mitigating circumstances for my A-levels. I also have 9 months' experience as a paralegal, which is my current role. I have 3 mini-pupillages with very respectable barristers' chambers. I also have a couple of awards from Inner Temple for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

However, with all these things, I still cannot secure a vacation scheme or training contract. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong, other than there being strict cut off A-level requirements. I am just feeling a bit hopeless. I worked so hard to make up for the bad A-levels, and it's beginning to feel like it didn't matter.

I'd really appreciate some words of encouragement or people in similar circs that have managed to get a VS/TCs to offer their guidance.

To add to all of the above comments, congratulations on your awesome set of achievements! The one question I have for you is how many firms you've applied to? I think it is impossible to attribute rejection to anything but sheer bad luck until you've applied to 20+ firms - I'm sure you'll get there eventually with the experiences you've demonstrated but it really is a numbers game!

 

[AK105]

Heya,
I got BBC in my A Levels, a 2:2 in first year and a low 2:1 in second year. I had strong GCSEs but even if you consider my mitigating circumstances, my grades are still poor. I’m finding it just in general difficult to get consistent 2:1s..I’ll most likely scrape a 2:1 overall. I really want to become a commercial solicitor, therefore would you recommend that I keep applying to firms, year after year...regardless of how hard I try in academics they don’t seem to improve, so I rlly don’t see a point in waiting until I graduate.


Or should I just try and find a job in another industry, and apply to commercial law firms as a career changer after 10 years. Grades don’t seem to matter for career changers idk why.

@George Maxwell @James Carrabino

 

[Jessica Booker]

Heya,
I got BBC in my A Levels, a 2:2 in first year and a low 2:1 in second year. I had strong GCSEs but even if you consider my mitigating circumstances, my grades are still poor. I’m finding it just in general difficult to get consistent 2:1s..I’ll most likely scrape a 2:1 overall. I really want to become a commercial solicitor, therefore would you recommend that I keep applying to firms, year after year...regardless of how hard I try in academics they don’t seem to improve, so I rlly don’t see a point in waiting until I graduate.


Or should I just try and find a job in another industry, and apply to commercial law firms as a career changer after 10 years. Grades don’t seem to matter for career changers idk why.

@George Maxwell @James Carrabino

I wouldn't say that grades don't matter for career changers - they are still looked at for career changers and taken into consideration.

You may want to look into career options that have no academic criteria. For instance, the Government Legal Department could be an option. There are a number of commercial firms that have no academic criteria - for instance, Clifford Chance is one. You may want to focus on finding firms that take a similar approach to academics and apply to them for the time being?

Is the rest of your application strong - e.g. work experience/extra curriculars/evidence of pursuing the career?

 

[AK105]

I wouldn't say that grades don't matter for career changers - they are still looked at for career changers and taken into consideration.

You may want to look into career options that have no academic criteria. For instance, the Government Legal Department could be an option. There are a number of commercial firms that have no academic criteria - for instance, Clifford Chance is one. You may want to focus on finding firms that take a similar approach to academics and apply to them for the time being?

Is the rest of your application strong - e.g. work experience/extra curriculars/evidence of pursuing the career?

Thank you so much @Jessica Booker

I mean in terms of extra curricular .. they are good because I do a lot, and have positions of responsibility eg. Treasurer or events lead, but it’s annoying because I’m not the president or Vice President in any society.

In terms of work experience, I am 20 and in my penultimate year, so I don’t have. Vac schemes or paralegal experience yet.
But I have worked for 3 months as a legal assistant at an employment/immigration law firm.

I completed a work experience scheme at Pinsent Masons, where I did fictional but valid tasks of a commercial solicitor, and received feedback by a solicitor.

I did Citizens Advice; I worked as a gateway assessor.

I worked part time for a charity shop at university.

I also did a banking internship at the age of 16.

I have done about 12 forage internships and attended various events.

Also Clifford Chance still want a consistent 2:1, even though they have no A level requirements. Whilst I’m confident about getting a 2:1.. this whole consistency thing is unachievable.

 

[Jane Smith]

I don't think the different career for 10 years and then try again is worth the waste of time that might be in terms of getting on with your life and career. Perhaps try for smaller or non-London firms with commercial law departments and try to move through those kinds of firms as a qualified solicitor into bigger firms (although I do accept it is much easier in law to move "down" in terms of huge good firm down to easier to get into one as your career goes on than to move up to the bigger ones later, although if you can start in a really good firm that is a brilliant start but that is not possible for everyone).

I am an older lawyer and I do know people who have qualified in one firm that is not a top city one and then just been really good at the job and done a series of moves (even if not to Clifford Chance type firms but to good London firms) or were with a regional firm that merged into a London one over the years or did well in a smaller one, built up clients and moved to a bigger firm. In other words they did not follow the traditional route into a better firm. Even ancient I who qualified at a medium sized London commercial firm (after 139 applications and 25 interviews for TCs back in the day... during my law degree) as soon as I qualified moved to one of the best firms in London as an NQ. So in a sense I went that route from worse to better, albeit I did not start in the regions in a smaller commercial firm but started in London.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you so much @Jessica Booker

I mean in terms of extra curricular .. they are good because I do a lot, and have positions of responsibility eg. Treasurer or events lead, but it’s annoying because I’m not the president or Vice President in any society.

In terms of work experience, I am 20 and in my penultimate year, so I don’t have. Vac schemes or paralegal experience yet.
But I have worked for 3 months as a legal assistant at an employment/immigration law firm.

I completed a work experience scheme at Pinsent Masons, where I did fictional but valid tasks of a commercial solicitor, and received feedback by a solicitor.

I did Citizens Advice; I worked as a gateway assessor.

I worked part time for a charity shop at university.

I also did a banking internship at the age of 16.

I have done about 12 forage internships and attended various events.

Also Clifford Chance still want a consistent 2:1, even though they have no A level requirements. Whilst I’m confident about getting a 2:1.. this whole consistency thing is unachievable.

Clifford Chance have no academic requirements at all, so won’t need a consistent 2.1



You don’t need to be a particular position in a society. It’s much more the effort your put in and the impact you have in a role rather than the position’s title.

 

[James Carrabino]

Heya,
I got BBC in my A Levels, a 2:2 in first year and a low 2:1 in second year. I had strong GCSEs but even if you consider my mitigating circumstances, my grades are still poor. I’m finding it just in general difficult to get consistent 2:1s..I’ll most likely scrape a 2:1 overall. I really want to become a commercial solicitor, therefore would you recommend that I keep applying to firms, year after year...regardless of how hard I try in academics they don’t seem to improve, so I rlly don’t see a point in waiting until I graduate.


Or should I just try and find a job in another industry, and apply to commercial law firms as a career changer after 10 years. Grades don’t seem to matter for career changers idk why.

@George Maxwell @James Carrabino

@Rijul Shah as @Jessica Booker said, many firms do not have academic requirements! I can definitely say that people with worse grades than you have got training contracts at top firms.

Nevertheless - don't give up on getting good grades! I am sure you are more than capable of improvement as you have already demonstrated between years 1 and 2 You will be fine applying for a training contract without being a career changer - don't give up hope!

 

[AK105]

Thank you so much @Jessica Booker @James Carrabino

You guys are helping to calm my nerves as I wait anxiously for my grades from my first term.