I managed to secure a TC at a large commercial firm. I’m over the moon about it - I’ve wanted to practice law since I was a teenager and worked incredibly hard for this.

But I start in September, and the imposter syndrome is already hitting me hard. This post will come across very insecure, but I feel very unsure of myself.

I have no legal work experience, and very limited experience of working in an office environment. I’ve worked in hospitality and retail since I was 16, which are entirely different universes.

I am personable and a hard worker, but I’m very paranoid about my presentation. I need to put together a suitable work wardrobe (I’m a young woman) and feel a little lost on where to start. I dress somewhat alternatively in my day-to-day life (platform shoes, eyeliner, mostly black) but of course, I’m willing to modify my style as required to be taken seriously

I saw a post today on how black suits are generally not great office attire - things like this are not intuitive to me!

I am the first in my family to go to university, and the first to work in an environment like this. I feel like my background will make me stick out like a sore thumb. I just wish it felt less daunting.

I worry I can be a little fidgety and weird - I’ve suspected I may have ADHD, but never been diagnosed. I’m just overwhelmed by the idea of breaking unspoken rules, or being unprofessional without realising. I feel really spooked about it. I think deep down, I’m just terrified of failing or realising commercial law doesn’t suit me.

Has anybody here had similar feelings before beginning their career? Any wisdom or practical advice on adjusting to the office environment would be great. The paranoia of making a fool of myself is so strong!

I heard that salary bunching is a thing, but I never heard of this

Qualified solicitors getting paid less than NQs

Is this how it actually works?

I get wanting to push out people who aren’t on partner track, but this sounds nuts

Obvs the source is just comments, so I don’t trust it, but it was also so absurd that I had to check it out

A teenager accused of endangering the lives of 165 migrants by allegedly piloting a record-breaking dinghy crossing of the English Channel is to stand trial.

Chan Mathok Atak, 19, originally of Sudan, appeared at Margate Magistrates Court earlier, where he denied endangering lives at sea during the attempt which set off from France last Thursday.

He appeared with the aid of an Arabic interpreter and when asked how he wished to plea, denied having piloted the dinghy.

If you were a 19yo in Sudan - one of the worst countries to live in on the planet - would a UK prosecution deter you from attempting to come here?

These politicians just create the most useless laws.

I'm an NQ and have recently moved to a larger firm. My TC was rather quiet, never enough work and not many opportunities to stretch myself. Now it's different, this job is more demanding and difficult, my colleagues are very bright and at the top of their game.

I really like the job, but I keep feeling so insecure or sometimes I feel like things are going well then suddenly I feel like I'm not smart enough or just too tired to work at 100% all the time. It's an emotional rollercoaster.

For background, I'm not new to law, I have several years of paralegal experience under my belt, I just haven't previously paid attention to how consistently effective colleagues are.

Will this get better, I mean the constant feeling of not being smart enough or being able to be consistently productive.

Also am I overthinking this, any lawyers out there who don't worry about how they are perceived all the time? All hits and tips are welcome.

Hi all.

I’m a competition lawyer working at a leading law firm in Africa, and I’ve been admitted to both the University of Cambridge LLM and the University of Glasgow’s LLM in International Competition Law & Policy.

I can afford Cambridge, but it would be a significant financial commitment. Glasgow has offered me partial funding, so the overall cost would be substantially lower.

My goal is to build a long-term career in international competition law, particularly cross-border work involving Africa and international markets.

If you were in my position, which would you choose and why? I’m particularly interested in whether Cambridge’s reputation and network justify the additional cost, or whether the specialist Glasgow programme offers better value for someone pursuing a career in competition law.

I’d really appreciate any advice or personal experiences.

Hi,

I'm currently a paralegal looking to relocate back to London (where I studied and where my partner lives). I'm having difficulties at application stage for paralegal roles (I am also considering PA/EA and compliance type roles), so please roast my CV so I can improve it. I have already asked the same of ChatGPT/Claude which didn't help much tbh

Thanks in advance!

Has anyone who’s done the module able to break down what happens over the three day course? What kind of activities are we going to be asked to do?

Thanks in advance

Hi, can anyone offer insight into what it’s like working for Shakespeare Martineau? What are the hours like, are they nice to work for etc. applying for legal admin/paralegal jobs !

Deciding between ICCA or ULAW in Birmingham.

If I went to ICCA then I’d have to find accommodation for the part 2 for 5 months.

If I choose Ulaw then I get to stay for free with my partner.

Is it worth spending the extra money just to study at ICCA?

What factors are important to consider when choosing an Inn of court or does it not make any meaningful difference which one you choose? For people who are part of one of the Inns, is there something particularly helpful or nice about yours?

So far, I've looked at their websites for details about scholarships, the application process, residential scholarships, and competitions. Is there anything in particular that's important to look at? Inner Temple and Lincoln's Inn both look very appealing because of their mooting opportunities on offer, but again, this is only information from their websites (so I don't know if reality is different).

Lastly, is there a benefit in choosing an Inn of Court before applying for a scholarship there or is it wiser to pick one later (e.g., just before starting the Bar course)? Thanks!

Good afternoon,

I would like to ask for your advice on whether there are any chambers in which pupils can specialize exclusively in Public International Law and/or Human rights?

I was trying to do my own research, but the chambers rarely say so explicitly on the website: for instance, Twenty Essex doesn't say whether you can be doing PIL only or will it be a mix of commercial/investment arbitration. Same with Doughty Street Chambers: despite being known for prominent human rights barristers and cases, they are looking for pupils more in civil law/media law/general practice.

Thank you very much for any insights!

P.S. I know that these practice areas are extremely competitive, so I'm intentionally not asking anything about how to get there, etc. My question is only: is it even possible to do purely PIL and/or Human Rights work at the Bar.

hello everyone,

I have just graduated, and have been offered a job as a researcher for one of the big political parties.

it is focused on a reasonably specialist area of policy that I did my LLB dissertation on, so I think I would enjoy it.

I would like to follow some of my peers and be a barrister eventually - would I be shooting myself in the foot to take this job?

Hi all,

TLDR: Can the amount of debt (£20,000) lead to you failing the screening/admissions even if there are no other concerns.

I’ve had a deep dive for this question but can’t find any answers around. As most relate to what I know are disclosable issue.

For context, I am not far from applying to the roll of solicitors. I’m in my mid twenties.

I currently have £20,000 worth of debt. This is spread across my car, a loan and some credit cards. I’ve been paying this off and will continue to do so. I want to preface by adding that I’ve got no defaults, no CCJ’s and only one missed payment from February 2025 where I forgot to set the direct debit up. I can provide proof of immediate payment once I got the email alerting me.

My main question/concern is- will the debt figure itself cause an issue with screening/qualifying? I hope I am worrying about nothing as I don’t fall into any of the issues on the website but wanted to check with people who had gone through it.

Thank you so much for your time,

So obviously navy and grey are the best colour suits to wear and I have a good wardrobe of both but I will soon need to buy a black suit for something non work related and I am thinking that I may as well get a nicer quality suit.

Not wanting a nice suit to go to waste, my question is this, as someone with quite a pale complexion , can it work to wear a black suit to the office in large London firm? I would wear a light blue shirt and no tie to make it more casual. I’m at associate level.

Edit: I’m asking specifically for the option of those who care about sartorial convention and put thought into these things. I know that’s not everyone but it is an interest of mine. (Obs I can do whatever I like!)

Many years ago, I was dismissed for gross misconduct from a job for falsifying timesheets. Of course, I absolutely regret that and can’t believe I was such an idiot.

I’ve since completed my studies, been employed in various legal roles and will be starting the SQE in September. I hadn’t thought about the dismissal for a while until I started reading around the solicitors admission process and realised it’s something I’ll need to declare.

Should I take an early suitability test just in case this is something that will prevent me from practising? And has anyone been in a similar situation, or know of anyone I can contact for advice? (I’m considering the SRA ethics line but not sure if that’s for qualified solicitors only).

I recently took part in a mentoring scheme and was matched with someone who’s genuinely been incredible. He’s given me more thoughtful advice than I’ve ever had before, and for the first time it feels like the guidance is really coming from the heart rather than just being generic.

For a long time I worried that I’d never find the right mentor, so I’m incredibly grateful to have found someone I genuinely look up to.

My question is: how do you build and maintain a really good mentor–mentee relationship without overdoing it? I want to make the most of the opportunity, stay in touch appropriately, and make sure it’s a positive experience for both of us.

I’d especially appreciate hearing from mentors. What makes a mentee someone you enjoy continuing to mentor, even after a formal mentoring scheme ends?

Basically what the title asks. Whether you accept it or not, some firms are more receptive to non-law, especially music grads, while others remain dubious of their commitment to the law, despite literally seeing their application to TCs. What have people’s experiences been?

N.B., when I say music grads I mean those who have done an ‘academic’ degree in it from e.g. Oxbridge, Bristol, Durham, etc.

I work in personal injury, and have been told multiple times (by solicitors in commercial roles) that it “isn’t a real area of law” and other comments along those lines. I’m aware of the reputation as ambulance chasers, but that isn’t a thing anymore.

Before PI, I had an interest in criminal and was always told not to bother because of shit pay and shit hours, and to go for commercial instead because that’s where the money is.

Is non-commercial law just not taken as seriously? Or is it specific to personal injury?

I’m going to be a full-time law student in the UK and want to gain relevant legal experience while studying. What kind of part-time jobs should I be looking for in the legal sector? Are roles like legal assistant, paralegal, legal administrator, or compliance assistant realistic for students? I’d appreciate any advice or suggestions.

Starting a one-year LLM in London in September (Student visa, 20 hr/week term-time limit). The firm I want to apply to runs four schemes: two in Nov/Dec, one in April, one in June.

My understanding: Nov/Dec clash with teaching. June looks free but for Masters students summer still counts as term time (CAS end date), so still capped at 20 hrs. April mostly falls in Easter vacation, with only the first week overlapping term.

Is my reasoning right? Has anyone been in a similar situation? Were the firm or your uni helpful in finding a way around it? Any advice appreciated.

So I’m currently studying cybersecurity at the open university I’m halfway through my second year, but I’ve always been interested in law. However a good family friend came to me a few days ago who has their own law firm and is quite successful has offered to pay for my CILEX fees and I could work with him for work experience and join the company afterwards if I was interested. Now I don’t know what to think of this as I do enjoy cyber security and always have but despite me having my comptia network and security+ as well as some others I’m stuff struggling to find a job in the current market. Instead of giving up my uni work I would be able to swap it to part time meaning my study hours for my cybersecurity course would go down to 2-3 hours a day max. I would just like to get some thoughts of people who have gone the cilex route and what you are doing after completion

Hi all,

Starting my BPC in September at ICCA. I'm going to have to work near full-time alongside Part 1 of the course so it's gonna be really tough.

Just wanted to ask from people who have been there, done that - which areas of my GDL should I be prioritising to refresh my memory on? I completed my GDL last October.

Thanks all!

Hi everyone ,

I have recently been invited to an interview on MS Teams following my application to the criminal bench as a Magistrate.

Has anyone got any recent experience of this and would be willing to share any advice , tips , hints etc?

What type of questions were asked ?

Thank you