Career Clinic: Have I left it too late to line up a training contract?

Larger firms have deeper pockets and will fund more GDL places, so I would focus your applications there, but you need to show your interest in law. To do this you need to get some work experience or at the very least get your face in front of firms at law fairs etc.. In addition to vacation schemes many firms put on one-day workshops. Many of these take place over the winter break, but it is still worth checking this. Try and attend law fairs and presentations held at university campuses - each firms' graduate recruitment website will advertise which universities the firm is attending and when. When you go to law fairs think beforehand about what you want to get out of meeting the people there and ask any questions you have about the firm or the application procedure. This is also an opportunity to meet the HR people who will be sifting through the applications. You seem to have strong academic credentials and so it may be worth emailing the graduate recruitment teams and asking them if you could be considered for a vacation scheme at this late stage. However, before you do try and think of a reason why you have been so late in applying, other than you need the money!Smaller firms generally have less rigid vacation scheme and work experience selection procedures and so work experience may be easier to come by. The important message is that it doesn't matter where you get your experience you just need to get some. All firms appreciate that you can't do vacation schemes everywhere and if you can say in your application to a large firm 'I worked at [x firm] for one week, it was a much smaller firm that [you are] specialising in [y product area] and made me realise that I wanted to work at a bigger firm doing [z]'. Best of luck!

Shane Williams -26 Mar 2009 | 10:32

Why was it your "original intention" to fund the course yourself? No-one with such an "impeccable" record would choose to spend £30k-plus (law school fees are at least £10k a year plus living costs) instead of having a firm pay it for them. I could be way off, but it sounds to me that you've either had a change of heart (e.g. from wanting to work in an IB) and have gone to what you perceive as a safe option or you are just lazy... Oxbridge is crawling with recruiters (even in this market) so what have you been doing?! "Finding yourself" in thailand no doubt in the belief that your CV will entitle you to walk in anywhere. Well unfortunately it won't... some MC firms aren't even taking on non-law grads anymore! That aside, and apologies if I've got you wrong, I agree with the poster above - get some relevant work experience to show your commitment to the profession and you should have a good chance. I'd get on with it though. Good luck!

MC trainee -26 Mar 2009 | 12:56

Hmmm, Oxford don't give "starred firsts". I'd be careful what you say on your CV!

Anonymous -26 Mar 2009 | 14:05

MC trainee - unless you know something that hasn't been reported in the press, the MC firms are very much still taking on non-law students. Slaughters has closed the application process to them as they already have enough of them. I suspect that an Oxbridge First will get you a look-in wherever you apply.

Anonymous -26 Mar 2009 | 14:49

Just come back, Dorothy Gale. All is forgiven.

Anonymous -26 Mar 2009 | 15:44

As a non-law grad myself, I have no reason to discourage others from similar backgrounds. On the contrary, the more non-law grads the better... you get to enjoy university and suffer no disadvantages when you start your TC. But the truth is that it is going to be harder for us especially when it comes to answering the dreaded 'commitment to law' question i.e. if you're so sure about law, why didn't you study it? I'm surprised you are so trusting of what you read in the press. Just because firms haven't announced cutbacks to non-law grads, doesn't mean that it's not happening. It doesn't take a genius to work out which pool of people are going to suffer most when the new intake numbers drop (as they inevitably will)...and there would be an uproar if an official announcement was made. What's more, all the wannabe bankers and consultants will find themselves applying to the professions so that's added competition... wake up and smell the roses!

MC trainee -26 Mar 2009 | 15:53

Remember that law grads are cheaper to train than non-law grads as they don't require funding through a law conversion course!

In house counsel -26 Mar 2009 | 17:05

good point In house counsel... and it's all gone quiet over there!

MC trainee -26 Mar 2009 | 17:13

Re: "What's more, all the wannabe bankers and consultants will find themselves applying to the professions so that's added competition" - firms are well aware of who wants to be an investment banker and is only interested in being a solicitor as a stopgap so they're being weeded out at the first stage of the recruitment process.

FourChavsInAWall -27 Mar 2009 | 13:44

Isn't there also the very practical point that most firms closed their summer vac scheme applications at the end of January? And you might be considered for interview on your academic achievements, but you are going to have to have the interpersonal skills to back them up.

TC TB -27 Mar 2009 | 15:37

Oh really?

There is no such thing as a starred first from Oxford. Cambridge, yes - Oxford no. And no such thing as a 'double first' from Oxford either, although some people pretentiously use that to mean they got a first in Mods too.

Naughty, naughty.

US trainee -03 Jul 2009 | 16:18