Its not what you know.... (1 Viewer)

[capa]

Hi, as most of you know, i'm an academic at heart and my dream is an LLM at a golden triangle school in the UK, then, to join the academic bar, or, just academia/public service doing research and teaching.

Most of my friends want to be lawyers... but the whole Articles and Seasonal Clerkship selections really got me thinking. I started reflecting in this when, during my seasonal clerkships, the other clerks already knew the partners. I recall A FEW (not isolated) instances where partners would walk in on the first day and ask "how is your father" to some clerks. I was sitting at my desk one day and listened as the managing partner proudly proclaimed on the phone to his mate that an Articles spot was to be reserved for "your daughter"...

Anyway, I have lots of friends with honours degrees, no fail grades, good work experience etc who totally missed out. All did not go to private schools. All are ethnic. The most outstanding has a disability - I mean, this guy started publishing fully refereed journal articles when he was 19!!!

Then, I know people with up to SIX fail grades, credit average at the highest, barely any work experience besides 2 hours a month at a CLC, and, yet, Articles were secured at some pretty big firms.

Now, am I the only one who suspects the legal profession is full of shit? Equality and justice for all? lol makes me sick - although, if a major client's son, daughter, niece, nephew etc was a law student and I wanted to kiss ass....

 

[Frigid]

what you should understand is that big commercial law firms are not the be-all and end-all of law. yes there is nepotism, as i am sure there is patriarchy or chauvinism. but those things exist in all places, and are not isolated to law.

 

[Season]

Connections are very important, in fact it was one of the reasons my parents sent me along to private school.

However making connections isn't just family connections, you've got ones through the law faculty, meeting people through those balls that law firms like to throw at the universities and so on. Then there are recommendations, etc. I know I went to the UNYC conference and even though the people I met were all either late highschool/early university some of the friends I met I know if I keep contact with its going to be good.

Don't get too disheartened, that's not the only way into the big firms, if you get good grades they won't refuse you, sure they have loyalty but more importantly they want their firm to do well, and that means attracting the best and the brightest.

Put effort towards making your CV look fantastic so they look and go 'shit this firm can't do without this guy...' and you'll get it.

 

[hfis]

Clearly the only practical solution is to commit a major act of terrorism against the top tier.

 

[RabbitRabbit]

Unless you're at the top of the social ladder, success comes down to what you know and who you know.
Welcome to the business world.

 

[M@C D@DDY]

But in the end, those large commercial law firms are still running a business and the number one priority is to generate profit and market share. No employer is stupid enough to pass up talented graduates, unless they want to set themselves on a course to mid tier.

On this note, just wanted to clarify some rumours. Is it true that if someone has an 80 WAM in law or thereabouts that it is almost guaranteed they will be offered a position? I've heard on more than one occasion that marks in the end is the major determinant in spite of everything else that occurs within the selection process.

 

[velox]

But in the end, those large commercial law firms are still running a business and the number one priority is to generate profit and market share. No employer is stupid enough to pass up talented graduates, unless they want to set themselves on a course to mid tier.

On this note, just wanted to clarify some rumours. Is it true that if someone has an 80 WAM in law or thereabouts that it is almost guaranteed they will be offered a position? I've heard on more than one occasion that marks in the end is the major determinant in spite of everything else that occurs within the selection process.

A lot of grad stuff is pretty mundane (as is a lot of law), so it wont make much of a difference.

Marks dont mean everything. Getting an 80 wam in law wont guarantee you a position.

 

[RabbitRabbit]

Yep. Also bear in mind, that as a graduate entering a mid tier firm with little to no experience, you would be competing against hundreds of other potentials, all of whom hold the exact same qualifications. Just because someone has a WAM of 80+ does not mean that they are suitable for the job, especially if they are anti-social or just hate any form of human contact.

 

[Suvat]

At least they made it sound like I stood a chance at my interviews

 

[tactic]

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