Skip to content

I got a 2:2 in my law degree because I suffered from depression, can I still get a training contract?

Avatar photo

By Legal Cheek on

I hope my degree result isn’t an insurmountable hurdle

depress

In the latest instalment in our Career Conundrums series, one law graduate wonders whether her 2:2 will spell the end of her solicitor dreams.

areer

I’m a recent law graduate from a redbrick university. Due to the severe depression I suffered in second year, and the resulting physical health problems of said depression in third year, I only managed to obtain a 2:2. However, my academic achievements prior to university were consistently high. In my first year, I believed there was nothing worse in life than getting a 2:2, but my depression has given me more life perspective and thankfully I wasn’t as gutted about my result as I thought I would be. That said, I’m aware that with around 70% of graduates obtaining 2:1s, I’m not exactly in the best position to embark on a legal career. I wanted to ask for advice on realistic routes into the legal profession given my circumstances, to be specific, whether it would be possible for me to secure a training contract after doing the LPC. Would a 2:2 prove an impassable barrier? And should I declare the mitigating circumstances which affected my academic performance?

If you have a career conundrum, email us with it to careers@legalcheek.com.

Struggling with depression? Contact advisory and support service Law Care free of charge.

Related Stories

How to nail Watson Glaser tests, assessment centres and final interviews

Tips to get ahead in an ultra-comptetitive process

21 hours ago

How to secure a training contract at a top law firm

Tips from a future Magic Circle trainee

Apr 20 2026 9:14am
1