Durham Law Job Prospects

Hey!
Durham is well renowned for being good for law. It currently sits at number 6 in the UK and I've definitely heard about people studying there getting TCs in the magic circle, etc.
@legallylucy on tiktok is a girl who just graduated with a first from Durham last year and received a TC offer for two magic circle firms! She has many posts about her legal journey.
That being said, going to Durham in itself does not guarantee you a TC. It is also about your grades, extracurriculars, etc. You do still have to put in work networking and otherwise, simply going to Durham will not be enough.
That being said, Durham in itself will absolutely not hinder you in any shape or form in achieving TC offers.

Hi! Thank you for the insights!!
I’ll definitely check out her insta- thank you!
Ahh I suppose that’s true no matter where you go. I’m just so afraid that I’ll make a mess of everything or not do enough, and then end up with no job ahah. I suppose I’ll just have to trust in myself to work hard.
Thank you for the response!

The university one goes to is far less important than the quality of the candidate and the strength of their CV.

No problem! She genuinely has a lot of advice and far better insight than I could ever provide regarding Durham law school.
You'll be grand! You know where you want to go and that can always be used as motivation. The quality and strength of a candidate is always valued more than their university. Best of luck

That's true, but one would have a better chance if they went to Oxbridge wouldn't they 😭 especially if both of them are similar in abilities

No. It depends on performance at interview and assessment. I haves interviewed graduates for training contracts in a couple of leading law firms and the university of the candidate is irrelevant and does not factor in the decision making processes

The university one goes to is far less important than the quality of the candidate and the strength of their CV.

This is so true, lots of people on the student room believe that getting into a "target" university will mean that you are magically guaranteed a TC at a magic circle. I'd imagine that If this was true, then firms have the option to only take in Oxbridge students which isn't the case. I believe that people should aim for top universities for potential networking opportunities or perhaps as a personal goal/ achievement, rather than worrying whether X University is ranked two places above Y University on some bs rank list

Your application form should demonstrate outstanding academics, and interest in commercial law and knowledge of the firm. Then it depends on how you perform at interview/ assessment.

This is so true, lots of people on the student room believe that getting into a "target" university will mean that you are magically guaranteed a TC at a magic circle. I'd imagine that If this was true, then firms have the option to only take in Oxbridge students which isn't the case. I believe that people should aim for top universities for potential networking opportunities or perhaps as a personal goal/ achievement, rather than worrying whether X University is ranked two places above Y University on some bs rank list

What if we get a 2:1... Would that mean it'll be unlikely for us to get a TC? Also that makes sense. Thanks so much! 😊

Makes sense! How would you say the networking opportunities are like in Durham compared to.. let's say LSE? Would Durham be at a disadvantage here because of it's remote location?

A good 2:1 is fine. Since strong academics are a given these days for applicants to app law firms it’s everything else in your CV (particularly internships) that you need to focus on. I am astounded at people who have turned down universities such as Queen Mary’s, York, etc. to try again for another year because they think it will enhance their career prospects to go to Oxbridge, UCL, etc. The choice of university is really not that important and indeed, a number of law firms view CVs “blind” with the university information removed. It is also easier to stand out as an exceptional candidate from a lower ranked university than from an elite university. I reiterate that firms want the best candidates, regardless of university.

I think networking is much less important than a strong CV coupled with strong performance in online assessments, in order to be invited to interview.

Apply for spring internships in your first year.