I have spoken to several barristers and a couple of judges from the high court and it seems there’s a general distain for facial hair in the profession?!?

Can someone explain why that is and if they’ve seen the same

In the UK legal market, how realistic is it for an NQ solicitor to secure an associate role in a practice area they never completed a seat in during their training contract?

For example, could someone who wanted to move into Intellectual Property (IP) secure an NQ role if they had some limited IP-related paralegal experience but never had opportunity to do it as a seat?

Can transferable skills and previous paralegal experience compensate for not having done the seat?

Has anyone successfully made this kind of move at NQ level, or recruited someone who has?

I’d be interested to hear from solicitors, partners and recruiters who have seen this happen in practice.

I graduated in 2025 with a LLb from a top UK university with a 2:1. I struggled to get legal experience during university but did one internship with a non-Uk firm. I've done some virtual internships on forage. 

I am currently working a non-law job in customer service. Im applying to TCs and have been unsuccessful so far but am desperate to move to a legal job  I'm not sure what to do to better my future career prospects. 

Would it be better to just self fund SQE. Do I do both 1 and 2 without a TC or legal job? My grades are university were on the lower end especially for first year which is another obstacle (although job applications don't ask for the scores necessarily).

Should I try and beg local forms for unpaid work? Would it be worth quitting my current job for opportunities for legal work experience eg if I get another internship, vacation scheme etc. 

Apologies for the rambling nature of this post. All advise is welcome so please comment if you have suggestions.

Hi! i’m a first year law student at a non-russell group university, and my ideal future within law would be joining a magic circle firm after qualifying as a solicitor, or even doing a training contract with them. i’m wondering if this is even a possibility to work towards, or if i’m fooling myself.

i plan to do some training with local solicitors throughout uni, as well as other extracurriculars to make my LinkedIn/CV more appealing (virtual talks/training, networking events etc).

it has always been my dream to work in a high end firm, but i’m just curious whether i should set my expectations lower, or if anyone thinks i can and has any advice to make myself and my experience more appealing, i’d really appreciate it!

thank you!

I have no doubt on my skill as a law candidate, I finished my second year with a 2:1 and am now doing my third year, in which I am confident I can get a first.

However, where I am starting to get doubts is the specific conditions of the process. I do not have any legal experience outside of a few court visits, and I am not at a Russell Group/Oxbridge university, I am attending UWE. My absolute dream is to be in the CPS, I don't want to pursue any other path to the bar other than the criminal bar, but I understand that securing a pupillage is extremely difficult - especially for someone of my circumstances.

Is it worth taking on the financial burden of completing the Bar Course, and then trying to get a pupillage, or should I look for other career paths?

Hello 👋

I'm leaving my job in the Middle East shortly and moving back to the UK after about nine years abroad.

I'm applying for in house legal roles in London and want to get ahead of pre employment screening before I leave, as I imagine some things will be much harder to get once I've gone. So I want to check and confirm what documents should I gather now for pre employment checks?

What I've got on my list so far:

- Police clearance / good conduct certificate from the country I'm in.
- Employment letters from current employer confirming dates and job title.
- Proof of address history abroad (tenancy contracts, and bank statements). I don’t have any utility statements because all the utilities were included in the rental fee.

What am I missing?

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone!

I've recently been invited to interview for a criminal defence paralegal role. It's an opportunity I'm genuinely thrilled about, and I really want to give it my best shot.

For context, I've had two formal legal interviews before (neither at law firms), one of which I was successful in but couldn't take up. Both were quite structured, with clear guidance on the skills and behaviours being assessed and legal material to prepare beforehand. I knew roughly what to expect and could prepare STAR examples accordingly.

This interview seems more traditional, and I haven't been given any guidance. I tend to overprepare because I’m not great with unexpected questions and sometimes struggle with confidence in interviews (my mind went completely blank for an embarrassingly long time in one interview, and I'd really rather not repeat that).

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's interviewed for similar roles, particularly in this field, or has experience interviewing candidates. If you could share some of the actual questions you've been asked or tend to ask candidates, that would be incredibly helpful, as I'm hoping to put together a list of questions to practise beforehand!

(I'd also appreciate any tips for managing interview nerves and thinking on the spot, however unconventional.)

Thanks in advance :))

(England and Wales) Got a few questions as I’m struggling to understand this section of land law.

Could someone break down exactly the different rights that tidal vs non-tidal landowners have regarding the water passing thru their land in these areas:

- right to use/extract the water for ordinary and reasonable purposes
- right to the flow of the water
- right to take measures to protect your land from erosion and flooding.

I’m fairly comfortable knowing the rights of non-tidal landowners, but can’t get much information about the specific conditions for tidal landowners.

I.E: does the 20 cubic metre water extraction rule also apply for tidal waters?

When we talk about tidal waters, also, we’re talking about both the sea and any river passing our land which is affected by the tide of the sea, right?

Any help is appreciated - also if anyone knows of any relevant case law that mentions the rights or deals specifically with rights related to tidal land, that would be super useful!

1. Client calls, I pick up. Normal opening, the usual pleasantries then:

"Can i just check, are you a solicitor?

"Not just yet with the title but I - "

"But do you understand, and can understand, what I am saying?"

Me: Yes (by now we've been talking for the last 12 minutes - and, surprise surprise, I've answered your questions).

1. "... I want to speak to a solicitor!"

Me: Of course. If you're happy to speak to me first I can assess how we can best support you and then book you in to speak to a solicitor. Would that be Ok?

Prospective client starts asking legal advice - lots of it.

That falls under chargeable legal advice which I am not allowed to give on this call. Would you like to speak to a solicitor?

"No!" Client hangs up.

Just to flag from the off that I’m primarily looking for people’s experiences here but also happy to take any thoughts on my plan.

I’m a junior lawyer (just over a year qualified) who is considering leaving my relatively niche area of practice. I’m pretty burnt out and know that private practice is not for me in the long term. I’ve been looking at some of the interim platforms (eg Flex) as a way to broaden my experience (mainly commercial contracts etc), almost as an additional training seat. I’m happy to take a considerable pay drop in the short term to facilitate this.

Looking for any experiences of anyone who has done something similar or can offer any constructive advice.

If anyone here has (a) gone down the QWE route and (b) spent some time on a study contract during that route (e.g. working 4 days, studying 1 day each week), how have you treated that in terms of recording experience?
Have you “held back” those study days out of your training period (let’s say, for a 10-month study contract, you recorded it as effectively 8 months’ QWE)? Or am I over-thinking that element of it?

Appreciate this won’t be the most common experience but any advice would be great!

Hi all, hope this finds you well.

I'm on the graduate visa, having completed vacation schemes with a MC and large US firm earlier this year.

I was unable to snag a TC, so I'm gearing up for another round of applications. However, I only have experience with the traditional vacation scheme -> training contract route.

I'm hoping for any insight into whether there are any other firms/companies/jobs that sponsor visas, and what those application processes look like. I understand the market is bad & am trying my hardest to get my foot in the door; not picky at all so long as sponsorship is possible.

Many thanks. I appreciate your time.

I was searching for SQE1 preparation course providers and they are quite expensive, around £2.5k. Many things are happening in my life like getting a mortgage that makes difficult for me to spend such amount of money. There are any platforms or courses for free to self prepare? Is it safe to do that? Or a paid preparation course is a must if I want to pass the exam? Thanks very much for any info/thoughts in advance.

Question: how does BPP continue to get away with charging SQE students thousands for SQE preparation when the quality of its teaching and materials can be so poor? 

Sorry if this comes across as a rant, and I'm pretty sure the short answer is “there isn't much competition for comprehensive prep courses with extra info about how solicitors work in practice, like BPP, and firms view SQE as a box-ticking exercise and basically don't care that much if the provider is terrible”. Even so, I think there is merit in informing people who are considering studying the SQE and self-funding. 

I'm currently back at BPP as a sponsored student, having first studied there years ago as a self-funded student on the SQE prep course. I expected there to have been some meaningful improvements in that time. Instead, I'm finding many of the same problems I encountered the first time around.

The issues aren't even difficult to remedy: 

- SQE1 Question banks: MCQs are AI-generated, poorly worded questions and have basic grammatical errors. I flagged errors in the question bank during my first attempt, and I'm still seeing them years later. 

- Teaching quality: Some tutors are genuinely excellent, but others seem completely disengaged. I've had lecturers leave sessions to take phone calls for 15 minutes at a time (mid-workshop), and my experience on the disputes module was particularly poor

- SQE2 preparation: The amount of contact time is a joke. It's not even like they make up for it with loads of mocks. I'm having to buy loads of external ones. 

- Reflective essays: The assessment criteria can feel incredibly subjective, with limited clarity on what actually constitutes a good answer. For something students are expected to spend time and effort on, the whole process can feel rather arbitrary. 

To be fair, there are good elements. The debt finance module, in particular, was excellent, and I had an excellent tutor for that module. There are clearly people at BPP who can deliver good teaching. 

I know that the SQE is ultimately a self-study exercise, and that no provider can guarantee someone will pass. But surely, when students are paying approx 16k for a course, it should at least be undeniably strong? 

What accountability actually exists for this sort of thing? Are there any external oversight boards that check on the quality of these courses? 

Has anyone else seen genuine improvements? And I'm just being a hater?

Im not expecting anything to happen as a result of this post…  but are there any petitions, or movement to improve the big providers? 

Just like all of my cohort, I have ended up having to spend hundreds of pounds on external resources, just to get a fighting chance. I feel like there should be more on here warning about how woeful BPP really is. 

I’ve just moved to an international firm. 4 years PQE. It’s been three weeks. I’ve moved from a smaller regional firm where id been for the last 3 years. I really enjoyed my time at the last place. I appreciate I’ve just started, and should probably be giving myself more time to settle etc. but I am quite miserable here. Don’t know anyone, not picking up the work quickly and just constantly demoralised or crippled with anxiety.

I’ve woken up dreading work every day since joining. I think I could probably pick things up here work wise and progress eventually. I just can’t bring myself to make the effort. But every day I try I’m just like incapable of it. I find myself wasting so much time, I’ve worked the weekends because of how little I’m doing / time I’m recording. I just don’t know what to do.

I know the general advice is wait a year or stick it out for a year but that seems impossible. I’m sick with dread of not being good enough, I find I’m not even doing the things in my control like basic communication. I’m just worried I’ll be ‘found out’.

I reached out to my old boss who’s been really lovely. He said I should try and stick it out a bit longer before making a decision. Otherwise I’d regret not giving it a proper go. I just don’t know what to do. Like I understand the logic of that, but I just feel so bloody paralysed. I don’t know if I want my life to be like this. I am pretty certain I could get a job back at the old place. I’d be foregoing a pay bump in all likelihood and would likely burn the bridges at the new firm. I’m just not sure what to do. Sorry if this is rambling or disorganised. I just needed to get this off my chest. It’s 2pm on a Monday and I’ve achieved a fat load of nothing.

I regret leaving my old place, they offered me a promotion to stay. I think I had some of the same issues as I do here but everything just feels amplified. I feel exposed. I don’t feel comfortable around my new colleagues. I just think I’m self sabotaging and I kinda hate myself for it.

Hello all,

I'm an American lawyer with about 3 years of biglaw experience. Fortunately, my JD is from one of Yale/Harvard/Stanford, which as I understand would be appealing to barristers' chambers.

Anyways. Am I correct that the path forward for me would be to do a BSB exemption application ASAP, followed by the Bar Transfer Test for those subjects that aren't waived? Then, while I'm waiting on that process, to apply for a pupillage in January to start in 2028?

Bonus question: If I don't get a pupillage this time around, would it be worth my time to do the ICCA bar course to boost my relevant credentials and get more established in the UK system?

If you've read all this, thank you! There's a lot for me to figure out so any perspectives would be very welcome.

Becoming a lawyer has been a lifelong goal. I’m a recent law graduate with legal support experience and narrowly missed passing SQE1 last January. I’ve also been working towards gaining QWE, but was made redundant at the start of summer. My employer then refused to sign off my QWE, despite saying at the start of my employment that they would.

Since then, I’ve struggled to secure another role despite getting interviews. I’m open to all areas of law and want somewhere I can develop, gain recognised experience and progress towards qualification.

Honestly, I’m feeling confused and lost. With the cost of the SQE and relatively low salaries early on, I’m questioning whether law is as lucrative as I once thought. I don’t expect a huge salary immediately, but financial stability and longer-term earning potential matter to me.

For those further along, has qualification been worth it financially? What does realistic progression look like outside larger commercial firms? Would you keep prioritising qualification or explore other legal, regulatory or compliance careers? I’d appreciate honest advice.

For context, I did my LLB and LLM at well regarded Russell group universities in London (UCL, KCL). I also attempted the SQE but was unable to clear FLK 1 which I am planning to retake. Straight after graduating from LLM, I started a compliance analyst role in a financial services firm but this is not my long term goal.

I’m slightly worried that staying here might decrease my chances of securing a training contract or a paralegal role.

What has been the experience of graduates that moved from compliance to legal roles?

Hey everyone!

I’m relocating to London from another common law jurisdiction, where I’ve recently completed my legal training and am in the process of qualifying as a lawyer. In my home jurisdiction, there’s no distinction between solicitors and barristers.
For context, I have an LL.B. and an MBA, both with honours, and completed my training at a leading corporate law firm, primarily working on M&A, private equity, venture capital and capital markets transactions.
I’m now considering qualifying as a solicitor in England and Wales through the SQE route and would really appreciate some advice, particularly from foreign-qualified lawyers who’ve made a similar move.

A few questions:
Self-study vs preparation courses: Has anyone successfully prepared for SQE1 and SQE2 independently, without enrolling in a formal course? How realistic is this for someone with a legal background, and would you recommend it?
BPP vs University of Law: If I do take a preparation course, which provider would you recommend? Is there any meaningful difference in teaching quality, exam preparation or reputation among employers? Are the additional costs justified?
Employability: Does enrolling at BPP or ULaw actually improve your chances of securing employment, particularly through networking opportunities, career services or connections with law firms? Or are these benefits somewhat overstated?
Training contract vs NQ position: Given my previous experience in corporate law, would it be realistic to apply directly for newly qualified (NQ) associate positions once I’ve passed the SQE and been admitted? Or would UK firms generally expect someone in my position to complete a traditional training contract, despite already having completed legal training abroad?
Finding work before qualification: Is it realistic to secure a paralegal, foreign-qualified lawyer or other legal position at a London firm while preparing for the SQE? Would firms consider candidates with overseas transactional experience who haven’t yet qualified in England and Wales?
Recruitment and timing: Would you recommend applying for vacation schemes and training contracts alongside the SQE, or focusing on direct associate applications? I’m particularly interested in corporate/M&A practices at City firms.
SQE2 and exemptions: For those who qualified abroad, did you obtain any exemptions, and how did your previous professional experience affect the process?

Overall strategy: If you were moving to London with a foreign law degree, an MBA and approximately a year of corporate law training at a major firm, would you invest in a formal SQE course, self-study while seeking employment, or pursue a training contract instead?
I’m trying to work out the most efficient route into the London legal market without unnecessarily repeating training I’ve already completed.
I’d be especially grateful to hear from foreign-qualified lawyers who successfully transitioned into UK corporate law, as well as anyone familiar with recruitment at City firms.

Thanks in advance for any insights or personal experiences!

I have been working at an advice centre for the last few years, and have an LLB from a small-ish university. There is an opportunity to get funding from the Social Welfare Solicitors Qualification Fund (SWSQF) to pay for Barbri SQE1 and SQE2 preparation courses from Barbri, and qualify as a solicitor over the course of 1-2 years. I'm not sure whether to look into this, or wait for something that is more 'traditional' (ie. graduate programmes).

My aspirations are to join the Civil Service in a legal capacity. I've not been successful with applying for their graduate programmes. I haven't really looked into private law firms, as I don't think I'm interested in this route.

I do enjoy my job, and it is quite varied by nature (covering welfare benefits, housing, employment, etc.). My main concern is that I'll be 'pigeon-holeing' myself into a very niche area that isn't really 'traditional law', which will make it difficult to find a job in the long-term. Also, there isn't much progression where I work (given that it is the charity sector), and I'm worried about tying myself down for a few years at a place where there is nowhere to go.

Should I apply for this a bit of certainty, or wait out for something that presents more opportunities?

Hi all! I have a TC lined up at a firm in London and the background checks will happen closer to my start date. I was just curious as to what everyone’s experiences were like and what these checks usually entail (as opposed to a pre-VS check). Specifically, for those who’ve been through them, which levels of your education were requested by your firms (e.g. just university transcripts or did they go back to A-levels/GCSEs/secondary school too)? A little worried on this front as my secondary school grades were from a while back and I’m afraid I might not have a copy of them anymore. All advice would be greatly appreciated; thank you so much!