Introduction

Training contracts are hard to obtain. The number of applicants heavily outweighs the number of training contracts on offer, particularly at the top commercial law firms. More than ever, candidates recognise the value of starting their careers in law and are desperate to qualify as commercial solicitors in England and Wales.

For those just about to enter university - it is possible to get a training contract in your first year. But competition is stiff. Not many schemes offer such an opportunity; there is no room for error: you have to appear highly credible and apply for the right opportunities at the right time.

What to expect

This article will cover:

1. why attaining a training contract in your first year is ideal;
2. the law firms and their respective "fast track" schemes offered to first-year students;
3. some of the key differences between the kinds of schemes on offer; and
4. how to maximise your chances of seizing one or more of these opportunities.

Why you should try to win a training contracts in your first year

Applying for vacation schemes and training contracts is an arduous process. Law firms would like the process to be "fun" yet "challenging ", but it is often a gruelling and time-consuming experience, especially when combined with a full-time undergraduate degree. The solution? Get your training contract offers early.

If you can achieve a training contract offer in your first year of university (or at the beginning of your second year), you will have effectively bought yourself two years of pure enjoyment of university life. This is not to say that you cannot enjoy university whilst applying for training contracts - it is just harder to do to the same extent.

Many candidates feel that the application process is like doing a mini degree on top of your existing undergraduate course. If you can dispense with the application process early, you allow yourself to focus on making the most of your time at university and obtaining the best possible degree classification.

Changes to the qualification route for lawyers

Some prospective candidates may question whether they need to win a training contract to become a lawyer. After all, you can become a solicitor through qualifying legal work experience (QWE) through the new Solicitors' Qualifying Examination (SQE)?

While you can become a solicitor through the QWE system, most top commercial law firms have not recognised it as a mode of qualification which they support. It's viewed as less prestigious by some top firms. For now, the best way to train and qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales at a top commercial law firm is...to get a training contract at said firm.

Furthermore, it's inadvisable to delay starting your career in law until after university. If you spurn the training contract route and pursue QWE instead, you risk not finding employment and being thrown into an oversaturated market. Trainee solicitors at top commercial law firms have a dedicated training programme and a solid reputation to support their CV for the rest of their careers.

We are not trying to claim the system is fair or just - but as it stands, we believe the clearest way to a stable career in law is to apply for training contracts. So, if you have decided to apply for training contracts through the traditional route, how can you get one as early as possible?

Which law firms offer schemes for first year students?

It is worth highlighting that very few firms offer training contracts to "true" first year students. In reality, the actual offer of a training contract offer is likely to materialise sometime in your second year or, at the very earliest, in the first summer post-first year.

However, there are schemes out there for first year students that put you on a path to securing your training contract earlier and sometimes years in advance of other candidates who follow the typical schemes and application cycles.

The best way to achieve a training contract as a first year student is to get on firms' "fast track" opportunities. These opportunities are those that give first year students a chance to circumvent the typical application process when it comes to training contracts or vacation schemes. You should remember that vacation schemes are pathways to training contracts - so don't turn your nose up at them!

Relevant opportunities for first year students applying for training contracts

Below we have a non-exhaustive list of some of the firms that offer "fast track" opportunities to first year students:

1. Clifford Chance's "Spark" scheme . Open to first year law students and second year non-law students. Also open to those in their second year of a four year course. Opportunity to get a training contract interview.
2. Allen & Overy's "A&O First" scheme. Open to first year law or non-law students. Also open to those in their second year of a four year course. Opportunity to be fast-tracked to a training contract or vacation scheme interview.
3. Linklaters' "Pathfinder" scheme. Open to first year law or non-law students. Also open to those in their second year of a four year course. Opportunity to be fast-tracked to a vacation scheme interview.
4. Freshfields' "Spring Scheme Workshop". Open to first year law or non-law students. Opportunity to be fast-tracked to a vacation scheme interview.
5. Weil, Gotshal & Manges' "Fast Track" scheme. Open to first year law and non-law students. Opportunity to be fast-tracked to a vacation scheme interview.
6. CMS' "First Steps" scheme. Open to first year law students and penultimate year non-law students. Opportunity to be fast-tracked to a vacation scheme interview.
7. DLA Piper's "Insight Programme". Open to first year law students and penultimate year non-law students. Opportunity to make a "priority application" for a summer vacation scheme.

What are the best schemes for first year students?

Upsides of schemes differ

Although we cannot mention every firm and every scheme, you will observe that very few schemes offer a coveted training contract interview in connection with their first year scheme. In the past, this was different - more law firms did offer training contracts to first year students. However, the recent trend is towards making candidates go through work placements and vacation schemes before making any training contract offers.

The "reward" for doing well on a first year scheme is now normally a vacation scheme interview as opposed to a training contract one. But this is not a catastrophe! A vacation scheme, amongst other things, is effectively an interview for a training contract. Work hard to convert it to a training contract offer and you'll be streets ahead of your peers!

Some schemes are are more likely to lead to training contracts than others

You should also note that certain law firms will provide you with greater levels of assistance in securing a training contract or vacation scheme subsequent to your "fast track" scheme.

For example, c.80% of participants were offered a training contract after completing Clifford Chance's SPARK scheme in 2021. This is compared to a training contract success rate of 3.6% when looking at direct training contract applicants.

Admittedly, only about 2.4% of candidates who apply get on Clifford Chance's SPARK scheme. It is highly competitive not just because the firm is world-renowned but also because getting on that scheme is as close you can get to securing a training contract offer without actually having the offer letter in hand! Not to mention, you have the chance to get this offer as a first year! Clearly, SPARK scheme participants have a huge edge over the average direct training contract applicant.

You can compare this to something like CMS' First Steps scheme. This scheme guarantees that you are "fast-tracked" to an assessment day for the firm's vacation scheme (known as the CMS Academy). This is certainly valuable, as part of the issue with the application process (especially for first years or fresh-faced second year students) is getting to law firms' final stage assessment centres. However, the First Steps scheme in no way guarantees or promises higher chances of success at that stage - although we do not have any public statistics to corroborate this.

This is not to say that CMS' scheme is not worth it. Any decent candidate will quickly realise that the First Steps scheme does give them an edge over the rest of the competition. After all, the scheme's participants will have had time getting to know the firm and its recruitment criteria - they will then be able to refine their interview answers accordingly.

Nevertheless, what we want to highlight is that when it comes to securing a training contract as a first year student, there are different paths ahead. At some firms, the route is highly contested but, once on it, very quick and (relatively) certain. At other law firms, the route is less contested but more lengthy and less certain. We recommend applying to every top law firm that gives you these opportunities but just be aware that they have different offerings!

Eligibility criteria

And finally - make sure you meet the eligibility criteria. Some schemes are only available to you if you are in the first year of a law degree. If you are a non-law student, you may only be able to apply to some of these schemes in your second year. Always check the law firm's website or contact graduate recruitment if you are unsure!

How to win a place on a first year scheme at a top law firm

So - say you're a law student and you're just about to start your first year of university - how can you maximise your chances of getting on one of these "fast track" schemes and securing a training contract?

Obtain informal legal work experience at a local firm

The first thing that will make you stand out is if you have any prior legal work experience. In the summer leading up to starting at university, you should try and get some legal work experience, even if it's only one week.

Lots of students will be undertaking a law degree; however, by having some relevant work experience under your belt before university demonstrates your long-term commitment to a career in legal practice. This is a huge edge against the rest of the competition who will have to rely on abstract or academic discussion of their motivations whilst you have tangible proof of yours!

How do you get legal work experience in your first year? We recommend asking local high street law firms to see if they would allow you to intern at their office. You are unlikely to be allowed to do proper legal work, but you should aim to support the lawyers there in any way you can. For example, it would be valuable to work as a receptionist, especially if it means that you can help take notes of client meetings or organise due diligence materials.

Take part in virtual experience programmes

Failing getting "real" work experience, you should have at least completed the virtual experience programmes as part of Forage. All the top commercial law firms have these kinds of virtual programmes on this platform. Some are designed to give you some insights about the firm whilst others give you some tasks to simulate what their trainee solicitors get up to.

Although these are open to everyone and so are now overly common amongst the applicant pool, you should complete them nonetheless (especially for the firms you are applying to). As you progress and get more concrete experience, these programmes can be phased off your CV and application form.

Join the executive board of a student society

You should also get involved in societies when you join university. As a first year, it may be challenging to get an "executive" position in a society. However, several societies will offer roles to first years in advance of their yearly elections (such as the position of a "first year representative").

Try to get stuck into a variety of societies, attend their events, and secure positions of responsibility. These experiences are likely to be the foundation of your competency question responses, and, as a first year, you will need to amass these experiences quickly to be ready to apply for these "fast track" schemes when they open in the winter term.

Take part in student competitions

Our penultimate recommendation is to enter into some competitions (or mooting or debating) contests. You may have already been involved in some at school; however, you should keep your eye out for any and all law-related competitions (in and outside of university).

Googling "law student competition" yields a variety of options which will change year on year. Of particular note is the Law Reform Essay Competition which is an example of a highly prestigious annual competition.

Competitions are a great way for you to demonstrate your academic excellence, understanding of the law and develop your commercial awareness. Although you will be relatively young compared to many of the applicants, you should not hesitate to take part! You will be surprised in how well you can do when you apply yourself.

As a side note, written competitions may be more easily pursued given the tight deadlines to apply for firms' "fast track" schemes. Whole debating and mooting contests are useful experiences, they often conclude in the spring or summer terms, which may be too late to include in your application form or use in an interview. You should think strategically: which opportunities are available early and can be leveraged in your applications?

Improve your commercial knowledge through reading

Our final recommendationis to read up on commerce and law. Securing work experience, succeeding in competitions, and getting into university societies is easier said than done. Indeed, if you're just about to head into university, it is unlikely that you will be able to do all of these things right now!

But what you can definitely do is read some books. Every wannabe law student will proclaim to have read Dworkin or Rawls. We are not recommending these authors. Read some books that will develop your commercial awareness and knowledge of the legal profession.

Here are some recommendations to get you started:

1. "Red Notice" and/or "Freezing Order" by Bill Browder
2. "The Pay Off" by Gottfried Leibbrandt and Natasha De Teran
3. "Debt: The First 5000 Years" by David Graeber

You can also find a record of the books the Financial Times recommends (as part of their annual book awards) here. You should also check out the second half of this blog article where we discuss other ways to develop your commercial awareness.

By reading one of these books (from cover to cover - no cheating!) you will not only have gained a vast amount of detailed knowledge about a particular subject matter but you will have inevitably sparked some curiosity to learn about other areas. For example, one of the books might have mentioned the "Global Financial Crisis" - wanting to know more, you can go away and read some more about it, watch "The Big Short" and develop your interest further.

But there is another subtle benefit. It makes you interesting. Candidates nowadays do not take the time to sit down and read a hefty book. So, when you mention it on your application form, it will stand out. You will, naturally, need to bring it up in a sophisticated manner (do not just name drop things), but it will be noticed by the firm's recruitment team.

It is also a nice point for you to bond with your interviewer over. Your interviewer for these "fast track" schemes (and, later, your training contract or vacation scheme interview) will be older than you and will be interested in why you, a relatively young individual, took the time to read through the book, and, dare one say, enjoyed it!

You should always remember that law firms are looking for intelligent, passionate and well-rounded individuals. This tip to "read a book" is a way for you to demonstrate your intelligence and relatability in one move.

Conclusion

Over the course of this article we have looked at how you might secure a training contract as a first year student. Specifically, we have covered why getting a training contract in your first year is optimal, the various schemes and routes to getting said training contract, and how you can maximise your chances of getting on these schemes.

Our summary

Our advice can be summarised as follows:

1. Getting a training contract seems to remain the most stable way to achieve a career at a top commercial law firm.
2. Getting a training contract in your first year of university will allow you to rest easy, enjoy university life and focus on your degree.
3. There are different types of "fast track" schemes offered by top commercial law firms. Getting on them will offer you varying degrees of help with securing a training contract. Only a few schemes offer the opportunity to have a training contract interview whereas most will give you an opportunity to secure a vacation scheme interview.
4. Legal work experience will help you stand out as a first year "fast track" scheme applicant.
5. Although everyone does them, complete the law-related Forage virtual experience programmes, especially in connection with the firms you are going to pursue a training contract with.
6. Get involved with university societies. Get elected as a society executive (look out for "first year representative" or "brand ambassador" roles).
7. Read a book! Use Goodreads or the Financial Times to find less well-known, modern, and commercially-orientated books.