‘Non-Russell university with BBBC at A Level — which firms should I apply to?’

It’s over before it even began

It’s completely possible to do well at a non-Russell university without exceptional A levels. With third year ahead of you there is plenty of time to do that. Whether or not it’ll be enough to propel you into the corporate stratosphere, who can say?

If you want money but don’t want the workload don’t become a lawyer. There are easier ways to earn more money (they’re riskier, but nothing in life is free).

I got BCC at A level and a 2:1 from a non-RG university, got my TC without having done the LPC and trained and qualified at an international firm. My advice is focus on getting paralegal experience if you’re sure this is the career for you – but the serious money doesn’t come without the workload.

My advice is learn about any firm you apply to before going to interview. I have lost track of candidates sending emails to undisclosedrecipients or answering that they “don´t know what you do” Find an area of law you are interested in and persist….
Good luck

I got exactly the same A-Levels and attended a non-RG uni too. I secured two vac schemes in my penultimate year (US and International) and was offered a TC. It is totally possible provided you are extremely committed to a career in commercial. You can show this by attending open days, virtual internships, work experience etc. Non-legal experience is also really helpful for transferable skills.

LinkedIn is also a great starting point – you can find plenty of non-RG graduates who have secured TCs in the City.

You need to research each firm you’re applying to, play to your strengths and prove you have the skills needed through any work experience you have.

In terms of the workload, for me personally, I did struggle slightly. It was a case of getting used to working very fast and producing high-quality work consistently. If you’re motivated, it isn’t a huge issue as you’ll adapt and learn quickly. The only problem is that if you aren’t, it’s going to be really hard for you to stay committed, especially if you’re only in it for the money. You must have an interest in what you’re doing, the hours of a lawyer are long and unpredictable so it helps to enjoy what you’re doing. Plus you’re only going to make serious money later down the line anyways, so you need to master the basics and stick at it.

In summary, yes it is doable. Make use of the free resources out there, keep trying and with every rejection pinpoint what you can do better and build on that. Nothing is impossible, it might take you slightly longer but you’ll get there. Best of luck

I’m sorry, but a lot of these responses are very misleading bordering on irresponsible.

I don’t think many students appreciate just how insanely competitive it has become to secure a TC at a City firm, over the last few years alone.

The number of applicants per training contract is underestimated, in part because law schools’ business model depends on getting new students through the door so their marketing is deliberately misleading.

There are around 5,500 TCs on offer each year. Of these, only around 1,400 are at “top” firms (the top 80 firms listed in Chambers Student Guide, from national firms up to MC/US). In 2020, these firms received 70,000 applications, translating to a 2% success rate (see link here https://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/where-to-start/commercial-awareness-info/our-newsletter/how-competitive-is-the-law).

That was 2020. Each year those stats get worse, as more graduates leave university (18,000 law grads each year) and because thousands of applicants failed to get a TC the previous year, the number of people looking for a TC is compounded each year. And remember, every year there are more Oxbridge and Russell Group grads coming through to compete with.

People saying “it’s possible if you’re extremely committed” are leading you on. And if your “primary goal is to make money”, that is not going to help you stand out from the tens of thousands of better candidates who will be able to show an actual interest in the law and not just money.

Anything, why be fussy ?

Once you get the TC ….

I’m newly qualified at a small regional firm and no longer interested in large City firms, but my circumstances and questions were similar to yours.

I got BCC at A-Level and went to a small non-Russell Group university. The competition wasn’t exactly fierce, but I got the best results in my year, which I felt was essential. I spent 10 months as a legal assistant on £20,000 before getting a training contract elsewhere. My newly qualified salary is ~£40,000-£47,000 depending on bonuses.

Consider paralegal/legal assistant/work experience roles. You might not want a training contract at a smaller firm, but very few non-TC opportunities are beneath you at this stage. You only have three ways to beat the sea of Russell Group applicants: paralegal/legal assistant experience, non-law experience, and being among the best at your uni. Without at least one of these, training contract/vacation scheme applications to the biggest firms are almost completely hopeless right now.

Don’t take too many Legal Cheek comments seriously. An alarming number of people here are elitist about smaller firms and 5-figure salaries. Their perspectives don’t match the reality of the industry. Some toxic commenters are parodies, but some genuinely seem to think that we’re both subhuman.

Try not to be too fixated on large City firms if you’re worried about the workload. I often finish before 18:00, my living costs/commute are tiny compared to those in London, the work is enjoyable and I’ve had direct support from the directors since day one. Those circumstances tend to be extremely underrated on here.

“Primary goal to make money …. Worried about workload.” If I were recruiting and saw this the applicant would not stand a chance. He is clearly not cut out for any kind of London firm, and probably not for law at all.

Hi!

First, I would check the grade requirements that firm have. Some of them may have AAB at A-levels requirement and 2:1 for your degree but others do not have grade requirements at all. I would recommend you to aim for those that do not have grade requirements. I think that what you should do is to try to make your application as tailored as possible to the law firm that you are applying. You should focus on having a specific and unique answer for why you want to join a firm, as well as to why you chose to pursue a career in commercial law. For more on this there are a lot of resources out there online paid or unpaid. One that comes to mind is the Commercial Law Academy. You could also use the videos on their Youtube channel and blog posts as well since they are for free.

get a solid first / get a 2:1 and an academic award in final year, apply to a top level LLM (lse, oxbridge, etc) specialising in something you’re interested and central to your target firm’s offering, apply to MC/SC/US. You would then have more than enough to get in… just down to you then