What are my realistic prospects of a career after going to The University of Law for my undergraduate. I took part in COMBAR mentoring and got a first but this doesn’t seem to even compare.

I’m an international student that has a very solid chance in getting into an RG uni, though my finances are not on the level of the international fees in those top unis.

Also, in addition to that, what unis would you recommend in a case where I can’t pay those high fees but can still offer me a decent chance?

Thank you all

Perhaps they were rude, or perhaps they were a ‘computer says no’ outfit like Howes Percival. Perhaps they rejected changes to a document when they clearly don’t understand the clause?

Im feeling so overwhelmed with anxiety about my future and I just wanted to know if anyone else has felt this way.
I’m currently stressing about not getting a pupillage this year, and I keep worrying about what will happen if I never get one.
On top of all that, I have my Civil Litigation exams coming up, and I’m terrified of failing them. I keep hearing about the pass rates, and it’s making me doubt myself and my ability to pass. The more I think about failing, the more anxious I get, and I’m now struggling to focus on studying because my mind is constantly racing with worries about my future.
It feels like I’m putting so much pressure on myself because I know how much I want to become a barrister, and the thought of not achieving that is genuinely frightening.
I know I probably need to take things one step at a time, but it’s so difficult when I feel like everything is riding on these exams and my future career.

Has anyone else experienced this level of anxiety during the Bar course? Is this normal, and how did you manage to cope with it? I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through something similar, especially those who struggled with the exams or getting pupillage but eventually found their way.

I've been wanting to get a nose piercing, but I worry it will affect my chances of getting pupillage at the criminal bar? Of course if I got one, I would be sure to put in one of those teeny studs at work and any interviews, but I'm still concerned that it may adversely affect me

EDIT: I'm a woman if that's relevant

I recently graduated from Oxford (non law, first) and, looking back, realise I didn’t do a huge amount to actively demonstrate my interest in commercial law while at university. I know I'm in a more fortunate position than a lot of applicants, and I don't want it to seem like I'm lamenting my situation, I'm really making this post to ask for some guidance as I'm feeling a bit lost.

I attended quite a few law society events where firms gave presentations, so I’ve built up a reasonable amount of background knowledge about different firms and the application process. A lot of my friends have also gone down the commercial law route, so I’ve had some exposure to the process through them.

I studied a non-law degree and only seriously started considering commercial law in my third year. By that point, most open days were exclusive to first- and second-year students, so I feel as though I missed out on an important opportunity to engage with firms early on. Beyond the usual talks, I attended one or two firm dinners and spoke to a decent number of trainees and associates, but I didn’t take notes or make much effort to follow up on those conversations afterwards. As a first-gen, I also wasn’t particularly familiar with how to navigate the recruitment process or make the most of these opportunities, so I didn’t always appreciate how useful it could be to build on those initial interactions. (Even though my friends were all doing it, Oxford sometimes has a thing where everybody acts like they're not doing much and not putting in a lot of effort, and there's always a lot of reassurance from everyone around you that you're doing fine and you'll get it in the end)

One thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of people I know seem to have secured training contracts at firms where they previously attended open days or other events. This has made me wonder whether I’ve missed an important stage in the process and, if so, how best to make up for it at this point in the application cycle.

I do have some good non-legal work experience, including my own businesses I've worked on personally (~£20k revenue) and given me interesting things to talk about in applications and interviews, but I think I might be approaching it too much from a transferable skills and experiences angle. I can research a firm and explain why I'm interested in the work they do and how that relates to my personal interests/contributions, but I'm worried I've done too much of that rather than demonstrating sufficient interest in the firms through actions. I’m conscious that (even though I know you don't need legal work experience) I don’t have much a particularly extensive history of engaging with firms directly. I'm looking at the Work Experience section on Vantage and seeing my volunteering/jobs/etc... but no Insight/Open days.

For those who have been through the process or have secured commercial law training contracts recently, what would you recommend I prioritise now? How should I frame the talks I went to? Should I focus on gaining relevant experience and building relationships with firms, or concentrate on applications, commercial awareness and interview preparation hoping to make it through the filter stage? I’d also be interested to hear how much not having attended open days or vacation schemes at this stage might realistically matter.

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!

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.

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.

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 :))

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.

(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!

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

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?

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.

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.