My Final Law Results have come in and I urgently need direction on what to do now to have a successful career in law despite a 2:2.

[Futurelawyer51]

My final degree results have come in, and I got a 2:2 from a RG uni. Needless to say, they have not gone the way I had hoped. The main issue that I am having at the moment is that I have absolutely no idea what type of career in law is possible with a 2:2 degree as all of the work experience/ personal contact I have so far have been with magic/ silver circle commercial law firms which explicitly ask for a 2:1. Does this mean this sort of experience is wasted as I would likely not be able to get in if I apply to these firms?

I spoke to a careers advisor, but the advice I got was very vague and not really helpful.

So my question is:

What would all of you do if you just finished uni and were in my current position with my grades?

I.E:

• Which areas of law do I have a chance in?
• What types of commercial law firms should I prioritise applying to?
• Do I even have a chance of getting into a commercial law firm if I apply?
• Which other areas of law may I have a better chance in than commercial law? (This is a big question for me as I have been completely focused on commercial law from the beginning, so I would love to know about other options.)
• Any advice on how to have a successful career in law with these results?
• Any other advice you think may be helpful to me in this position?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks!

***

Results:

Overall degree classification: Bachelor of Laws with Honours in Law 2:2 - 57.83%

Module results:

Y3:

Commercial Law- 58%

Employment Law- 55%

Intellectual Property- 64%

Company Law- 51%

Y2:

The Law of Torts- 62%

Land Law- 61%

Equity and Trusts- 48%

Equality and Diversity- 72%

European Union Law- 62%

Y1:

Criminal Law 65%

The Law of Contract 64%

Constitutional and Administrative Law 68%

Legal Foundations 60%

 

[Legalstalker]

Hey,

Sorry to hear the situation you’re in and whilst I have no clue what firms you can apply to I’ll give you I think you should definitely check you’ve got a 2:2

Although first year “doesn’t count” at many universities some do take it into consideration. Has your university 100% confirmed you’ve got a 2:2 or have you worked that out through grade calculator? Some universities also round up grades if they’re close to the next classification and you have proven ability so I’ve heard. You’ve got a decent grade in contract and tort which is what firms mostly look at and require you to have a 2:1 in.

My grades are flipped to yours so I had bad first year but great 3rd year. I didn’t get a 2:1 in contract law or Tort as these were the first modules I took. But I’ve landed vacation schemes at firms that on paper you’d expect to want 1st in these modules.

I also want to say congrats on that EU result! As that was my lowest grade I hated the subject!!

I wouldn’t give up now at all ever and anything is possible. I would say all areas of law would be hard to get into as they’re all well respected and do what the best candidates. Use this time you have to focus on yourself rather than a firm that’ll take you.

I think there are some firms (very few) who state 2:2 or no degree classification as they look holistically. Although it may not make a difference I know people who went the masters route to show academic ability. That could be an option to you? It’ll also give you time to apply to vacation schemes interact with firms etc.

Paralegal could be another option? Get first hand experience in a firm. Paralegal roles are sooo hard to come by so if you landed one of them that’ll be amazing for your CV and you’ll be less debt free than a masters.

Right now you should focus on your commercial awareness do some forage courses etc and show your commitment to a career in law because when you do get an AC invite you’ll be best prepared and they’ll focus on you in that moment as in their eyes you’re good enough to make it to the AC!

There are plenty of great city, international and National firms! Loook into widening your contact with these firms also?

 

[evie99]

If you're looking to go into commercial law maybe the Big 4 might be an option? I think most of them have scrapped grade requirements for their grad schemes so their training contracts might be worth looking into!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Public sector legal roles also tend to have fewer or no academic requirements