Applying for law summer interships

[FloatingLeaf]

DD has begun applying for summer law internships in the city and is a 3rd year undergraduate. She doesn’t seem to be getting very far in the process. There is a lot of online testing and then she is told she is through to the next round which i think is when they read her actual application. She is always rejected after they’ve looked at application. Quite a lot of people she knows applied in second year and now have a training contract.

I’m curious as to why she might be getting rejected once they look at actual application.
-GCSEs dodgy
-A levels grades good (grammar school sixth form)
-Heading for decent 2:1 at very good university
-reasonable extra curricular stuff

From what I understand these are characteristics of her more successful friends
-good GCSEs
-good a-levels (private school)
-Most have got for 2:1 overall so far, but some may get firsts.
-more extra-curricular, ie representing uni at various sports, putting on plays.
-speak 1 or more other languages fluently.

I also get the impression they are a bit more sophisticated ie parents have high-flying jobs, lived abroad a lot. (Although they couldn’t know that till they had face to face contact.)
I think she has worked hard on the personal statement type bit and has looked at what successful candidates have written so hopefully that’s not too far off the mark.

She has very little work experience and none to do with law.

Any thoughts as to what may be weakening her applications other than it being so so competitive?

I interview for vac schemes and am impressed by any effort a student has made to get vaguely relevant work experience. It shows drive and determination and that is worth a lot. I'm more impressed by them then the candidates that got work experience in a family friend's chambers. I'm particularly impressed if they then explain why the non-commercial experience has led them to conclude that commercial law is the right choice for them.

That would strike me as an interviewer as extremely negative. Can you give a credit worthy reason for not wanting to do ‘other’ law, which is generally more immediately people centred. The reason most applicants want to go to the Magic Circle firms is for money and because they’re inherently competitive. But I think it’s pretty hard to makes convincing and positive case for top end commercial law by saying you didn’t like something else.

Tiny phone and freezing fingers = typos

I tend to think having the experience and aptitude for what you want is the best starting point for any career in law. For example a friend does city law with magic circle company but he did French and German and in his year abroad worked for a commercial household name in both France and Germany. He went to Cambridge. The DD here is it Cambridge but there doesn’t appear to be any commercial aspect to her cv. Another friend is a property and land specialist barrister. Again had experience and a great interest in this area of law. So it’s pretty important, in my view, for any grad, Cambridge or not, to really drill down on interests and go in the right direction for them. Not follow everyone else. If you end up as a square peg in a round hole, she will hate it anyway.

It does spring to mind that she might appear late applying for this too. Others will be lining up a training contract having done an internship. It might just be the wrong time because there are so many other DC to choose from with relevant cvs. The best thing to do is decide if she really wants this or whether another avenue of law is preferable and, if it is, how she should go about it.

HS, that is correct - for applying for a training contract and applications close in about January of year 3 - ie are finished for this academic year.

Hello. I would second the point many have made to get some experience under her belt in any way possible. This is not just because of the question, how could she know she wants to be a lawyer if she hasn't had any experience at all in the profession. It's also because it's a really diverse profession with different niches suited to a vast range of people with diverse skillsets and lifestyle expectations.

It may be that she's aiming for magic circle atm because that's just what her peers all seem to be doing and it's regarded as the pinnacle of the profession by some people. That may or may not be what would actually suit her as she progresses through life and as some have highlighted above, she may or may not have the personal qualities to excel or even manage the environment. Law in general is not for the faint hearted and each niche has it's own pressures.

I would suggest perhaps before even applying for schemes or placements, to try and take a more granular approach here. Speak to a range of people across the profession about the pros and cons of what they do, skills involved, etc, to try and get more of a broad brush understanding so to make an informed decision about why she's aiming for one particular niche and perhaps broaden her approach to eg consider very highly regarded boutique practices focusing on specific areas of law which may be as prestigious as magic circle firms in their own way and may be easier to get work experience in.

@VanCleefArpels and @goodbyestranger
@Sunshinelollipops1
Thanks for suggestions and comments. She has attended some law soc events and also some events put on by law firms. When we talked about it she definitely recognised that she’d underestimated the level level of competition and how much time goes into applying.
@MummaGiles on reflection she realised the first couple of applications weren’t focused enough on the company, hopefully she’s rectified this.

@VanCleefArpels @goodbyestranger
She does understand theoretically how hard and long hours you have to work. Hard to know how you’d cope unless in situation. I know I never would.

@Sharpkat I just looked at Aspiring solicitor web page. Yes she meets several criteria to be eligible!
@fairgroundsnack and @sharpkat thank you for the offer of a chat. I will discuss with her.
I’m actually really touched by how helpful and supportive everyone is being.

@squee123 I would like to hope applications include the essay win. I’m not sure why law hopefully she knows!

@FloatingLeaf I would definitely suggest she gets in touch with Aspiring Solicitors in that case! Follow them on Facebook and LinkedIn as well as all of their events are advertised there. They offer a wide variety of services and IMO are very very good.

@Xenia I’m beginning to think she missed boat for 2020 as I think revising will become more of a priority and she’ll need to get some relevant experience.
Does the new GDL have any drawbacks or positives?

I'm particularly impressed if they then explain why the non-commercial experience has led them to conclude that commercial law is the right choice for them

@squee123, totally no experience of the law here apart from as a consumer in the areas of conveyancing and probate, but I'm guessing from the general opinions expressed that your firm (your own individual ways of doing things within it, even?) must be pretty unique within the profession?

@WellTidy if she’s at home offering time for free not a problem, we have friends in London who could help out for shortish periods. No other options elsewhere.

The DD was applying for vac schemes. At least that’s what I thought. Is she applying for training contracts? There is a difference. In timing I mean.

@BubblesBuddy DD has been pretty involved in uni life. Jcr position and organised events etc.
I have no idea about commercial instinct. Not sure what it means, has definitely talked about commercial awareness and needing to have it.

Also by the time anyone is interviewed, multiple tests have been conducted. So interviewees are top of the pile anyway.

Has she thought about vac schemes outside London? I am a senior lawyer with a large regional firm about 40 miles outside London. We have a great vac scheme programme and most of our trainees now come from that scheme. Even if she decides to do a training contract with a firm like the one I work for, it wouldn’t preclude her from going into the City at a later date. We have a steady flow of lawyers going back and forth. The more mature ones like me get fed up of the City and move out for a better quality of life and the younger ones go the other way to make as much money as possible!

I would also like to point out that I didn’t go to a top University and my GCSEs and A Levels weren’t the best. I was educated in a Northern comprehensive school and it was very tough getting my training contract as I held out for a City firm. I spent about three years as a paralegal after leaving law school. Some of my interviews were a nightmare. Some of the interviewers were more interested about the type of school I went to (yes, I was asked whether it was a private school) and what my parents did for a living, rather than my actual skills and experience. I should point out that was 20 years ago though.

Commercial - the work of the law in commerce and business. How companies conduct themselves with regard to legal agreements and framework. Having some idea of litigation in this area and what is required regarding acquisitions and mergers. Also look at what the firms say about themselves. What demonstrable interest does she have in any of this work?

Look at what the trainees at Meyer Brown say about what work they have been doing. Insolvency, litigation, property deals etc.

@Surfer25
By ‘good’ a levels I meant above standard Oxbridge offer. Her mediocre friends have achieved this.
By dodgy GCSEs I meant less than the 11-13 A stars most of her mediocre friends gained. But given the circumstances they’re ok.
Point taken about applying in 3rd year!

@wanderingstar23
I do agree that she needs to get experience which would better enable her to identify which area of law would suit her .
@BubblesBuddy she’s applied for vac schemes So far.

Thank you for sharing insights and suggestions and offers of support. I’m also really excited at having discovered how to do the @and pp name in bold. Though I’m not sure what it’s function is.