Career Clinic: High street TC or big firm paralegal?

Lawyer

Take the TC, not easy but not impossible to 'upgrade' later. At least in 2 years you'll be a solicitor! (Although this advice depends a bit on your qualifications/experience - i.e. will you 'easily' get a TC at a bigger firm in due course?)

Alex -25 Jun 2009 | 10:03

Tough call

A real tough decision. I was in the similar situation as you last year - paralegal at a big City firm and wondering should I go for a high street TC or stick to my guns and go for a City TC.

You need to consider a number of factors which I did. Wages - a high street trainee will get about £20K. A City paralegal about £25K, maybe higher. Long term - in 2 years you will qualify from a high street. You're an NQ - well done! But if you have plans to work for a City firm you may struggle as I don't think City firms take on NQs with high street training. I wanted to work in the City on corporate and commercial matters so I stuck to the City as a paralegal. Do you have favoured areas of law? If property and private client go for the high street TC. If insolvency, litigation, international trade then go for the City paralegal position. If you take that, work your backside off so you get a TC. Good luck.

Metallica -25 Jun 2009 | 10:53

Ask yourself what type of work/area of law you are interested in - if it's corporate, banking etc then the route is clear. However, do not be taken in by suggestion that a paralegal job may lead to TC - this line has been spun to so many unsuspecting/desperate graduates that often results in disappointment. Nothing is locked in until you sign the contract and in the current climate this too can be withdrawn.

If the high street firm can offer quality training - direct contact to clients and drafting experience - then this should not be dismissed. At the end of the day, you will qualify and have useful practical experience. Over time I have met more and more good lawyers that trained with smaller firms but though their own ability do shine through.

If it was me, I'd take the TC.

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

Anonymous -25 Jun 2009 | 10:56

Go for the TC. The bigger firm is likely to defer its future intakes in the current climate and even if they do offer you a TC, it won't be for at least 2 years if they recruit 2 years ahead and more if they have deferred their trainees. Also, they ALWAYS promise TCs to their paralegals. It is their way to lure you into accepting an underpaid job. Be realistic as to your prospects if you take the paralegal position.

Trainee -25 Jun 2009 | 11:12

Unless the high street firm is a one-man band of rubbish reputation, you know you will be better off once you have the qualification under your belt.

Yes, a prolific career in law requires a good start (I am hinting at a TC with a City firm) but it also requires a commitment, acumen and a zest to succeed.

No matter how committed you are you will not make much progress, career wise, if you are going to remain a paralegal for a large part of your legal career.

Trainee -25 Jun 2009 | 11:41

One in the hand is worth two in the bush. Or something. I'd go with the guaranteed training contract (no mean feat in these times) and then plan to trade up by excelling at what you do and networking.

Red Rose -25 Jun 2009 | 12:21

Don't fall for it

Keep the training contract - a bird in the hand and all that. You will get a good all-round training and there will be options to move to bigger firms in the future. A paralegal role is far less valuable - there is no guarantee that you will get a TC out of it, and I wouldn't fall for that kind of sales patter on paralegal jobs. They can keep you for six months and then dump you and then where would you be? Take the TC!

Helbels -25 Jun 2009 | 12:58

Quite a difficult situation!

If you weren't that interested in the high street firm why did you apply to them and accept the training contract?

If you're not interested in the high street then pulling out would be the best thing to do but I wouldn't put too much faith in claims of 'with a view to a training contract'. Many City firms don't recruit their own paralegals as trainees.

MrX -25 Jun 2009 | 13:00

Recruiter

Just to break with the general consensus I'll say drop the training contract with the high street firm and take the paralegal job in the City. When you arrive keep your head down and work really hard. If you impress you will get the job and career you actually want. It's highly unlikely you will be able to jump up into a real City firm once you start down the high street track. Take a risk and do the job you really want to do that will make you happy rather than playing it safe, being left bored and full of regrets and asking yourself "what if" for the rest of your life. Good luck.

Luke -25 Jun 2009 | 16:12

A year or two as a paralegal and then training with a good firm would in the long run be better than training with a high street firm. But a year or two as a paralegal with no training contract to follow would be much worse.

Your decision turns on how firmly a training contract is promised and whether or not you trust the big firm to keep the promise.

I've worked with a couple of dozen paralegals, all of whom aspired to training contracts and most of whom were offered the firm prospect of an interview; I can think of only one who was ultimately offered a training contract.

I'd try to get a deferred training contract with a paralegal job in the interim. A career as a high street lawyer beats a lifetime paralegal's job hands down.

Dullard -25 Jun 2009 | 19:23

Sounds like you don't know what you want to do. If it's big corporate deals and international stuff then quit the TC. If it's civil litigation or family law or crime, then do the TC.

jackvance -26 Jun 2009 | 04:32

Lawyers from smaller firms were able to make the leap to City law firms when the market was booming and firms were desperate for bodies. It would be near impossible in the current climate, but then who's to say what the market will look like in a couple of years when you're qualified?

Some firms have an issue with hiring their own trainees. A friend was told by a mid-tier firm that she was a superb candidate but 'we just don't hire the staff as lawyers'. She got a TC with a magic circle firm a few weeks later. City firms do recruit the occasional paralegal who has impressed over a long period, but rarely in the case of larger firms that will have their recruitment sorted 2 years in advance. If the paralegal job is with a smaller firm that historically recruits the better of its paralegals, then the prospects of 'earning' a TC might be better.

Herman -26 Jun 2009 | 11:17

I trained at a tiny firm and made the leap to a top 35 global firm at NQ level with little trouble. Some firms actually like the hands on approach for trainees in the High Street. Be realistic about the TC - there are hundreds and thousands of paralegals and not that many jobs...the big decision here is conscience - if you are forever going to be wondering about the city - take a chance and go for it. At least your curiousity will be satisfied and it might just turn out alright! The posts on here are varied because the answer to the question is one that only you can provide really!

US Associate -27 Jun 2009 | 00:04

Loan or no Loan??

I'm not exactly sure if this is the right place to ask, but I'm intrigued as to whether or not people would advise I take the Natwest graduate loan should I not get a TC by September.

...Obviously it is a tougher market and I may well not know until September whether or not Law School will be funded? ...A loan - A noose around my neck or an investment in my future?

Eva -28 Jun 2009 | 10:20

It sounds as though you settled for what was available. Ask yourself why. If you are not happy with where you are you can take the opportunity. Staying where you are could still be rewarding. Working for a high street firm does not mean that you would not have an interesting career. Why not accept your choice, put in the effort on your TC and see where you get to by the end of it?

Anonymous -29 Jun 2009 | 11:00

I don't understand your dilemma.
You are very lucky indeed to be offered a real TC. If the firm knew how little you patently value this offer, they'd withdraw it immediately and give it to someone who is really committed to the High Street. Is that what you want?
I think you should look at the pros of training in the high street before you take a paralegal job that may never go anywhere.
Trainees who sit with me during their TC get the following:-
1. They meet real clients and know them all by name and their importance;
2. They get regular feedback;
3. They are given tasks to do that will give them hands-on experience of my discipline (Comm Prop and some Resi) and prepare them for practising it later if that is what they choose;
4. And if they can hack a 46 year old whose approach to teaching is to ask loads of questions which lead the trainee to the answer, then they can learn a lot from my experience and my coaching.
OK, I can't say you can find all that in every high street firm, but judging from what I read on this website, you don't get it all in the MC etc either.
And in the bigger practice you'll be fairly anonymous. In the high street firm everyone will know who you are and there are opportunities to make your mark if you want to take them.
As for practice areas, OK you will not get the "right kind" of experience if you want to shift up to the bigger practice later. But you'll get great experience in client care on the high street, which at the end of the day is what being a good solicitor is all about.

high street solicitor -01 Jul 2009 | 13:51

Having worked in big firms as well as small and in-house, it is a myth that the work in City firms is more interesting or more difficult than in the high street. You would get some excellent experience from a reputable high street firm, although the money does not compare. If money is the main motivation I would be inclined to take the paralegal job as it is difficult to move. If you are interested in the law, take the TC.

Bored In House Staffer -01 Jul 2009 | 20:07

I graduated in 2006 with no TC at that time. I worked as a paralegal in a high street firm (about 20 people in total) for six months and I was offered a training contract. I didn't take the offer because I know that's not what I wanted. I then quit my job and moved on to another high street firm to work - again as a paralegal. In the same year, I went to about 10 interviews with top City firms/MC firms but still with no training contract. Then after 6 months paralegaling at the 2nd firm, they offered me a training contract again. I hesitated but then I declined the offer again! It wasn't easy. But I know I wouldn't have been happy if I'd stayed and I knew my dream is to work in the city and deal with high-profile transactions. Then i quit and landed another paralegal job with a reputable national firm. I kept applying to City firms at the meantime and this time I was not disappointed. I was offered 5 training contracts!!!

It is true working in high street firms, you can meet lots of clients and have you own files. However, this is compromised by the quality of training. They are not as professional either and you will need to do everything yourself, sometimes even need to cover reception if necessary!!!

You need to ask yourself what type of work you like. if your dream is to work in corporate, work for big names, you should accept the paralegal job and I am sure you will land a TC soon!

TC11 -02 Jul 2009 | 10:17

Just to warn you that Metallica is being a little over-optimistic with his paralegal salary predictions: a paralegal with no previous paralegal experience in a MC can expect a starting salary of £22,000; I know this from personal experience. And don't expect to earn more through overtime - firms just aren't paying for it any more. It's also true that many firms don't hire their own staff. Seriously consider the TC - at the high street firm where I first did work experience, all the partners had previously worked for MC firms internationally, so don't underestimate the experience.

KMA -02 Jul 2009 | 11:13

How about practising your negotiation skills by testing whether the City firm is likely to offer you a TC in the future. It might not seem that most obvious thing to do but let's think about it ...

If you want to work in the City - and that is your only ambition and you are happy to take the risk that you may not get a TC after all - then go for the paralegal position.

Alternatively, advise them you have a TC already but you would love to work for them ... and ask them if they would agree to offer you a TC with an agreed start date. What do you have to lose?

They say no - at which point you will then know that you may not get qualified at that City firm and hence be in a position to make an informed decision. Also, if they say no, it is unlikely they will withdraw their paralegal offer based on you having a training contract particularly if you say you would be happy enough to give it up to join them ....

I know of many paralegals who have never secured training contracts on the back of law firms stating that they would offer them. Alternatively, I know of a few people who have made it from high street qualified to City firm via mid tier.

Good luck.

Anon -02 Jul 2009 | 16:57

No contest

Take the TC! You'll have a great life balance, and actually, the work might be better as you'll get more variety and possibly more client contact and not crowding over one file.
I currently work for a national law firm and I'm bored by how they all specialise. I did work expereince for a partner in a high street and loved it. I think its worth the pay cut and you'll be qualified, unlike many other desperate graduates.

b_solty -10 Jul 2009 | 13:47

TC or not TC

TAKE THE PARALEGAL ROLE!

I'm considering you have no kids and no house, or a gambling addiction to pay off? (if so take the TC, simple)

What's the worst case scenario of being a paralegal at a city firm for couple of years then getting dumped? You gave it your best and you can try for high street firms, (which you will probably get, if an ex-City worker, i.e. in your original situation, or just work in HR)

Worst case if you take the TC? Never knowing what could have been for the rest of your life!

Be brave, how many times in your life have you ever regretted taking the braver route?

Topher -20 Feb 2010 | 23:51