Graduated with a 2.2 - Help

I graduated with a 2.2 from Nottingham University. In my first and second years of uni I got a 2.2 and in my third year I got a 2.1- averaging to an overall 2.2. I did have mitigating circumstances which account for my lower grades but am finding it near to impossible to obtain a vac scheme, training contract or even paralegal offer. I have targeted a wide range of firms - I am not applying to magic circle as I think I would be kidding myself, but mid-size firms like Trowers, Gowling, Lewis Silkin etc.

I was wondering if anyone had advice or experience in a similar situation to me. Law is definitely the path for me and I know I am an able candidate - I have strong A levels, GCSEs and have scored highly on the LPC (funded myself) but I think my 2.2 is letting me down horrendously. If anyone has any specific firms that are more sympathetic than others in accepting a lower undergraduate degree I would be so so appreciative if you could let me know - I feel like I am at a complete loose end right now and am losing hope. Just need someone to tell me it is not impossible or give some kind of guidance. Thank you in advance

Reply 1

jacketpotato

I wonder if it could be worth targeting smaller or more specialised/boutique firms? You could always move after qualification if you wanted.

Reply 2

tdzk0101

Hi there,

I apologize for this rather late response - I only signed up to TSR today after suddenly remembering and searching for a post I read on here during my time on the LPC. In fact, I signed up specifically to reply to your thread as I was in a similar position to yours not too long ago, and wanted to encourage you not to forgo your ambitions of securing a TC. It seems you're targeting City firms, and since there haven't been many City firm training contract application deadlines since you posted, I thought there's a good chance that you're still applying. I hope the below will help... You asked people to share advice and experiences - I will start with my experiences that taught me the advice I can give you, but if you don't have time to read through it all, you can just jump to the end for the advice.

I have a low 2.2 from a RG university AND I'm a career-changer, yet I was offered, and have accepted, a TC from one of the three firms you mentioned in your post during my LPC (self-funded) in 2016. Since accepting the offer and finishing off my LPC, I have been working as a consultant at a specialist expert witness consultancy in the field I wish to qualify into. Needless to say, securing a TC at a City firm opened many doors for me, including offers for various positions in other City firms as well as my current position. It also helped that the law firm I will be training at is a client of the firm I currently work at. I have gained much valuable industry experience, and am looking forward to my training contract which will begin soon.

Going into the GDL, I was not even aware of the distinction between the different types of law firms. I was in a similar situation to you - I had good GCSEs, excellent AS and A-Levels, but a 2.2 degree.

Just before I began my LPC, I was actually offered a TC from a very small firm in the City (not a "City firm" by any means) I worked for during my GDL and part of my LPC, but I did not accept the offer. People told me I was crazy - colleagues and friends from the GDL/LPC all told me I wasn't going to get an offer from a bigger firm with my 2.2; I was too old (I was in my late 20s when I decided to change careers); it's difficult to get a TC offer from any firm so I should be grateful; etc etc. However, my reason for not accepting right away wasn't that I wanted to go to a City firm - I just wasn't sure about the firm that had offered me the TC.

During the first few months of the LPC, it became clear to me that my 2.2 would limit me greatly in my applications - a top-tier US firm where I had undertaken a month-long paid internship between the GDL and the LPC did not even consider my vac scheme application past the initial stage, even with good references from the managing partner and senior partner of the office where I worked; most tutors, except two, told me I would be wasting my time making City firm apps; careers advisers strongly recommended that I apply to high street firms or, at best, boutique firms; and representatives of law firms I spoke to all gave me the same PC ******** - "We consider every application on its own merits - BUT be advised that we get applications from thousands of people with competitive 2.1 and first class honors degrees." All of this was very demoralizing, and had it not been for the two tutors who told me that anything is possible and that I should use my previous career to my advantage, I would have accepted the offer from the small firm I mentioned earlier. By the time I decided to actually make applications, I only had a couple of weeks before most of the summer deadlines. After 2-3 days of research, I decided I would make two applications - one to Government Legal Services, and one to a City firm. Other than my own research, I relied on the information provided by my tutors on their experiences in different City firms - I picked the firm whose quality of work, work-life balance, diversity and most importantly the general firm culture resonated with me most.

Instead of just making the application, I first called up the head of recruitment and graduate development (HRGD) at the City firm in question and asked if the firm would ever consider an applicant with a 2.2, who was also a career changer. The HRGD asked me to detail why I was interested in the firm, my mitigating circumstances (I had genuine, documented mitigating circumstances during my second and third year of university), if any, and to tell him more about my previous career. After a 20-minute conversation on the phone, the HRGD told me that although the firm's usual minimum requirement is a 2.1 degree or higher, my mitigating circumstances sounded genuine and if they could be explained and supported, the firm may overlook the 2.1 degree. I still expressed my doubts, and he subsequently assured me that, taking into consideration my previous career (I founded and ran a small company for 5 years) and other academic achievements, he would make sure that the firm considers my application and that he would be committing professional negligence otherwise. To give me peace of mind, he told me to email him personally once I made the application so that he could confirm to me directly that the application had been received.

To cut the long story short (sorry this is getting really long) - I spent 10 days writing and rewriting my app while also taking part in the Government Legal Services' online assessments (I passed the first two stages only). I was subsequently invited to an assessment centre at the firm where I was the top-scoring candidate for the entire year, which further helped me to build a strong relationship, both professional and personal, with the HRGD who had to fight for me after experiencing some pushback from partners and other HR personnel regarding my place on the assessment centre due to my 2.2 degree. Before my final partner interview, the HRGD told me not to be afraid of questions regarding my degree as I had demonstrated my abilities through my solid application and strong performance at the assessment centre. To my surprise, during the one hour interview, my grades were not mentioned even once. In fact, the partner and I spent most of the time talking about music (she loved hip hop, just like me!), religion and interpersonal relationships, although we did finish off with a small case study exercise.

When I was offered my TC, I was given detailed feedback on my entire application and assessment process. The firm told me, amongst other things, that: my application stood out because the long-form answers seemed well thought-out and showed that I had done extensive research on the firm; my mitigating circumstances were significant and genuine rather than a poor excuse for laziness and/or ineptitude; I demonstrated the experiences, commerciality and other advantages I had gained during my previous career; and I showed emotional maturity by being inclusive of others and easily forming genuine personal relationships with the HRGD, the partner, the trainees and HR personnel in attendance at the assessment centre and, most importantly, the other candidates at the assessment centre (the two people that I got on with particularly well at the assessment centre also received and accepted TC offers).

So, my advice is:

1. You said you have mitigating circumstances - are they genuine and significant? If so, spend a good amount of time drafting and redrafting this section of your application form. Don't just make it a list of excuses - explain how you have learned from and developed as a result of your experience. You also said you did well on the LPC - highlight this as proof that you recovered from your 2.2.

2. Do you have other skills and experiences that can offset your 2.2? Did you work before/during/after your LPC? They do not have to be law-related as long as they demonstrate your commerciality and development.

3. Research the firm carefully - talk to people who have worked there, people who currently work there, and talk to the people who make the decisions on applications. I suggest talking to them on the phone or in person at law fairs etc rather than emailing - make it more personal and build rapport. Also, don't call them if you know nothing about the firm and their practice - they receive hundreds of calls every year from people asking general questions.

4. Spend sufficient time perfecting your application - be specific in your long-form answers and use information you have found through your research on the firm. When discussing your previous experiences/roles, always remember to demonstrate not just your achievements but what they taught you and how you developed as a result.

5. Be genuine, friendly and be ready and willing to build authentic relationships - I doubt I would have gotten so lucky without the help and support of the HRGD, his assistants/other HR personnel/current trainees who evaluated the assessment centre activities, and some of the other candidates who attended the assessment centre that all spoke kindly of me and my performance. The HRGD has been my mentor for the past 18 months and I consult him on every major decision I make - both personal and professional.

Again, I apologize for such a long response - I saw that your post only had one very short reply and wanted to make sure you and others in our position do not simply give up on their dreams. Good luck!

ps. You may also wish to look into Government Legal Services training contracts - they do not look at the CV part of your application until you have passed the first three stages of online assessments.