The Student Room Group

Best universities for magic circle law firms

What are the best universities do magic circle law firms generally tend to prefer? Also, what universities would be a bad idea for this? Are any of these good choices: Exeter, Birmingham, Newcastle, Durham?

Scroll to see replies

All russel groups are generally good choices and most of the firms will visit them. Check out the exhibition list for the law fairs. However this isn't everything as during the period October-December firms will come and host drinks receptions and presentations. Generally you want to be thinking about top London unis, Bristol Warwick Durham Birmingham Sheffield Manchester etc
Original post by fm.l123
What are the best universities do magic circle law firms generally tend to prefer? Also, what universities would be a bad idea for this? Are any of these good choices: Exeter, Birmingham, Newcastle, Durham?


Out of these 4 Durham is the best, if not one of the best for magic circle law firms
Reply 3
Durham is the best out of your choices, but all will be fine, all are Russell Group and are visited by the magic circle firms. I also emphasise neal95's post on choice of unis too
Original post by fm.l123
What are the best universities do magic circle law firms generally tend to prefer? Also, what universities would be a bad idea for this? Are any of these good choices: Exeter, Birmingham, Newcastle, Durham?


No. Your good choices would be Oxbridge, UCL, LSE, KCL, SOAS, Warwick, ULaw, BPP Law School for the Magic Circle.
Original post by ORW
Durham is the best out of your choices, but all will be fine, all are Russell Group and are visited by the magic circle firms. I also emphasise neal95's post on choice of unis too


Stop selling false vision to people.

If he or she REALLY wants to go for the magic circle - which is insanely competitive (and I say this as an Oxford graduate) - one needs first class education and first class results.
Reply 6
Those universities are fine. Your grades, extra curricular activities, commercial awareness and soft skills will be more important.
Reply 7
Original post by InvestmentBankin
Stop selling false vision to people.

If he or she REALLY wants to go for the magic circle - which is insanely competitive (and I say this as an Oxford graduate) - one needs first class education and first class results.


Oxbridge have a major advantage but them and London unis are not the be all and end all for the magic circle. You do find grads from other Russell Groups at the MC, just not as many. We know its extremely competitive. False vision of getting into the MC would be Swansea, Surrey, Kingston and unis like that etc. They would not visit any other RG unis other than Oxbridge if they did not think them worthy
Reply 8
Original post by InvestmentBankin
Stop selling false vision to people.

If he or she REALLY wants to go for the magic circle - which is insanely competitive (and I say this as an Oxford graduate) - one needs first class education and first class results.


http://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/where-to-start/newsletter/law-firms-preferred-universities
Original post by ORW
Oxbridge have a major advantage but them and London unis are not the be all and end all for the magic circle. You do find grads from other Russell Groups at the MC, just not as many. We know its extremely competitive. False vision of getting into the MC would be Swansea, Surrey, Kingston and unis like that etc. They would not visit any other RG unis other than Oxbridge if they did not think them worthy


Oh boy you need to learn more about life. You know that visiting university campuses, supporting student applications and their supposedly 'future career prospects' is part of the PR of major financial institutions, professional servies and indeed law firms? It is conscious and deliberate. Deutsche Bank, UBS and BAML receive an outlandish ratio of applications for their intern positions each year. Only the top get it, the rest is for PR purposes.
Reply 10
2015-03-21 21.20.56.png

See enclosed.*
Reply 11
Original post by InvestmentBankin
Oh boy you need to learn more about life. You know that visiting university campuses, supporting student applications and their supposedly 'future career prospects' is part of the PR of major financial institutions, professional servies and indeed law firms? It is conscious and deliberate. Deutsche Bank, UBS and BAML receive an outlandish ratio of applications for their intern positions each year. Only the top get it, the rest is for PR purposes.


As I would expect from an Oxford graduate; very elitist. I know 3 people from Exeter with MC training contracts... I'm sure Exeter is 'sub par' to Oxbridge graduates.

You should look at this but you'll probably ignore all the non Oxbridge RG unis on it.

http://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/media/1067/what_is_a_good_university.pdf
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by ORW
As I would expect from an Oxford graduate; very elitist. I know 3 people from Exeter with MC training contracts... I'm sure Exeter is 'sub par' to Oxbridge graduates.


No, I am in fact very progressive and for meritocracy. I just do not like giving people false hope and/or promises, instead inform them about the situation so they can take actually constructive steps towards realising their ambitions.

About 3 people from Exeter that you know with MC training contrats - good for you. I know many more - lets not talk about personal experiences. I am talking about statistics. Of course it is possible for you to get into MC with a 1:1 from Northumbria, but it is just far less likely. There's only so many places, and each year there's so many graduates from across the disciplines with excellent academic record.
Original post by Film
2015-03-21 21.20.56.png

See enclosed.*


This includes a lot of non-MC.
Reply 14
Original post by InvestmentBankin
No, I am in fact very progressive and for meritocracy. I just do not like giving people false hope and/or promises, instead inform them about the situation so they can take actually constructive steps towards realising their ambitions.

About 3 people from Exeter that you know with MC training contrats - good for you. I know many more - lets not talk about personal experiences. I am talking about statistics. Of course it is possible for you to get into MC with a 1:1 from Northumbria, but it is just far less likely. There's only so many places, and each year there's so many graduates from across the disciplines with excellent academic record.


The situation is you do not need Oxbridge or London for the MC, rather it is hugely advantageous. The thread starter's choice of unis are not guaranteed a place at the MC, but does not rule them out either. I was not saying they are definitely going to get a place so it was not giving them false hope, but rather saying there is at least a chance.
Original post by ORW
The situation is you do not need Oxbridge or London for the MC, rather it is hugely advantageous. The thread starter's choice of unis are not guaranteed a place at the MC, but does not rule them out either. I was not saying they are definitely going to get a place so it was not giving them false hope, but rather saying there is at least a chance.


I can agree on that.
Original post by InvestmentBankin
No, I am in fact very progressive and for meritocracy. I just do not like giving people false hope and/or promises, instead inform them about the situation so they can take actually constructive steps towards realising their ambitions.

About 3 people from Exeter that you know with MC training contrats - good for you. I know many more - lets not talk about personal experiences. I am talking about statistics. Of course it is possible for you to get into MC with a 1:1 from Northumbria, but it is just far less likely. There's only so many places, and each year there's so many graduates from across the disciplines with excellent academic record.


With a 1:1 from Northumbria? I don't think someone who thinks "1:1" is a thing should be listened to too intently. The idea that ULaw, BPP, or SOAS have any advantage over York or Exeter is quite nonsensical and the stats back that up.
Original post by fm.l123
What are the best universities do magic circle law firms generally tend to prefer? Also, what universities would be a bad idea for this? Are any of these good choices: Exeter, Birmingham, Newcastle, Durham?


Speaking from experience you'll want to go to the top 5 law schools in the country and be in the top 10% of the class. It is possible to go to lesser schools and still get into a magic circle firm but your chances will be significantly improved with a top 5 school behind you.

Just be warned though, expect horrendous hours, awful colleagues, and a tedious workload which keeps you up to the small hours and requires you to be in the office 5 hours later. It's not all bad of course and some parts of it will be fantastic, but unless you're wanting to spend the first 5 years of your life like that you'd be better off sticking to lesser firms. Depends whether you value the money MC firms offer vs the lifestyle and benefits gained from the easier life (I said easier, not easy, it's still damn hard work with long hours but you'll get home by 8pm and won't have to work more than one weekend every month or so).

In general the top few will be: Cambridge, Oxford, UCL, LSE, Kings. If they aren't available then Durham, Edinburgh, Bristol, Nottingham are all good choices.
Original post by InvestmentBankin
Stop selling false vision to people.

If he or she REALLY wants to go for the magic circle - which is insanely competitive (and I say this as an Oxford graduate) - one needs first class education and first class results.


This isn't accurate at all. I've a fair amount of contacts in 2 of the MC firms, most of these places are quite diverse in the way they choose trainees. Obviously Oxbridge have a high %-ge of the intake, but the spectrum is anywhere from the high end Law depts of Durham, UCL, KCL, LSE, Bristol, Notts, etc, to RGs like Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester etc to even top grads (firsts, highest in year, excellent extracurriculars) at somewhat 'lower' universities like Westminster, Birkbeck, Greenwich..



Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by InvestmentBankin
No. Your good choices would be ,SOAS, ULaw, BPP Law School for the Magic Circle.


Original post by InvestmentBankin
Stop selling false vision to people.



...

Quick Reply