Pinsent Masons Application 2019/20

[FutureCity]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of applying for the direct training contract (already done vacation schemes), and was wondering if anyone knew anything about relocating trainees to different offices during the training contract for different seats. I live with my long-term boyfriend in London and don't really want to be separated from him and have to move somewhere else. 6 months is a long time!

Does anyone know whether this can be avoided, or is it just luck of the draw?

Many thanks

If you’re a london trainee, and don’t want to do a seat in another office, you’re not obligated to.

Same applies to any other regional office really. But you’d want to spend a seat in London.

 

[Alice G]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of applying for the direct training contract (already done vacation schemes), and was wondering if anyone knew anything about relocating trainees to different offices during the training contract for different seats. I live with my long-term boyfriend in London and don't really want to be separated from him and have to move somewhere else. 6 months is a long time!

Does anyone know whether this can be avoided, or is it just luck of the draw?

Many thanks

Yeah - I wouldn't worry about this as I do not think you have to move from your 'base' office unless you would like to

 

[Popal]

Yeah - I wouldn't worry about this as I do not think you have to move from your 'base' office unless you would like to

Thanks for this, Alice! I think there's some misleading information on this on sites such as Chambers Student but this is very reassuring.

 

[Popal]

If you’re a london trainee, and don’t want to do a seat in another office, you’re not obligated to.

Same applies to any other regional office really. But you’d want to spend a seat in London.

Thanks for this! I'm applying for the London office so that definitely appeases my concern.

 

[Alice G]

Thanks for this, Alice! I think there's some misleading information on this on sites such as Chambers Student but this is very reassuring.

Don't worry! I understand and always best to ask!

 

[Megannn]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of applying for the direct training contract (already done vacation schemes), and was wondering if anyone knew anything about relocating trainees to different offices during the training contract for different seats. I live with my long-term boyfriend in London and don't really want to be separated from him and have to move somewhere else. 6 months is a long time!

Does anyone know whether this can be avoided, or is it just luck of the draw?

Many thanks

Hi, I did a VS with Pinsents last summer in London. Unfortunately gonna have to disagree with the other responses. As part of your contract you have to agree to relocate for 6 months if asked (this is actually an interview question) it is actually quite common as a lot of the regional trainees want to spend a seat in London so the London trainees have to go somewhere! On the upside, the firm pays for all living expenses including train expenses travelling back to London (i.e. to visit your boyfriend).

 

[Popal]

Hi, I did a VS with Pinsents last summer in London. Unfortunately gonna have to disagree with the other responses. As part of your contract you have to agree to relocate for 6 months if asked (this is actually an interview question) it is actually quite common as a lot of the regional trainees want to spend a seat in London so the London trainees have to go somewhere! On the upside, the firm pays for all living expenses including train expenses travelling back to London (i.e. to visit your boyfriend).

Hi Megan,

Thanks for this - definitely not the news I wanted to hear but that would confirm my suspicions if it's still the case. It's such a shame that something like this would prevent me from applying - I really like the firm and its work otherwise, but that's too much of a personal compromise for me sadly!

 

[FutureCity]

Hi Megan,

Thanks for this - definitely not the news I wanted to hear but that would confirm my suspicions if it's still the case. It's such a shame that something like this would prevent me from applying - I really like the firm and its work otherwise, but that's too much of a personal compromise for me sadly!

Didn’t know about this. Sorry for the misinformation.

 

[Alice G]

Hi Megan,

Thanks for this - definitely not the news I wanted to hear but that would confirm my suspicions if it's still the case. It's such a shame that something like this would prevent me from applying - I really like the firm and its work otherwise, but that's too much of a personal compromise for me sadly!

I must agree with @LawDudeForce as I have never heard of this before.

 

[Jessica Booker]

I'd encourage anyone to be open minded about any secondment that may take you away from home.

It might seem like a deal breaker now, but it could be an absolute key choice to help your future career at the point it happens. If a U.K. secondment and you get to go home every weekend, you’ll probably see more of your friends/family than you would if you stayed in London anyway!

6 months may seem like a lifetime now, but it goes by like a blink of the eye when you actually get there.

Firms (and other employers who need their grads to be geographically mobile) will sometimes make exceptions, but that’s typically things like if you have caring responsibilities at home or need to stay on one location for things like medical treatment.

If you demanded to stay in your home location without these type of rationales, you should expect you might get a pretty naff seat choice (the one no one wants!) for the seat you should be spending time away from.

The SQE will make this far more flexible in the future - for someone who wanted to only work in London and your firm needed you to do at least 6 months away from that location, you could just change firms.

 

[Popal]

I'd encourage anyone to be open minded about any secondment that may take you away from home.

It might seem like a deal breaker now, but it could be an absolute key choice to help your future career at the point it happens. If a U.K. secondment and you get to go home every weekend, you’ll probably see more of your friends/family than you would if you stayed in London anyway!

6 months may seem like a lifetime now, but it goes by like a blink of the eye when you actually get there.

Firms (and other employers who need their grads to be geographically mobile) will sometimes make exceptions, but that’s typically things like if you have caring responsibilities at home or need to stay on one location for things like medical treatment.

If you demanded to stay in your home location without these type of rationales, you should expect you might get a pretty naff seat choice (the one no one wants!) for the seat you should be spending time away from.

The SQE will make this far more flexible in the future - for someone who wanted to only work in London and your firm needed you to do at least 6 months away from that location, you could just change firms.

Hi Jessica and @Alice G, many thanks for your responses. Very sensible and all things I perhaps hadn’t considered in great enough depth. I’m definitely going to consider putring an application in- it’s not like my partner and I get up to much in the workday evenings other than collapse after a busy day!!

Jessica, your comment about the SQE- assume you mean the qualifying 2 years work experience? If yes, how would that work if you were hoping a firm was going to pay for the SQE fees? I have nearly 2 years Legal experience already so the SQE route is more appealing to me than perhaps some!

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi Jessica and @Alice G, many thanks for your responses. Very sensible and all things I perhaps hadn’t considered in great enough depth. I’m definitely going to consider putring an application in- it’s not like my partner and I get up to much in the workday evenings other than collapse after a busy day!!

Jessica, your comment about the SQE- assume you mean the qualifying 2 years work experience? If yes, how would that work if you were hoping a firm was going to pay for the SQE fees? I have nearly 2 years Legal experience already so the SQE route is more appealing to me than perhaps some!

would be something in your contract with the individual firm.

I suspect firms will offer the two year training contract with all the fees as they do now.

however the SQE will allow much more flexibility and so if you were only doing 6-12 months with one firm, it would be something you’d need to agree within the employment contract (probably easier if you are staying at the firm post qualification).

This is how most industries work - will have professional qualification fees agreed on a individual basis or if it is a requirement for the role, with a claw back condition if you leave the firm in a certain timeframe

 

[Andrew M]

Submitted the training contract application yesterday. I have worked so hard on it after failing to pass the application stage for the VS!

Good luck to everybody else who applied

 

[NadineBusty]

Submitted the training contract application yesterday. I have worked so hard on it after failing to pass the application stage for the VS!

Good luck to everybody else who applied

I hope you checked with graduate recruitment team whether you were allowed to submit another application for the TC.
Most firms allow only one application per cycle.

 

[Andrew M]

I hope you checked with graduate recruitment team whether you were allowed to submit another application for the TC.
Most firms allow only one application per cycle.

I made a list of firms which accepted a TC application after being unsuccessful. Just double checked after I saw this and it does actually say on the grad rec page that they don't accept them. Not sure how I mixed them up!

 

[Helena]

I made a list of firms which accepted a TC application after being unsuccessful. Just double checked after I saw this and it does actually say on the grad rec page that they don't accept them. Not sure how I mixed them up!

Many do accept TC applications after an unsuccessful VS application but more often than not, not in the same cycle. Particularly if you get to the AC stage with a VS app and don't get the offer. Macfarlanes is an example of this.

 

[SandraB]

Does anyone have tips how to prepare for Pinsent Masons' psychometric test?

 

[Annalise2.0]

Does anyone have tips how to prepare for Pinsent Masons' psychometric test?

Hiya, congrats on receiving the test invite, may I ask when you submitted your application if you don't mind?

 

[S87]

The graduate recruitment team informed me that they will get back to us around mid of August

 

[Pallatablelawyer]

Right, I guess maybe they start working through their first batch of candidates