TCLA General Discussion Thread 2021-22 (#1)

[summer207]

If it was me I’d bold my name and make it awkwardly large so it stands out. If they keep it up then just address it in the email (“Hi, for future reference please note that my name is x and I would prefer to be addressed as such, many thanks”).

I would send an email that says something along the lines of (and you'll word it better than me):

Thank you for your email. I have noticed in your emails you refer to me as XXXXX. During my time at the firm, I would like to be referred to as XXXXXXXXXXXXXX as your shortened version is not something I personally use. I am keen to not cause any confusion about my name during my vacation scheme, so going forward, please could any references to my name in firm documents or aspects like email addresses please use my full name.

Thank you both for your responses, this is very helpful!

 

[summer207]

I would send an email that says something along the lines of (and you'll word it better than me):

Thank you for your email. I have noticed in your emails you refer to me as XXXXX. During my time at the firm, I would like to be referred to as XXXXXXXXXXXXXX as your shortened version is not something I personally use. I am keen to not cause any confusion about my name during my vacation scheme, so going forward, please could any references to my name in firm documents or aspects like email addresses please use my full name.

I already responded to the email prior to seeing your response; all I did was sign off with my name in bold. Is it overkill to send another email clarifying how I'd like to be referred to? Or do I just wait to see if the same mistake is made in any emails that follow before sending it?

 

[Jessica Booker]

I already responded to the email prior to seeing your response; all I did was sign off with my name in bold. Is it overkill to send another email clarifying how I'd like to be referred to? Or do I just wait to see if the same mistake is made in any emails that follow before sending it?

If you have replied now, I wouldn't send another email. See if they do it again, and then pick up then if needed.

 

[amzey2]

Anyone doing W&C Spring vac scheme next week been contacted yet about group allocated, agenda etc?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Just in case it is of interest to anyone, and for those who don't follow me on LinkedIn, I recently wrote this article about TCLA, how we operate and why I am involved.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-do-tcla-gym-have-common-jessica-booker

 

[summer207]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I hope you are well! I have an internship later in the summer and I'm sorting out my start date and dates I am not available with the HR manager. I already plan to ask for my graduation day off, but I was wondering if it's odd to ask for my birthday off? If it isn't, how do I go about phrasing it? Not really trying to spend my 21st in an office 😅

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi @Jessica Booker, I hope you are well! I have an internship later in the summer and I'm sorting out my start date and dates I am not available with the HR manager. I already plan to ask for my graduation day off, but I was wondering if it's odd to ask for my birthday off? If it isn't, how do I go about phrasing it? Not really trying to spend my 21st in an office 😅

I wouldn’t say it is normal actually. Most of the interns I have known have worked their birthdays unfortunately, so it’s not really a request I have ever had.

How long is your internship?

 

[summer207]

I wouldn’t say it is normal actually. Most of the interns I have known have worked their birthdays unfortunately, so it’s not really a request I have ever had.

How long is your internship?

I had a feeling 😅 It is meant to be 4-6 weeks

 

[Jessica Booker]

I had a feeling 😅 It is meant to be 4-6 weeks

It’s slightly different as most of the schemes I have run have only been three weeks max. As it’s slightly longer, this becomes less of an issue as you will accumulate at least two days of annual leave for each month you work.

It’s a tricky one - it’s not to say you can’t take it off but if you are also taking time off for your graduation I am just being slightly cautious (maybe too much so). Would be interesting to see if anyone else has done this.

 

[summer207]

It’s slightly different as most of the schemes I have run have only been three weeks max. As it’s slightly longer, this becomes less of an issue as you will accumulate at least two days of annual leave for each month you work.

It’s a tricky one - it’s not to say you can’t take it off but if you are also taking time off for your graduation I am just being slightly cautious (maybe too much so). Would be interesting to see if anyone else has done this.

Thanks for your response Jessica! Regarding graduation, what’s the best way to phrase the email to request the day off? The internship doesn’t start till July but I’d like to sort this out in advance

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thanks for your response Jessica! Regarding graduation, what’s the best way to phrase the email to request the day off? The internship doesn’t start till July but I’d like to sort this out in advance

Just say you’d like to attend your graduation and give the date you’d need off, and ask whether they can approve the time off ahead of the scheme so you can make plans accordingly.

Keep the tone light and make sure it doesn’t sound like you expect the time off. You may also want to reference something like you’d be willing to make the time up that week if required.

 

[summer207]

@AvniD I hope you are well! I’m not sure if this applied in your circumstances as an international student but I thought it was worth asking. If I’m doing a VS this year and get a TC from that, the start date is likely to be 2024, which means my LPC/SQE won’t start till 2023. Considering I graduate this year and I’m an international student, how exactly do I stay in the UK till 2023? Would it have to be the graduate visa, because that costs way too much and is valid for 2 years (half of which I won’t actually need). Were you in a situation where you had a gap before starting the LPC and did you have to extend or change your visa, etc?

 

[Jessica Booker]

@AvniD I hope you are well! I’m not sure if this applied in your circumstances as an international student but I thought it was worth asking. If I’m doing a VS this year and get a TC from that, the start date is likely to be 2024, which means my LPC/SQE won’t start till 2023. Considering I graduate this year and I’m an international student, how exactly do I stay in the UK till 2023? Would it have to be the graduate visa, because that costs way too much and is valid for 2 years (half of which I won’t actually need). Were you in a situation where you had a gap before starting the LPC and did you have to extend or change your visa, etc?

Hi @summer207 - I’m obviously not @AvniD but thought I would respond.

If you want to stay in the U.K. your options would be to go on to do further study and obtain another student visa, find a role that will support you with a skilled persons visa or apply for the graduate visa.

Many international applicants do return home though if they cannot seek one of these opportunities and then return on a student visa to complete the LPC/SQE courses (although with the latter you have to be careful and ensure the course will be eligible for a student visa).

 

[AvniD]

@AvniD I hope you are well! I’m not sure if this applied in your circumstances as an international student but I thought it was worth asking. If I’m doing a VS this year and get a TC from that, the start date is likely to be 2024, which means my LPC/SQE won’t start till 2023. Considering I graduate this year and I’m an international student, how exactly do I stay in the UK till 2023? Would it have to be the graduate visa, because that costs way too much and is valid for 2 years (half of which I won’t actually need). Were you in a situation where you had a gap before starting the LPC and did you have to extend or change your visa, etc?

@summer207 I think @Jessica Booker has laid out your options really well. I've not been in your position as I applied for TCs from my home country after I was done with my undergrad and first postgrad degree, so I don't know if I can be of greater help than Jessica!

 

[summer207]

Hi @summer207 - I’m obviously not @AvniD but thought I would respond.

If you want to stay in the U.K. your options would be to go on to do further study and obtain another student visa, find a role that will support you with a skilled persons visa or apply for the graduate visa.

Many international applicants do return home though if they cannot seek one of these opportunities and then return on a student visa to complete the LPC/SQE courses (although with the latter you have to be careful and ensure the course will be eligible for a student visa).

@summer207 I think @Jessica Booker has laid out your options really well. I've not been in your position as I applied for TCs from my home country after I was done with my undergrad and first postgrad degree, so I don't know if I can be of greater help than Jessica!

Thank you both for your responses!

 

[Hele25]

Morning everyone,

So, the university of law funds a postgraduate 'career changer' scholarship. This would be financially a God send for me right now, but also I think it applies as I was a pastry chef for 8 years prior to my LLB.
My question is how to go about structuring an answer to this:

What is your motivation for a career change?
What are your academic and career aspirations/how do you see yourself using your degree in changing career? Describe the transferable skills you deem beneficial to your new career path giving examples to demonstrate this from your previous work experience. Max 500 words.

I was thinking that I would first briefly mention my previous career and why I went into Law, then say what I want from the LLM/how this will facilitate the career I want.
I'm just a little unsure of where to shoehorn in the transferable skills bit into that?
Do I need a couple of examples at the end, or should they be integrated for a better flow?

Thanks

 

[lawful_neutral216]

Hi all- hope you are having a nice week! I'm looking for some advice since I am slightly confused about my options post my undergrad degree. I am a Scots law student who is due to graduate in July 2022 and have been unable to secure a vac scheme or direct TC as of now.

I'm aware there are more deadlines for direct TCs over the summer so I am considering those- however, I am also considering applying for a SQE prep course with BPP or the University of Law. I am unsure what programmes would be eligible for me considering my Scots law background? (I did not do any English law modules in my degree, but I am aware that with the previous GDL/LPC route, there were certain exceptions provided to a Scots law degree.)

For example from the BPP website, I believe I would have to apply for this course, however I am not completely sure. Also, if anybody has experience applying for scholarships it would be much appreciated as well, since I will be looking into those because it will help me immensely from a financial perspective.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hi everyone - this is a non-TCLA related post, but think some of the TCLA community might be able to help.

I am keen to chat with anyone who has experience in managing a large university student society's budget (President/Treasurer etc) as well as anyone with experience from a Student Union perspective on any governance a Union might place on student societies and groups.

If you feel you could help with this, please could you PM me on here and I can send you more details.

 

[Alison C]

Morning everyone,

So, the university of law funds a postgraduate 'career changer' scholarship. This would be financially a God send for me right now, but also I think it applies as I was a pastry chef for 8 years prior to my LLB.
My question is how to go about structuring an answer to this:

What is your motivation for a career change?
What are your academic and career aspirations/how do you see yourself using your degree in changing career? Describe the transferable skills you deem beneficial to your new career path giving examples to demonstrate this from your previous work experience. Max 500 words.

I was thinking that I would first briefly mention my previous career and why I went into Law, then say what I want from the LLM/how this will facilitate the career I want.
I'm just a little unsure of where to shoehorn in the transferable skills bit into that?
Do I need a couple of examples at the end, or should they be integrated for a better flow?

Thanks

Just very quickly, they are trying to see that (1) you have thought this through (2) you do actually have some transferable skills and (3) you would be a good bet to sponsor. So you need to identify the key skills needed for success as (a) a lawyer and (b) a career changer into law. You need to drill down into, for example, the tenacity, forward planning and problem-solving from pastry chefdom and how you will bring those established skills. Perhaps there are other skills you deem to be more central to success as a lawyer - choose those and show that you already match well.

The idea is not to show you will be a great lawyer, but more to show you understand what you are getting into and that you have some worthwhile elements to bring that a recent grad might not. It's also to show you can boil down (ba-doom) the new role and sift out (ba-doom) what is going to be required. Bad puns aside, I hope this makes sense.

You've probably heard about STAR answers - that might be a way to shoehorn in the transferable skills. Maybe you dealt with large quantities of prep under pressure? Or got involved in health & safety regulatory interventions? Have a bit of a brainstorm and see how it goes.

Hope that helps.

 

[summer207]

In the past year, I’ve had catch-ups on Zoom. But regarding setting up coffee catch-ups/chats during a VS, how does that usually work in person? Do we actually go out and have the coffee in a cafe? Or just chat in the canteen or a common area at the firm? A bit random but I have no idea what a coffee catch-up usually looks like in person 😅