Training Contracts 2013

Hello everyone. So, I have an offer on the table for a training contract from a MC firm and I don't know whether to accept it. While I could countenance training with them, I know that I would prefer to work for a smaller firm which is less corporate focussed - I did a couple of vacation schemes with MC firms and came away not especially impressed by the work-life balance there. I'm also not especially into corporate law. Thing is that the firms I would like to get TCs with do not make offers until around September, and I don't know if I would be able to get a TC with them.

I have a few questions:
1) Is it harder to get a TC at smaller, more boutique firms than in the MC? (I'm talking the places that take only a few trainees every year.)
2) Would it be terrible of me to accept the MC training contract knowing that if one from a preferred firm came along I would take it? Would this even be possible?
3) If I trained with a MC firm, could I then transfer over to a smaller firm with the majority of my seats in corporate/finance?

Some of these questions might be a little obvious, but I am a non-law graduate, and so unsure about exactly how it works.

Thanks!

No from weil, lw, fbd, macf (though i did screw two of those's app forms up).

Inter at a+o went okay, will see.

Have interview at S+M, but they offered me mid april! Madness!

Slaughters really like to play the game their way don't they? At least you've got plenty of time to prepare. Im waiting to hear from them but only submitted my app on Friday/Saturday.

Hope A&O works out for you.

I have it on good authority that Slaughters are offering interviews later because their admissions people are all interviewing for Easter vac schemes in Feb and March.

Slaughters really like to play the game their way don't they? At least you've got plenty of time to prepare. Im waiting to hear from them but only submitted my app on Friday/Saturday.

Hope A&O works out for you.

Mine's in April too =( I like Slaughter and May but there is the worry that, seeing as I have a number of interviews before them, I might get lucky with someone else first.

Yes, that'd be a real shame

Joking aside, from what i understand you dont sign your contract of employment until your first day on the job in 2013. So until then you have a pre-contract agreement or some sort?

Its probably legally binding, but in a practical sense i doubt a firm is going to kick up a fuss if you say well sorry, but got a better offer. People do it for other profession all the time. All that would happen is theyd ask for any money they've given you back (fees/maintenance grants)

Its a bit of an unsavoury of thinking about things for some people, and it may lack integrity but if Slaughters is what you want ****' em.

Slaughters really like to play the game their way don't they? At least you've got plenty of time to prepare. Im waiting to hear from them but only submitted my app on Friday/Saturday.

Hope A&O works out for you.

I'm gettign really confused are you all in your third year/graduated etc and have your second year results? because I was told to apply in June after I had them and now I'm being told to get applications in early... so confused!

i dont think Norton Rose are planning on getting back to people before the summer.

I finally received my winter vacation scheme rejection from NR yesterday. This was one I saw coming.
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Supposedly NR review them on a rolling basis but maybe they are just slow. The next interviews I have soon are with firms I applied to in October and November, so I wouldn't worry if you applied in Dec and are waiting.

Well done Redemption on A&O!

Great job on A&O Redemption!

Yeah that would definitely be the way to play Slaughters.

I think for a lot of people Slaughters is the big prize.

Got an AC at Hogan Lovells in April. Plenty of time to prepare.

Did my Freshfields app in the wkend so im waiting on them.

Thankyou both :-).

And yes, I'm waiting on NR as well, as well as CC, Ashurst, Travers, Farrer, K&E, Jones Day, Skadden, Weil, White & Case and Sidley.

And very tempted to just take A+O. Trainees I chatted to said they had only pulled one weekender, even in finance/banking the entire contract so far, and were adamant that it was a rare week they didn't finish before 5 on a Friday. Really sounds like the best W/L balance in the MC. Prob not going to go to HL's assessment day unless they can bring it earlier to coincide with S+M's - think there's wriggling room if I call up and say "Hi - I have a MC offer, would like to see what your firm is like firsthand and interview, can you bring it sooner?"?