No Jobs In Law?

Uhm, we are in a scathing mood aren't we. Well, if humour won't do it for you let's try and be more helpfully pragmatic then.

Firstly, firms do care an awful lot about the reputation of your institution. Although their seemingly egalitarian admission policies openly state that they will look at the individual and not at the university he/she went to, that is partially true only for traditional red brick universities -- hence, Greenwich doesn't qualify unless, like I said before, you have excellent grades. Even amongst traditional universities there are considerable disparities. Large city firms have an approximate intake of 50% from Oxbridge -- so those geeks at Magdalene college have considerably higher chances of getting a TC than you do, oh omnipotent multi-tasking deity -- with a good chunk of the rest coming from either London's better institutions, i.e. UCL, LSE and King's -- most definitely not Greenwich regardless of how good their sports facilities are -- or the other relatively prestigious faculties of the likes of Nottingham, Durham and Bristol. Hence, if you are even remotely serious about a career in law, you wouldn't consider Kingston, Greenwich or the UEL, as the "only universities in London which would slightly interest you" (Essex being the only remote exception).

In any case, your dismissal of Oxford is quite irritating, if not offensive. You may have decent predictions but not nearly good enough to be even considered for a place - in a way, you are doing nothing but denigrating something you can't reach, not a very noble thing to do.

Also, if you can be bothered to get to Metropolitan University, whose very poor law faculty is located in the very central, and admittedly attractively positioned, Moorgate campus, I really don't see why you couldn't do the same for UCL (Euston -- three stops above Moorgate on the Northern Line) or King's and LSE (Covent Garden). Well, in any case, you probably don't have the requisite grades to go to any of these.

Thirdly, the firms mentioned in my post that you have never heard of are amongst the 6 largest in London (hence England, hence, for most of them anyway, the world). So, once again, if you are even remotely interested in a career in law, I suggest you start learning those names.

A considerably more reasonable option would have been to apply to those (relatively good) institutions that match your predicted grades. On the top of my head, something along the lines of City, yes still in central London, or hell even King's (you may have a chance after all) - thus still giving you a possibility, albeit reduced, to try for the bigger firms, provided you get good degree marks.

Anyway, it's your judgment, it's your life, one can merely advice. Maybe your business enterprise - that you are so keen on embarking upon at the same time as your law degree - will prove to be immensely successful, thus affording you the, somewhat improbable, possibility of giving the finger to all those "geeky" Oxford graduates, struggling to earn a meagre 50k as newly qualified associates in the city.

Spending my gap year working at a small firm won't hurt my chances of working in a major international firm though, will it?

Spending my gap year working at a small firm won't hurt my chances of working in a major international firm though, will it?

Not at all, quite the contrary actually, it's likely to boost your chances - provided that all the other elements are in place. It is "advisable" for you to gain some experience, even in a small firm, before your degree or even during the summer after your first year at uni -- all vacation schemes offered by the big firms are aimed solely at penultimate year students, unless you have connections that is. So your experience at a high-street firm will do nothing but good, unless, of course, the recruitment partner takes a look at their web-site, in which case he would be struck by sudden paralysis by the sheer ugliness, and will be unable to process your application further.

Jinxed- Can I just get this straight? You're deadly serious about becoming a lawyer and there's nothing in the world you'd rather be but, despite this yearning,

-You've never heard of Herbert Smith, Clifford Chance or Linklaters
-You're not willing to go to a Top 20 Uni (which would be the ideal way to get a TC with your desired smaller or "mid-core" firm)
-You're going to do your Law degree in conjunction with a part-time Computing degree whilst running your own business
- You haven't once spelt your supposed first choice Uni correctly.

I don't mean to be harsh, but I don't think I can take you very seriously here.

Uhm, we are in a scathing mood aren't we. Well, if humour won't do it for you let's try and be more helpfully pragmatic then.

Firstly, firms do care an awful lot about the reputation of your institution. Although their seemingly egalitarian admission policies openly state that they will look at the individual and not at the university he/she went to, that is partially true only for traditional red brick universities -- hence, Greenwich doesn't qualify unless, like I said before, you have excellent grades. Even amongst traditional universities there are considerable disparities. Large city firms have an approximate intake of 50% from Oxbridge -- so those geeks at Magdalene college have considerably higher chances of getting a TC than you do, oh omnipotent multi-tasking deity -- with a good chunk of the rest coming from either London's better institutions, i.e. UCL, LSE and King's -- most definitely not Greenwich regardless of how good their sports facilities are -- or the other relatively prestigious faculties of the likes of Nottingham, Durham and Bristol. Hence, if you are even remotely serious about a career in law, you wouldn't consider Kingston, Greenwich or the UEL, as the "only universities in London which would slightly interest you" (Essex being the only remote exception).

In any case, your dismissal of Oxford is quite irritating, if not offensive. You may have decent predictions but not nearly good enough to be even considered for a place - in a way, you are doing nothing but denigrating something you can't reach, not a very noble thing to do.

Also, if you can be bothered to get to Metropolitan University, whose very poor law faculty is located in the very central, and admittedly attractively positioned, Moorgate campus, I really don't see why you couldn't do the same for UCL (Euston -- three stops above Moorgate on the Northern Line) or King's and LSE (Covent Garden). Well, in any case, you probably don't have the requisite grades to go to any of these.

Thirdly, the firms mentioned in my post that you have never heard of are amongst the 6 largest in London (hence England, hence, for most of them anyway, the world). So, once again, if you are even remotely interested in a career in law, I suggest you start learning those names.

A considerably more reasonable option would have been to apply to those (relatively good) institutions that match your predicted grades. On the top of my head, something along the lines of City, yes still in central London, or hell even King's (you may have a chance after all) - thus still giving you a possibility, albeit reduced, to try for the bigger firms, provided you get good degree marks.

Anyway, it's your judgment, it's your life, one can merely advice. Maybe your business enterprise - that you are so keen on embarking upon at the same time as your law degree - will prove to be immensely successful, thus affording you the, somewhat improbable, possibility of giving the finger to all those "geeky" Oxford graduates, struggling to earn a meagre 50k as newly qualified associates in the city.

Jinxed- Can I just get this straight? You're deadly serious about becoming a lawyer and there's nothing in the world you'd rather be but, despite this yearning,

-You've never heard of Herbert Smith, Clifford Chance or Linklaters
-You're not willing to go to a Top 20 Uni (which would be the ideal way to get a TC with your desired smaller or "mid-core" firm)
-You're going to do your Law degree in conjunction with a part-time Computing degree whilst running your own business
- You haven't once spelt your supposed first choice Uni correctly.

I don't mean to be harsh, but I don't think I can take you very seriously here.

Maybe if you weren't being so pretentious and listened to people they'd be more polite to you. People aren't saying you have to go to Oxford to get a good job, they've made suggestions like City and possibly Kings, both in London. And also your assumption that you would get into Oxford makes you look pretentious, and uninformed, AABB predictions will pale in comparison to the string of AAAA predicted candidates for Law in Oxford, and a GNVQ in Computing probably doesn't hold as much weight as you think in the admissions departments of the likes of Magdalen College and Christ Church.

You seem to come across as very snobbish, as if you are looking down your nose at everyone on here. To be honest your qualifications arn't that impressive or particularly amazing and you really don't appear to be the type of person Oxford would accept even if you did want to go there.

I don't think you stand much hope of even getting a TC with a small firm with an attitude like yours.

So, in your eyes, what does Greenwich have that say City doesn't?

It isn't about points or grades after a certain point...

Interviews are used to determine suitability for the course. A trillion UCAS points doesn't.

Dreama xxxxx

Honestly, you must be taking the piss. Apart from the dubious nature of your past/present and hell even future achievements -- dubious I say because of a. the copious amount and, more influenially, b. because you so openly gloat about them -- you are not very well informed.

Even assuming that you do get 3As and that we are in a Wonderland where Oxford is not worth the hassle and it's either London or nothing, I have mentioned 4 London institutions, at least three of which enjoy enviable reputation. UCL, LSE and King's are all in central London, you tit, and since you are so certain of getting brilliant grades at A-Level (the first two require AAA and Kings AAB), it wouldn't have cost anything to apply to them instead of Greenwich, Metropolitan, Krakatoa Poly and the university of Timbuktu and you would still be in relatively close to your "pad at home" wherever that may be, with the only, somewhat unimportant to you, upshot of being in an immensely more prestigious institution, which would, in any case, give more credibility to your first class --since you appear to see the future through such optimisitc lenses -- degree.