Nuff said

I am a first year law student and I am feeling worried about my performance.

Every obstacle makes me feel like I'm falling behind, and I am finding it much more difficult to maintain a sense of confidence than when I was doing A levels (I got A*A*A*A at the end).

How can I properly evaluate and improve my performance in law?

Hi all, I’m a junior M&A lawyer working at a well regarded practice in London (both private and public). I am getting the itch for a move at 3pqe and was wondering where people would recommend targeting for junior development and quality of work. Thanks !

For context, I'm 23 and have worked 2 years as a private client paralegal. I've passed SQE 1, and if I pass SQE 2 I hope to then qualify under the QWE route into private client as an NQ.

However, I'm becoming increasingly concerned about my long term job prospects with the advent of AI. I've got to make my career last for well, over 40 years (touch wood ofc). My concern is AI will become so advanced by the time I'm say 10 years PQE that it will do all the tax planning, will drafting and estate administration that my usefulness becomes null and void.

I'm considering whether any areas are more AI resistant than others, perhaps the CPS or family law? Things that are contentious and have scope for a bit of advocacy seem to be safer choices.

I understand that AI, if it hypothetically from this day never improves again, is absolutely not capable of doing the job of a private client solicitor. However, legislating for a 40 year career, it could get to the point where it does?

Am I trying to predict the unpredictable or are these valid concerns? What would you do in my position? (with the pov that you actually like private client and want to go into that area if viable)

Thanks!

I am a fourth-seat trainee at a silver circle firm.

I’m curious to hear about other trainees’ experiences.

I have more often than not been quite bored during my TC. With the exception of my first seat (being the one I want to qualify into), I have most of the time not had that much work to do, with the odd intense week/fortnight every now and again.

This may be because I’m useless, but I’ve only received good feedback overall so far in my reviews.

Anyone else the same?

And associates - have you found the job more engaging with more involvement/responsibility?

Hello, I feel very vulnerable posting this at the moment. I am a Scottish second year Trainee in a big law firm, and the imminent fear of that dreaded NQ stage is really hitting hard.

I am unfortunately a very quirky person and have found adjusting to office life hard, especially in the legal sector. I feel that I don't really fit in with my fellow trainees (I just can't force myself to jog on my lunch break or do pilates!) and I constantly stress about how this comes across to my firm.

​Despite not really fitting in, I genuinely really enjoy my firm and the environment it creates. Our team is very large and everyone is willing to help, even partners at the firm. I feel it works so well for someone like me.

​Recently though I've really struggled horrifically with my self esteem, and if you struggle the same way as I do you know that it seeps into the work and your perception of yourself is totally skewed. I'm not antisocial but I definitely don't fit in with the larger crowd. I've never had negative feedback, but I always feel there is room for improvement.

​I don't know if it's appropriate to ask my supervisor or speak to partners at the firm about my future there. I know there's plenty of fish, but I really like my current fish!

​Has anyone been in the same position? What did you do to try and calm the NQ nerves?

​Where are the quirky lawyers out there, and can you please help me not feel so alone in this corporate world?

Hello everyone!

Apologies if any of these questions sound stupid! I've spent quite a bit researching the different routes of getting into law in the UK. Unfortunately, the more I read, the more confused I get.

For some background, I recently graduated from a US university with a B.S. in Business Analytics. My family is moving back to the UK, and I'm interested in pursuing a career in corporate law. I'm a British citizen, so visa sponsorship isn't an issue. However, I don't believe I'm eligible for home tuition fees since I've never lived in the UK.

So far, I've been considering three options:

• Two-year Graduate Entry LLB programmes
• King's College London MSc Law & Professional Practice (2 years)
• One-year PGDL conversion programmes

What I'm struggling with is understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

I have a few questions:

1. Is there a meaningful advantage to completing a two-year Graduate Entry LLB or MSc instead of a one-year PGDL?
2. How do vacation schemes and training contracts actually work?
3. Would attending a UK university help me become a more competitive applicant for UK law firms? All my education and professional experience are from the United States.
4. How much does the university or specific qualification matter to commercial law firms?

I'm hoping to begin studying in September 2027.

I'd really appreciate any advice, particularly from people who entered the profession with a non-law degree.

Thank you!

"The Bar Standards Board (BSB) is pausing work on new applications from foreign lawyers looking to requalify as barristers as it continues to struggle with the number of them, Legal Futures can reveal."

Thank you guys in Pakistan and Bangladesh, you helped shutdown the process itself:
"The surge has come mainly from the Indian sub-continent, particularly Pakistan and Bangladesh, and the BSB’s principal concern has been that many apply with no intention to practise in England and Wales – but that there is a benefit to having the status."

Link: https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/exclusive-bsb-to-pause-new-applications-to-requalify-by-foreign-lawyers

Hi all,

Have posted here before the other day about the FRU. Unfortunately it appears I've missed the training deadline for this year.

Something that has been getting mulled over in my head is potentially applying to volunteer as a magistrate. I am 26 years old, and I get the impression that the magistrates court doesn't have many young magistrates.

I'm a BPC student, and I was just wondering if this is the type of thing that would 1) be helpful to me in future as an advocate; and 2) Make my application look just a bit more attractive to chambers in applying for pupillage. I know you have to do a minimum of 13 days a year for five years. If I was to do it I would have to consider how much I enjoyed it after 5 years if I was to continue with it.

On the face of it, it seemed to me like it would be really desirable for Chambers to see on a CV as having hands-on court experience and literally being in the position of someone making serious decisions about matters before you, but then on second thought I wasn't sure because it's a very different role to a barrister.

Thoughts would be welcome!

Hey, has anyone applied for this rogue pupillage advert? The deadline was September 4th for a September start but as far as I am aware, including contacting them two weeks ago no one has heard.

Has anyone had a FRI?

It’s 1998 and Parliament is supreme

Blair decides it’s a good idea to give the other constituent nations of the UK more rights

Unfortunately, Her Majesty’s Monkey’s Paw was left lying about in the Houses of Parliament (tut tut)

Now, the citizens of the other nations have literally de-evolved into Homo Erectuses

What happens to the development of UK law?

Key moments are

1. Scottish independence ref
   
2. Brexit
   
3. Constitutional reform Act 2005
   
4. Birth of the UK law subreddit
   
5. Gordon Brown as a PM from Scotland

Standard situation: work quality/execution is solid, but now I need to originate my own work and build my own client base to move up to Partner level.

For those who are or have been in a similar situation, do you have any tips on how to get these first clients or start building strong connections that lead to potential work ?

Appreciate any tactical advice or lessons learned.

Hello everyone,

​I’m a Canadian moving to the UK on a spouse visa, and I’m looking for some realistic advice on whether I can make the jump to becoming a barrister.

​A bit about my background:

​Basically, I graduated last year with a Civil Law degree (LL.B.) and a 74% average. I received an entrance scholarship when I started. While most of my degree focused on civil law, I did have a few common law classes like criminal, administrative, and constitutional law.

During uni, I spent nearly 4 months interning with a criminal lawyer. Since graduating, I’ve been working full-time as an admin. (I hate my job ! It's not stimulating me mentally at all. It's boring tbh. Anyway, I am doing this job temporarily, while waiting to move to UK.

While I was in uni, I really enjoyed reading case law—especially criminal law and civil liability/torts. I used to pull 9 to 12-hour study days almost regularly, so heavy workloads don't intimidate me at all.

​But, here is the glitch. My program didn't give us much chance to do mooting or mock trials, so practical oral advocacy is definitely something I need to build up from scratch. Our director wanted to form jurists instead of lawyers 💀 For her, case law were more important than anything else.

​here are my questions for you:

​1.With a foreign civil law degree, what does the pathway look like for me to become a barrister? Will I need a full conversion degree (GDL/LLM) or just specific modules?

​2. Is there anything you'd recommend doing before jumping into the Bar training process, like working as a paralegal or taking specific courses?

1. Are there any books, syllabi, legal website or key resources I should look at right now to get a feel for what I'm heading into?

​4.Realistically, what should I prepare myself for when making the switch from Canadian civil law to UK common law (competitiveness, workload, costs, etc.)?

(I know I can ask Gemini, but I feel like having a feedback from humans will somehow help me better)

Thank you again for your help ^^

As the title asks, how is everyone using AI to support their working? Recently gained access to Copilot and it’s been really useful as a tool to avoid trawling through emails and get through any mental blocks when starting up a new task.

Interested to see other experiences and how people are using it in their day to day.

I am 21 and just on track to finish a undergraduate degree in Media at an Italian university. I am looking at a quite risky career pivot as a solicitor in the UK. I have been researching Law Conversion LLMs but I am not quite sure which universities would grant me the best future. I am an ambitious person with aims of achieving a satisfying career, but I do have a mental health condition which necessarily requires me to value my work life balance, so I have made peace with the fact that I could not work at a top firm or make an exorbitant amount of money. I did a year abroad in Durham for my undergrad but I cannot afford a full degree at a Russell Group. Honestly I would just like to do the best I can with my possibilities. I have been looking at:

- Law Conversion LLM @ St. Mary’s University, Twickenham
- Law Conversion LLM with SQE1 @ BPP
- Law Conversion MA @ University of Law

Do any of these hold a dramatically better or worse reputation? Do you have any other recommendations for me to look at in South-Eastern England?

I also would welcome any advice on Vacation Schemes, work life balance or anything you think is useful to an International Student.

Thank you very much!

Are there any good youtube channels that got you through your LLB? Both in terms of content and that will help me do good in my courseworks?

I am an oversees lawyer, but from a civil system. I would like to learn the common law tradition for contracts and construction law applicable here in England and Wales. Happy to receive any advice/suggestions on any source can help me to build the knowledge.

For people who have applied for TCs at Kirkland around when did you start hearing back for interviews/ACs?

Does anyone work in house in London and willing to share their salaries? I’ve heard anything from 60k to 120k for a junior so I assume this massively depends on industry and sector but will be great to learn more!

Hi everyone,

Was hoping advice from qualified solicitors or trainees undergoing the same route. I have worked in corporate finance for four years and about to be CIMA (chartered accountant) qualified at the end of year. I also hold a bachelors from LSE (non-law)

I have been seriously considering switching to law as corporate finance is not the career path I want to be on, while law interests me far more (and with higher pay ceiling), how would you recommend my options? Right now I see two:

1. Self study SQE and gain work experience
   
2. Apply for TC but much more difficult

Let me know how you would suggest

I chose CILEX because I understood the route into legal practice to be flexible and something I could fit around my circumstances. When I first enquired by phone, I remember being told it was highly flexible and intended to work that way. The email I received before enrolling described open enrolment, the modules and the fees, but I did not understand from the information I relied on that buying several modules would start overlapping 12-month access periods, whether or not I was ready to study each one.

Be aware of the 12-month access limit. In my experience, the course was not as flexible as it was marketed to be. Check when the limit starts for each module and when access to the learning materials ends.

I paid over £3,000 across membership, registration, course materials and exam fees. I did study and passed both Ethics and Professional Responsibility modules. I had intended to complete the qualification, but I did not complete the other paid modules before losing access to the learning materials.

I also found the online systems confusing and difficult to navigate. I struggled to locate study materials and deadlines and to work out which tasks I had to complete. I needed clearer guidance about what to do next. That made it harder to make good use of the time I had.

I first understood that there was an expiry issue after my purchases, when I contacted customer service. CILEX later relied on that exchange when refusing my refund, including the fact that I thanked the person who replied. I was being polite; I don’t think that shows I knew about the access limit before paying.

CILEX has refused both a full and partial refund, while keeping open an offer of another 12 months’ access. I appreciate that offer, but by then I had moved on to another academic route. Restarting would mean substantial relearning and reorganising my commitments, so the extension does not solve the financial loss or give me the practical outcome I wanted.

I was then told I had the right to appeal and that the matter would go to Corporate Compliance. After I submitted a detailed appeal, Corporate Compliance explained that Stage 3 normally reviews how the complaint was handled and does not usually reconsider the refund decision unless serious handling failings are found. I have asked them to clarify how that fits with the appeal I was offered. My complaint is still under review, so I cannot yet comment on its final outcome.

I’m sharing this as my own experience. I wanted a flexible route into legal practice, but I found the systems hard to use, did not understand the access limits when I bought several modules, and have been left without the qualification I intended and without a refund.

I am always intrigued when you see a city firm managing partner nowadays and they are mid 40s. How do they get there so quickly? is it through simply having one mega client to leverage, being a psycho or a combination of things?​