Free Resources

Discover how to secure a law firm training contract without participating in a vacation scheme. This blog post delves into which candidates are likely to succeed in direct applications, how to decide whether to pursue this route, and valuable tips to successfully secure a coveted training contract. Click to learn the pros and cons of applying directly for a training contract and explore the opportunities first-year schemes can offer.

Discover expert tips on preparing for your graduate recruitment interview, from understanding the process to impressing your interviewer. Find out what to expect, how to answer common questions, and how to avoid pitfalls in this essential guide. Don't miss your chance to stand out from the competition and secure an assessment centre place!

If you have landed a vacation scheme, congratulations, but you must understand that it's an extended assessment process for a training contract. This article explains how to make the most out of your vacation scheme to increase your chances of getting a training contract offer. It covers the types of activities you may encounter, how to perform best in each activity, and some common myths about what you should or should not be doing on your scheme.

If you want to excel in scenario-based interviews during law firm assessment days, then our expert guide is a must-read. Discover how to succeed in different scenarios, from real-life transactions to hypothetical situations. We'll provide you with valuable insights on how to prepare and practice effectively, including tips on doing mock interviews. Draw on our expert advice to ensure you ace this crucial part of the training contract assessment process.

Winning a place at an assessment day is no easy feat, and the group exercise is often one of the toughest parts of the process. In this article, we'll cover the different types of law firm group exercises, typical assessment criteria, and expert advice on how to succeed. Additionally, we'll share tips on effectively managing difficult candidates during group exercises.

If you're considering a career in law, you may be wondering whether to become a barrister or a solicitor. With our expert guide, we'll help you make an informed decision. We'll explore the key differences between these two professions, including the qualifications you'll need to succeed, the structure of their work, and the essential factors you should consider when deciding which path to take. Don't miss out on this essential guide to kickstart your legal career - read on now!

All Magic Circle firms are prestigious. But not all are equally right for you as a future trainee solicitor. This article will explain differences and similarities for between each Magic Circle firm, enabling you to reach a better decision on which firms to prioritise in your law firm applications.

Even the best candidates find situational judgment questions hard. In this article, NCL’s team of qualified lawyers explain: (1) what a situational judgment question (SJQ) is; (2) the contexts in which SJQs arise; and (3) how to answer SJQs effectively.

This blog will help minority (BAME) candidates and disadvantaged students apply for training contracts by explaining: what a diversity access scheme is; who the main organisations that offer these schemes are; and how to make the most of the opportunities offered by these organisations. No matter your background, there is an organisation out there which can support you and ensure that you get a great chance to secure a vacation scheme and training contract!

This post crunches the data to show you: 1) How hard it is to secure a training contract; 2) How going to Oxbridge or a Russell Group University makes a difference; 3) Whether women and BAME candidates face advantages or disadvantages; and 4) How the application process for vacation schemes and training contracts is becoming more competitive.

Applying for vacation schemes and training contracts is hard. This mega-guide written by qualified lawyers will help you answer: (1) Which law firms should I apply to? (2) What should I research about each firm? (3) How do I research each firm?

Candidates increasingly undervalue themselves or try to play “the numbers game” when applying to law firms for training contracts. Learn how to stop undervaluing yourself and go for the best law firms that truly suit your interests.

There’s a lot of focus on trainee salaries among candidates. But the truth is, it’s pretty irrelevant what you earn as a trainee: the real difference between City firms emerges on qualification. So what actually matters when you’re choosing a law firm? And does it make sense to move on qualification?

We are going to share an uncomfortable truth about virtual vacation schemes: they are terrible. Students normally want to get a taste of the firm’s culture, meet trainees and associates and hear about their experiences. Law firms want to see students in person, engage and interact with them and evaluate their business/soft-skills in an office environment. And so neither students nor law firms are particularly happy about this online experience.

Students receive mixed - and often unhelpful - advice when it comes to the number of training contract / vacation scheme applications they should submit. Our view is that any rule as to a specific number of applications is wrong. It all depends on the candidate. We would generally recommend you do as many applications as you possibly can without sacrificing quality.

Many law firms do not want to incur the additional expense and administrative burden of sponsoring trainees and so miss out on the amazing international talent that exists in the UK. This guide will teach you how to maximise your training contract chances as an international student.

Most answers to “why commercial law” are weak and unconvincing. Our step-by-step guide explains why law firms ask this question, the ideal structure to use and how to make your answer specific and personal to you.

Students hear a lot about US firms in London, but they often struggle to effectively distinguish between them. Apart from looking at the difference in pay, most applicants don’t fully understand their differences and so produce unconvincing applications when singling out law firms. This complete, data-driven guide will help you distinguish between US law firms so that you can target American firms for training contracts in a more logical and consistent manner.

Let’s face it: getting rejected sucks. And it would suck even more to get turned down by a law firm once, spend 10+ hours rewriting your application next year and then get rejected again. We have set out some key points to keep in mind if you are considering re-applying to any firm that rejected your application the first time around.

Law firm assessment days are the final hurdle to clear before securing a vacation scheme and training contract. We explain what a typical law firm assessment centre involves and how to prepare effectively for the exercises that you will encounter.

We set out to create a unique database of exceptional law firm vacation scheme and training contract applications that: shows candidates what a successful application looks like; delivers expert insights based on our years of experience as lawyers and application reviewers to show: makes our help affordable to all students from any socio-economic or geographic background We hope you enjoy the below free sample of our analysis alongside a successful application to Memery Crystal.

Most firms review applications on a rolling basis. If you apply early in the cycle, you have a better chance of securing a vacation scheme or training contract. This guide lists which law firms recruit on a rolling basis and explains why it makes sense to apply early - even if your dream firm reviews all applications after deadline day.

This was a difficult blog post to write, but an important one. We decided to write this after working with a number of candidates who had mitigating circumstances but did not explain them properly in their training contract / vacation scheme applications. Instead of shying away from controversy we want to be open and transparent to maximise your chances of success.

Your exam grades will dictate whether your vacation scheme or training contract application is taken seriously. This guide sets out how to succeed in your law degree, including tips on module selection, lectures, tutorials, coursework and exams.

“Commercial Awareness” is one of those phrases that you hear all the time when you are applying for training contracts and never again once you start working as a trainee solicitor. This guide explains what commercial awareness really is and how to prove to prospective law firm employers that you are commercially aware.

The majority of law students in the UK will not get a training contract in their usual application window. This means that thousands of law students will graduate from university each year with some difficult choices ahead: should they (1) abandon law as a career, (2) self-fund the LPC or (3) paralegal?