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‘Failed SQE1 and lost my training contract — what now?’

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By Legal Cheek on

51

SQE student seeks advice


In our latest Career Conundrum, an SQE student wants to know if anyone else is in the same pickle, and for your advice on what their next steps should be.

“I sat SQE1 in January and, unfortunately, while I passed FLK1, I did not pass FLK2 by a couple marks. As a result, my firm has confirmed that they are rescinding my training contract, despite my mitigating circumstances and request for reconsideration. I completely understand that firms have policies in place, but it has still been a difficult and disheartening experience.”

The SQE Hub: Your ultimate resource for all things SQE

“I would love to hear more about how other firms have handled similar situations and whether there are any examples of firms taking a more flexible approach. Have you received insights from other aspiring solicitors who have faced this? I’m keen to understand my options moving forward, whether that’s securing another training contract post-SQE or looking at alternative routes into the profession.”

“I’d really appreciate any guidance or perspectives you can share. Thank you.”

If you have a career conundrum, email us at tips@legalcheek.com.

51 Comments

Aa

If you can successfully get an appeal from the SRA to strike out the attempt due to mitigating circumstances then your firm should recognise this and not count it as a first as attempt.

I’ll keep you in my prayers IJN.

Reply Report comment
(70)(6)

BB

Don’t go there. Never force yourself into a place that doesn’t want you.

Reply Report comment
(102)(13)

That’s terrible advice

We have careers to protect. 100% cling to the TC now and lateral later. Finding a new firm is a more difficult plan B.

Reply Report comment
(58)(6)

Say master say

Just leave them alone and move on.

Reply Report comment
(5)(7)

Name and shame

Name and shame the firm. Good for others to know to avoid it if possible as this is clearly a ridiculous policy.

Reply Report comment
(89)(6)

K

I mean there are firms out there who have allegedly known for this. One that rhymes with dance and another that rhymes that ends in “lanes”.

Reply Report comment
(37)(2)

Rhyme police

Clifford Chance does not rhyme with dance. This isn’t the US.

Reply Report comment
(14)(64)

Confused rhymer

Does it not? In an RP accent ‘chance’ rhymes with ‘dance’, both have the ‘ɑːns’ sound at the end

‘chance’ → /tʃɑːns/
‘dance’ → /dɑːns/

Reply Report comment
(62)(0)

Linguistics Professor

Oh you ate this.

Southerner

What

Reply Report comment
(9)(1)

TD

Are you pronouncing the name “Chance” differently to the word “chance”? I’m pretty sure “chance” and “dance” rhyme in every accent. They both have a long a in the south of England and they both have a short a in the rest of the UK and in the US.

Reply Report comment
(18)(1)

Chubby

Like Pifford Pants!

Archibald O'Pomposity

This thread ends here. Move on.

Anon

What’s the firm that rhymes and ends in lanes?

Reply Report comment
(5)(4)

Reality Check

Is it? If the firm has high standards, it makes sense. Those in cream of the crop are not going to be in this position. For every self-proclaimed future star they might lose, they sidestep nine that were offer mistakes.

Reply Report comment
(11)(35)

V

Would all those same senior lawyers or HR been have able to pass it with flying colours? This one chance and you’re out policy is bizarrre. I’m pretty sure in America if you fail the bar once, most law firms don’t immediately rescind your offer.

Reply Report comment
(60)(3)

Archibald O'Pomposity

What difference does it make if the senior lawyers (or HR, and thank you for including them in your comment, Roger Irrelevant) could pass SQE1? They are qualified by experience now. There would be no need to enrol them for SQE1 in the first place.

And how many attempts should a law firm permit, if one is too few? For how long should they prop up a needy pettifogger who can’t even scrape together the minimum marks needed to pass a simple exam?

Reply Report comment
(3)(20)

Managing Partner Crime

As a senior solicitor and managing partner that took LSF , I can safely say that if you failed LSF you lost your training contract. That was in High Street Firms not just City or Magic Circle . So no different for SQE 1 trainees .

Reply Report comment
(3)(12)

Dubya

You snooze you lose. Loser

Reply Report comment
(5)(174)

TMJ

Aren’t you a shining beacon of kindness.
Wishing you the day you deserve 🙂

Reply Report comment
(89)(2)

Rhyme police

You’re a terrible person and mods publishing this for the ragebait engagement, you’re terrible too.

Reply Report comment
(37)(5)

Advice

Follow AA’s advice above and try to get the SRA’s decision reversed. Have money? Get an employment lawyer to explain your position to you. YOU MUST ACT QUICKLY. I know it sucks rn but suck it up and improve your position. Failing that, f** your firm. Only a shit firm would sack you in these circumstances. Most of the MC and just sensible firms in general give you a second chance as a matter of policy even without mitigating circumstances. Apply to them, and explain the circumstances you were rescinded in. They’ll understand it’s the firm’s fault (BUT DO NOT SAY ITS THE FIRMS FAULT IN AN INTERVIEW AS IT LOOKS BAD. Just say the facts plainly and that you did everything you could. Sound conciliatory. They’ll draw the inference that your firm are t**** themselves)

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(26)(2)

Archibald O'Pomposity

Great advice, bro. Like you say, it’s quite simple, really. Phone an employment lawyer then go round lots of other firms with your begging bowl. Because there are plenty of unfilled opportunities for failed trainees who can’t even scrape a pass in the SQE.

Reply Report comment
(4)(11)

Advice

You’re right, my grey friend, they should just do what you say below and ‘just quit’.
Commiserations on the poor reading skills too, as I said ‘phone a lawyer IF you can afford to’ and clearly implying it’s for finding out whether you can be pushed out if your failing result is withdrawn.
When it comes to scraping a pass, yea a lot of firms (obviously not the one you work at, we all know which firms have people like you in them) have trainees who scraped. Also, again context matters and most sensible firms genuinely will disregard the fail if it was due to extenuating circumstances.

@OP: when people LIKE HIM tell you to quit that’s how you know you should keep going

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(1)(0)

Archibald O'Pomposity

Even better advice, bro.

Reply Report comment
(0)(0)

Josef

Ignore the firm. Their loss. Not a single working lawyer would pass this ridiculous exam.

Pay yourself to take FLK2 only in a few months whilst the content is still fresh. Then once that is cleared (as I’m sure it will be as you only just fell short + only have 1 paper to focus on this time), apply for TCs again. Most firms are humane and would not care that you had to retake one of them, especially since you have mitigating circs.

Slightly longer and more pricey, but you will be a lawyer at the end and joining a firm that actually cares about you and your wellbeing. Good luck. Prove them wrong.

Reply Report comment
(36)(2)

Gemma

I qualified as a Legal Executive 10 years ago, have worked as a fee earner for nearly 20 years and I still found the SQE1 a real challenge. You are so close, so please don’t give up now. Find a firm who cares about you and not just a number.

Reply Report comment
(28)(0)

north london accent

mr policeman, how do you pronounce chance and dance?

Reply Report comment
(3)(1)

Gop Yah

As above.

Retake the second paper as the knowledge is still fresh then re-apply to TC.

It’s hard given the slog you have already been through, but you are young you can still do it!

Don’t forget to take some well earned rest in-between! :-))

Reply Report comment
(12)(0)

SQESurvivor

The firms that do this are just setting people up to fail. The pressure of the exam and sheer volume of content is intimidating in the extreme. It’s a format which the human brain isn’t designed to maintain that level of focus for that level of time, even psychologically it is demanding. And yes you focus in practice but you aren’t expected to flit between several practice areas in a matter of seconds. I passed by the skin of my teeth but I didn’t have my job on the line. Add in that pressure and it’s a mind fk and I’m amazed anyone passes.

Some firms have a 2 strike rule (magic circle seems to be 1) but I recently resat SQE2, second attempt, there was a procedural issue which threw my focus on exam one and I’m not ashamed to say when I came out of that exam I sobbed (Kaplan staff actually brilliant). Overall I think I’ve done it this time but I’m not a cryer – it was the pressure and, again, I don’t have my job on the line. There was another girl I sat with who was on attempt 2 and on a 2 strike TC and it wasn’t going well for her, I don’t know how she was standing tbh, she just seemed broken by the end of day 5.

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(13)(2)

Archibald O'Pomposity

You seriously failed SQE2? It has a higher pass rate than GCSE Art.

Reply Report comment
(5)(10)

Allergic to shellfish

Dealing with large volumes of material, quickly and under pressure is what the job involves. If you don’t like that or aren’t good at it, then the problem is not the exam.

Reply Report comment
(6)(4)

Big Bux

It is harsh.

Entering the exam room knowing that if you fail by even a tiny margin your job is toast…

But this is what Corporate Law has become. Brutal to the extreme.

Reply Report comment
(0)(0)

correction

That’s incorrect information on MC. Links Freshfields A&O grant a second chance in almost every case, unless you have literally showed you didn’t care about preparing for SQE1 at all

Reply Report comment
(8)(0)

Archibald O'Pomposity

Sadly, the correct option is to relinquish your pursuit of law and move into a slightly less demanding profession (such as Human Resources). A borderline is a borderline, and you missed the mark by two points. Remember, a miss is as good as a mile. Not every dream must be mercilessly pursued, and the weight lifted from your mind once you have put law behind you will amount to several kilograms.

Reply Report comment
(4)(11)

Anonymous

Do you not have anything better to do?

Reply Report comment
(3)(0)

Rogue vogue

I genuinely couldn’t pass a maths GCSE or whatever they’re called these days, based on my kids exam questions and I’m a qualified solicitor of over 16 years…. Crack on….

Reply Report comment
(1)(2)

Matthew

good job you’re a lawyer not a maths teacher really isn’t it. I’d ace Maths GCSE, but I’d fail art. Irrelevant.

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(5)(1)

SQEr

It’s not possible to only retake FLK2. They aren’t independent papers. Fail one; fail both.

Reply Report comment
(1)(19)

anon

that’s literally not true lol

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(14)(0)

B

I’m a SQE candidate. Would it be better then if I just defer the exam until I am very confident of passing it, rather than attempt first and retake if I fail the first attempt?

Reply Report comment
(3)(1)

SQE 1 Candidate (again)

I took the SQE 1 this past January and didn’t pass, so I’ll be resitting in July. I believe the best approach is to face it head-on and go for it, especially since the SRA hasn’t provided adequate guidance to course providers. The key is to complete as many practice questions as possible from various sources. I didn’t feel prepared in January, and I don’t feel fully ready for July either, but unfortunately, luck does play a role in this exam.

Reply Report comment
(4)(0)

I’m not an a******

It’s a balance. If you pass the QLTS mock decently well you should go sit the real exam.

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(4)(0)

Proud Loser & Failure fighting to succeed.

Exams don’t make us good lawyers our skills, love for the profession, and appreciation of our clients makes us good lawyers. I fail every day and succeed everyday. Don’t allow any bullshit firm whose nepotism has 95% elitist brats who go there by daddy’s contacts make you think its not ok to fail. It might set you back 2 years but trust me you will get there. I have failed more times I can count and I still qualified and work as a corporate lawyer at a good firm competing with Magic firms and still have a good life balance. Yes I don’t earn 150K and living the Harvey specter life but I love what I do and I still earn enough to be comfortable. So honestly don’t let this define you its OK to fail.

Reply Report comment
(8)(2)

Sistalocked Lawyer

Please do not give up, and see if there is an appeal procedure for the firm. You are entitled to three attempts at SQE, and the expectation is that you should be allowed a second chance with your firm. It is important that when you sign up for a training contract let them know that you have the right of three attempts at SQE. There must be a way around this. Please appeal, to the firms partners. I hope all goes well for you.

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(5)(2)

Roger That

Count your blessings and move on to a less miserable vocation

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(3)(1)

Career Consultant

Like stripping. Better hours, decent money, nicer clients.

Reply Report comment
(2)(1)

Sorry

Sorry mate it’s over. Fortunately for you there exists an entire industry staffed exclusively by people who don’t know how to pass exams. Time for you to go and become a letting agent.

Reply Report comment
(4)(0)

Yes exactly

You’re a twat

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(1)(1)

I’m not an a******

Please ignore all the insecure failures telling u to quit. One thing would be if you’d actually failed the exam but here you missed the mark very slightly and it was because of circumstances out of your control. Considering quitting the legal profession is something you do if you failed SQE1 twice and badly. Then you probably cut your losses.

Here I’d say pull yourself up from a failure, but you haven’t even really failed. Just try to get the negative result tossed and in any case resit in july. You’ll be fine.

Reply Report comment
(5)(0)

Anonymous

You can do this!! I’m sorry this happened, I failed both my papers by a small margin in July and the only difference between us is that I got
lucky with my firm that gives a second chance. That’s not something I even knew when applying. It’s unfair. I worked hard and passed the second time around. I knew I wasn’t ready to sit it in the first time round but we have no choice! If I was you I would resit without the pressure of a TC and then reapply to firms. I would back myself in being able to get another TC, if you interview well and have a strong commercial awareness I reckon you can do it!

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(1)(0)

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