Poor A-level Grades - Is it possible to get a TC ??

[ihatelaw]

I'm currently studying a non-law course at King's College London (a Russell Group university), and I'm interested in pursuing a career in law. However, I’m concerned that my A-level grades (ABC) might affect my chances of securing a training contract at top law firms.

I understand that academics are important, but I’d love to hear from those in the industry—how much weight do A-levels carry compared to university performance, extracurriculars, work experience, or networking?

Any advice on how I can strengthen my application, given my circumstances, would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your insights!

 

[Ram Sabaratnam]

Hi @ihatelaw

I've mentioned this to many candidates before, but you should absolutely keep applying! While academics do play a role in the recruitment process, many firms look at applications holistically. There are plenty of top firms that don’t have strict A-level requirements. Some have even dispensed with them entirely (which is actually a good thing in my view)! @Amma Usman made an excellent thread setting out the different A-level requirements at various firms, and I'd highly encourage you to give it a read. The thread will also give you a sense of which firms you might want to prioritise in your application cycle.

To circle back to my point about firms reviewing applications holistically, I want to emphasise that many do give significant weight to other factors, including university performance, work experience, extracurriculars, and any particular achievements or challenges you’ve experienced and overcome. So, it's absolutely possible for you to secure vacation schemes and a training contract. To help strengthen your application, I would recommend stepping back and thinking about how you can discuss these factors to really demonstrate your skills and motivations for pursuing a training contract. I'd also encourage you to secure legal work experience through vacation schemes, internships, or pro bono work to really see if a legal career is something you'd find interesting. Most of my initial work experience involved working in legal aid clinics and advice centres, which was taken very seriously by firms and even partners when I was in the process of applying and interviewing.

Overall, many firms appreciate well-rounded candidates, and A-level grades are often not the best way to assess the various factors that firms are looking for in candidates. If you focus on building a strong application with the experiences and skills you’ve gained at university, I think you'll be golden!

Best of luck—you’ve got this!