What’s the trainee-to-partner promotion rate at the ‘Land? 3%?

I wonder if it’s underpaid because they leave the office at 2pm

Even as a trainee, OP is likely going to be earning 1.5x their salary as a trainee, and then 2x or even 3x their salary as a NQ… Public sector work is interesting but severely underpaid.

100hrs a week smashing PE deals in return for the latest Lambo, a holiday home on the Côte d’Azur and a townhouse in Chelsea seems more than fair.

You have clearly not read the post – OP is coming from the civil service where doing 100 hours in a month is considered burning out.

This is sound advice . Also on a health and safety note you should stand well clear of any firm that does this as donkeys kick very hard !

Didn’t stop me getting multiple training contract offers at US law firms and I didn’t even have close to your level of professional experience.

As long as you can justify the career change if asked in an interview I’m sure you will do fine (you want to avoid the firms that have a stick up their ass on grades anyway)

100% agree. It’s a people business which is often forgotten about. While grades can be an initial filter, on any applications do emphasise your transferable skills from a different career path and why these will make you an effective lawyer (project management, working with lots of different people in a team etc). Once you’re through that stage then you should be able to do well in the face to face parts, as long as you have a good and honest explanation of why you want to switch.

From my TC cohort at a SC firm, the people now in the “best” positions aren’t those that did best on the LPC but rather the ones that got on with people, did extra curricular things (pro bono, helped with initiatives etc).

This had nothing to do with overstretching while working or brownnosing, it just showed that they were able to get along with a variety of people. That translates well into working with clients, which is the whole point of our industry.

This is true. An Oxbridge first is worth nothing if you’re unlikable!

Your skills are transferable, but you are right to query the extent City firms will apply a first filter against your university grades. I am an ex-civil servant trainee who works for an offshore firm and had best let others advise on the hurdles set by London firms.

On making the career change from Whitehall to a new industry, my experience has been one of persistence and being really clear on WHY I made the move. It was important to have a convincing narrative that was more than: (i) I would like a pay rise, (ii) I’m looking for a new challenge, and/or (iii) I always really wanted to practice law. I found demonstrating my commitment helped. For example, by having a path thought out on how I was to qualify (tying in the role the firm played in this) and by showing my willingness to take a risk to make the career change work (having a law course or postgrad ready to go). Otherwise, how could I expect my employer to reciprocate and put their resources and faith in taking me on over and above a more conventional candidate?

Good luck in the career change!

Do you really want to be a lawyer or do you just not want to be a civil servant any more? If the latter, go into consultancy where you can leverage your experience for a role that’s more senior. Think carefully about the prospect of doing admin for someone five years younger than you.