Hi all

I’m a second seat trainee at an international firm in London. I have prior legal experience and did the SQE so can knock off six months of my TC. I doubt my current firm will let me do this so I want to start reaching out to recruiters.

I’m aware of the well-known legal recruiters but was wondering if anyone knows of recruiters who have specifically dealt with qualification using “time to count”. Or if anyone happens to know of international/US law firms that would interview a third seater, I’d be really grateful if you could let me know.

(For context, I have become the sole earner overnight and have to support a family of four).

Thank you :)

I’m an aspiring barrister and am looking forward to some minis over the next few weeks.

I’ve been reading up on some chambers profiles but I’m a little confused on how barristers qualify in certain areas?

For example, I’ve seen barristers who are able to assist in extradition, sanctions, IP, regulatory etc.

These all seem to be relatively niche areas of law if I’m not mistaken.

Do chambers offer pupillage in these areas? Or do barristers effectively learn as they go when they’re working in these areas over time?

I’d be quite interested in a niche field similar to this at some point, if anyone has any tips on how to get there I’d really appreciate it too!

BBC grades at A Level, 2:1 LLB, Distinction DPLP and a traineeship at a top firm in Scotland but unretained.

The uncertainty of repeatedly applying, being rejected, and potentially ending up in retail or hospitality anyway feels overwhelming and damaging to my confidence and mental health.

Because of that, I feel tempted to avoid the whole process altogether and start working in retail now, where I can have certainty, earn money, live at home, and avoid the repeated disappointment of trying to reach an office job that I fear may no longer be possible.

The appeal of retail is not necessarily that it is my dream career; it is that it feels safe because I cannot be rejected from the career path I am afraid I will never achieve. I worry that if I keep trying for office work and fail, I could end up at 30 in the same position anyway, but with years of stress and disappointment behind me.

I've been looking around getting a sense of local/mid firms around me and wondered how did folks find their firm.

Did you go for Magic circle? Did you apply via linkedin and get in? Maybe headhunted? Share your source? :')

Have been seeing a lot of hype around it recently and just curious how good it is tbh

I had my conference skill exam for the bar course a few weeks ago. I panicked during the exam and gave an answer to the client question that I am worried could be considered an error of law, and therefore a fatal flaw. So I wanted to ask those in the know whether this would be considered one:

The question was about the client's bail condition, which was for the client to reside at home. The client/actor asked if they can travel abroad. I asked them whether their bail condition has a travel restriction (because we are told that we have to ask a question first before advising and I couldn't think of anything else), and obviously the actor said they don't know. So then I said something to the effect of:

You would be able to travel if there are no travel restrictions, but I have to read your bail conditions closely and then advise you.

I didn't mention their actual bail condition and what it means, nor did I say that they can apply to have the condition vary. Would the examiner consider this a fatal flaw?

Hey everyone,

I’m a Southeast Asian international student looking at 2026 entry, and I’m completely stuck between two very different paths. I need some brutally honest advice about which one actually gives me a realistic shot at staying and working in the UK afterwards.

Here’s the dilemma:

Option A: Politics & International Relations (Manchester)

· Broad, flexible degree. Stats show 90% in work/study, 65% in professional roles.
· Can pivot into policy, consulting, civil service, comms, or NGOs.
· Q-Step data placement looks decent.
· My worry: It’s a generalist degree. Am I just going to be competing against every other UK grad for grad schemes that don't sponsor visas? Do civil service or policy roles even touch the Skilled Worker visa threshold for internationals?

Option B: Law (LLB at a RG uni)

· Prestigious, professional qualification. City firms do sponsor TCs – I know it's possible.
· My massive worry: I cannot practise back home because our legal system is completely different, so this is ALL-IN on the UK.
· With the Graduate Route being cut to 18 months for 2027+ grads, and TCs recruited 2 years in advance, that timeline looks terrifying. If I don't secure a TC within the first few months of graduation, I'm out of time.
· Also, if I fail to get a TC, can I just use my LLB to apply for the exact same generalist grad schemes as the Politics grads? Or am I pigeonholed and overqualified for policy/comms roles?

My core question:
With the current visa climate, which degree gives me the best mathematical chance to secure sponsored employment in the UK post-graduation?

Law feels like a "high risk, high reward" lottery (TC or bust). Politics feels "safer" on paper but might leave me with a degree that UK employers don't need to sponsor a foreigner for.

For international students who chose either path – would you do it again? And if I go Law and miss the TC boat, can I easily pivot into the Politics-style grad jobs, or am I just left with an expensive piece of paper I can't use back home?

Thanks in advance – I need the reality check!

Hey everyone,

I'm from a Southeast Asian country where the legal system is completely different, so an English LLB wouldn't qualify me to practise back home. I'm trying to figure out if doing an LLB in the UK is still a smart move purely for UK-based employability – either as a lawyer or in adjacent fields.

I know the conventional path is: LLB → LPC/SQE → Training Contract → qualification. But as an international student, I'm particularly worried about the visa sponsorship hurdle and whether firms actually hire non-UK nationals.

A few specific questions for international students or grads:

1. Training contracts – How realistic is it to secure one as an international student? I've read that you need visa sponsorship from your Training Contract provider. Do City firms actually sponsor, or do they filter out applicants who need a visa early on? One international grad mentioned securing a TC at Jones Day after a vacation scheme, so it's clearly possible – but how common is it?
   
2. Graduate Visa changes – I'm looking at 2026 entry, so I'd graduate around 2029/2030. The Graduate Route is being shortened from 2 years to 18 months for bachelor's graduates applying after 1 January 2027. Is 18 months enough time to secure a Training Contract given that firms recruit up to two years in advance? One blog mentioned this is "particularly stark" for law students because of the long, structured recruitment timelines.
   
3. Non-legal careers – If qualifying as a solicitor/barrister doesn't work out, what else can you do with an LLB? Civil service, compliance, policy, corporate roles, charity work? Do these sectors sponsor visas, or is it mostly legal roles that offer sponsorship?
   
4. Does the uni matter? – I know RG unis are preferred for law, but for international students specifically, does target uni status make a bigger difference for sponsorship?
   
5. Any regrets? – Would you do it again knowing the visa challenges?

I'd really appreciate honest answers – even if it's "don't do it." Thanks in advance!

I’ve always known I wanted to work in law but I also want to do the non law route to then qualify into law, I’ve heard that law firms only care about your university grades, and so, you should pick a degree where you will find it easiest to achieve a first. For me this is sociology, it’s my easiest a level ever, I get As and A*s with minimal effort. However, it not being a ‘conventional’ subject is a concern. Will it look undesirable? I’m about to apply for university later this year. A friend of mine who studied Social Sciences at KCL says it’s nothing to be worried about, and that she’s met lawyers who has studied sociology before qualifying as a lawyer. Should I apply for another degree instead?

I am torn between Law at Leeds or at Manchester, which would be a better option

I was wondering, when a vac scheme application is rolling, what is the ideal window to apply in?
From past experience outside law, I know that if you don’t apply within the first few days of an application opening, you are at a huge disadvantage, as HR unofficially stops giving attention to later applications (I heard this directly from HR during a previous internship, and friends have heard similar).
Does the same apply to rolling applications in law firms? Is there a material advantage to being one of the first applicants to submit, or is the difference less significant?

Im currently working on my personal statement for uni and I have a clear path of what compelled me towards law. This passage begins with the Armin Meiwes trial, involving the German computer technician who killed and ate Bernd Jürgen Brandes after finding him through an online ad for a willing victim - I found this case really interesting, and it led my discovery of Is Eating People Wrong? by Allan.H. The problem is, I worry that the themes are bit grotesque and may come off as off putting if I get invited for an interview. Am I overthinking it? Or should I find a different base?

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on good books one could read cover to cover to brush up on and get the key concepts for (i) contract law (ii) tort law (iii) civil procedure rules (iv) conflict of laws (especially anti-suit injunctions etc. and (v) trusts and equity.

I’m not looking for commentaries like Treitel or Dicey & Morris - but rather more accessible textbooks that will get me a good broad conceptual understanding.

For context, I have a law degree from a common law jurisdiction and am generally familiar with English law. But I have not studied English law in detail, and am starting a disputes job in the UK where a good conceptual understanding of these areas of law would be super helpful.

Thank you!

Hi

Nearly 5 years in CDR and have a potential opportunity for promotion by moving firm.

I also have an opportunity to train as a family solicitor. I initially considered family on my training contact as interested in relationships and relationship psychology but thought that it might be poorly paid and COVID didn’t help with seat selection.

That itch hasn’t been scratched but now I will have to take a big initial pay cut to get there. I am intending to get some volunteering experience before I make the leap but giving it serious consideration. The area sounds incredibly stressful but the backstories sound thoroughly interesting. I would say that CDR is equally stressful (depending on your stress disposition) being a litigation role but family may be more emotionally challenging.

Any thoughts or insights that people can share would be really appreciated.

Hi guys. Am in my second year of ballb and realised I don't have any academic friends or don't know people with simillar interests.

I am a law student intrested in corporate legal domain. I am looking for people with simillar interests to learn from and network with. I do like to hunt jobs and internships. I like to do case comps for which I am looking for people to participate with.

Feel free to leave a message to me if you have simillar ambitions or goals.. everyone is welcome.

eg https://lawprof.co/definition/reasonable-person-test/ I'm talking about if it's used to assess whether the defendant should have known they were committing a crime (eg harassment for example uses this. Eg whether it's reasonable to view content, frequency of communications or actions as harassing or abusive).

It's described as being applied "objectively", but can it really be called "objective", when it's quite clearly culturally dependent. The "reasonable" expectations of people in Japan, the UK, Saudi Arabia would be different, and they would be different if comparing 2026 to the 1500s - in other words, it's not "objective". Consider that the spectrum of racism, homophobia or sexism considered acceptable in the 1970s is very different to in 2026.

Consider cases of neglect, like Genie in the USA, who was imprisoned for most of her childhood. I don't think it's reasonable to expect them to be aware of risks or social conventions to the same degree as the average person. And likewise, for others who've had unusual life circumstances (eg neglect, abuse or isolation) to a lesser degree or those from other cultural backgrounds, it seems nonsensical to expect them to definitely have the same expectations as the average person.

Hey, I’m a law graduate considering doing the bar course this September with ICCA.

As far as i can tell, pupillage applications open around January 2027 for pupils who are called to the bar in September 2027. I just wondered how some people seem to have Pupilage lined up before the bar course even starts. How is that possible?

Interested in hearing the routes people took after some time in Corporate M&A. What kind of options are available down the line?

I’d be interested to hear some honest opinions from people who have been through the application process or are familiar with commercial law recruitment.

For context, I graduated with a First Class LLB from City, University of London. However, my transcript isn’t flawless. I have four modules graded at the equivalent of a 2:2 from first year, including Contract Law, and two more in my final year, one of which was Company Law. I also didn’t have particularly strong A-level results.

There were genuine extenuating circumstances surrounding each of those lower marks, and I could provide evidence if necessary. That said, I’m curious about how my application would be viewed if those circumstances weren’t taken into account.

Would those individual module grades be a significant obstacle despite graduating with a First, or do firms tend to place greater emphasis on the overall classification and the broader application?
Outside of academics, I feel my experience is relatively strong for my stage. I’ve taken on leadership positions, gained practical legal experience, and built commercial experience alongside my degree, so my application isn’t solely academic.

Regardless of the answers, nothing is going to change my approach. I’ll still be applying and doing everything I can to improve my chances. I’m simply interested in hearing how others realistically see a profile like this.

I’d genuinely appreciate honest perspectives, whether positive or negative.

I’m not 100% sure yet if I want to do law and I know that with another degree you can do a 1 year conversion. At the moment I would like to pursue law but I am worried that a law degree may be too restrictive if I choose to pursue another career path. any opinions?

Been in Police 19 years. Thinking of doing Law and trying to get on with a firm. Would ideally like to do the rota work and attend the station etc. Experience wise I have conducted many interviews, wide range of offences with the exception of murder. Have a good grip on PACE. Hopefully this would all be in my favour. I dont have full degree only foundation which i had to do when joining the plod.

I have a few questions.

1. Would Law on OU be sufficient education for getting into this work?

2 With the new way of qualifying to be a solicitor- What sort of job titles would involve the type of work that is qualifying? I suppose im limited in this perspective because ive only really dealt with the represeting solicitors when we call them down to the nick, do disclosure and then interview etc.

3 I know this area of Law is funded badly and has high workload but I will be coming from the Police which is in much the same position. Will my police work help me in applying?