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Do you need to go to a top law school get a job in a good law firm ?

Hi,

With my grades I am looking at only being able to get into a top 15-30 law school. Would this significantly affect my chances of getting a job in a good law firm.

The Universities I am hoping to get into would be Aberdeen or Dundee.

Thanks
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 1
Okay pal, don't take this the wrong way but the answer is almost 100% a YES. The only thing that may save you is some insane determination, networking and strong family contacts.

Why do I say this? Well first off I'm assuming you mean a City law firm or something of a similar level.
There are loads. Hundreds. Far too many law students. Plus all the history->law and other courses->law conversions you see around, yet how many actual lawyers does a law firm really need? No where near as many as there are students. Whilst I have no first hand, solid information about law recruiting, I am at one of the 'top banking unis', that is the few unis that banks actively recruit FO roles at (So Ox,Cam,LSE,Warwick,ICL,UCL, then possibly Durham/Andrews/Bath if you're pushing it). Thus I would say that I am with some of the students who are most likely to become lawyers in the country, yet I know MANY who struggle for work experience and I cannot think of anyone who didn't get law experience through family contacts.

TLDR; there are SO many students fighting for SO FEW jobs that even the top unis with students who have contacts struggle to get lawyers in!

But it's not all doom and gloom. What can you do to maximise your chances?
Go to the highest rate uni you can, endeavour to do so because it will help you l o a d s and #15 >> #30... #30 wouldn't get a look into by a top law firm.
Network like crazy. crazy. With law students, lawyers, whatever. Build a strong network through uni, friends and family friends.
Get involved on campus eg be president of the law society or start a new law soc if there isn't one!
Get law / managerial / some really substantial work experience.

Good luck!

//also, it's affect, not effect.
Reply 2
law is very competitive

answer is yes
Reply 3
The advice given to you applies to people looking into top/high-end London firms. Is that where you want to end up?

Honestly, yes, things are hard, but if you're aiming for Scottish firms, they're not that hard, as such firms recruit actively from Scottish unis.
Reply 4
Original post by arrowhead
The advice given to you applies to people looking into top/high-end London firms. Is that where you want to end up?

Honestly, yes, things are hard, but if you're aiming for Scottish firms, they're not that hard, as such firms recruit actively from Scottish unis.


I was more meaning a good Scottish firm since I will be studying Scots Law
Reply 5
Original post by mattsam12
I was more meaning a good Scottish firm since I will be studying Scots Law


From what I know about Scot firms, the focus is on Edinburgh/St. Andrews, but if you get into any of the big 4 (Edinburgh/St. Andrews/Glasgow/Aberdeen - Glasgow probably the least), they are heavily targeted by top Scottish law firms.
Law is one of the most competitive jobs, so the answer you're looking for is yes.
Original post by mattsam12
Hi,

With my grades I am looking at only being able to get into a top 15-30 law school. Would this significantly affect my chances of getting a job in a good law firm.

The Universities I am hoping to get into would be Aberdeen or Dundee.

Thanks


The answer to your question is "no" but it helps.
Reply 8
Original post by nulli tertius
The answer to your question is "no" but it helps.


This is probably the most accurate answer so far.

Do you need to go to a top law school to get a job in a good law firm? Certainly, not.

Does it help? Certainly, does.
Reply 9
Original post by Scoobster
This is probably the most accurate answer so far.

Do you need to go to a top law school to get a job in a good law firm? Certainly, not.

Does it help? Certainly, does.


Exactly. Can't help but agree with this!
The recent poll of Universities targeted states that major Law firms will be interested in these schools, in this order.

1. Warwick
2. Nottingham
3. Manchester
4. Cambridge
5. Bristol
6. Durham
7. Oxford
8. Birmingham
9. Bath
10. Leeds
11. Sheffield
12. Imperial College London
13. Loughborough
14. Edinburgh
15. London School of Economics
16. University College London
17. Southampton
18. Newcastle
19. Strathclyde
20. Exeter

Sure, it does help to have "Oxford" written on your CV, but any of these schools, as long as you have great results, will grant you access to the great firms!
Goodluck!
Original post by arrowhead
From what I know about Scot firms, the focus is on Edinburgh/St. Andrews, but if you get into any of the big 4 (Edinburgh/St. Andrews/Glasgow/Aberdeen - Glasgow probably the least), they are heavily targeted by top Scottish law firms.


Sorry to butt in, but I was under the impression that St Andrew's doesn't have a law faculty.
Original post by demiroux
Exactly. Can't help but agree with this!
The recent poll of Universities targeted states that major Law firms will be interested in these schools, in this order.

1. Warwick
2. Nottingham
3. Manchester
4. Cambridge
5. Bristol
6. Durham
7. Oxford
8. Birmingham
9. Bath
10. Leeds
11. Sheffield
12. Imperial College London
13. Loughborough
14. Edinburgh
15. London School of Economics
16. University College London
17. Southampton
18. Newcastle
19. Strathclyde
20. Exeter

Sure, it does help to have "Oxford" written on your CV, but any of these schools, as long as you have great results, will grant you access to the great firms!
Goodluck!



Would you give the source for this please. Note three of them do not teach law.
Reply 12
Original post by nulli tertius
Would you give the source for this please. Note three of them do not teach law.

Yeah i do Lol!
It's graduate employers, which include Law Firms! Scratch the three off the list!

The link - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/student-life/9796679/Warwick-University-top-target-for-graduate-employers.html
Original post by ladymarshmallow
Sorry to butt in, but I was under the impression that St Andrew's doesn't have a law faculty.


But there are a lot of non-law students from there that have become quite successful after converting.
Original post by arrowhead
But there are a lot of non-law students from there that have become quite successful after converting.


Ah okay, thanks for putting me right. :smile:

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