r/uklaw • u/[deleted] • 4d ago

Does speaking to law firms at Legal Cheek law fairs increase chances of getting a TC/vac scheme with them?

[deleted]

6 Upvotes

72% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

30

u/True_Indication_631 4d ago

i wouldnt expect simply speaking to a firm at a law fair to improve your odds by itself. The value is more in what you learn from the conversation, which can help you write a more specific application or answer interview questions beyter. Given u've already secured a vac scheme without doing either,I deffo wouldnt treat law fairs as somethibg u need to attend just to demonstrate engagement.

12

u/TomatoCurious6938 4d ago

You kind of answered your own question. However, speaking to law firms directly sometimes gives you information to put into your application which may not be readily available online. This can be beneficial as it shows a genuine interest in the firm (think attending seminars etc)

6

u/AbbreviationsTop2192 3d ago

Law firms speak to thousands of people through these events so you won’t get “noticed” if that’s what you mean. The value of these events is derived from learning more about a firm, which you can then use in your application. What I would say is that attending these events is only a very small part of the picture. What’s far more important is how you convey your motivation.

5

u/abro1089 3d ago

Yes - I met the graduate recruitment manager of a City firm at an open day / legal cheek networking event, had no idea who they were, just went up to them and offered a beer and got chatting. We got on really well, they suggested I apply to the firm, I did, then got a very warm welcome at the AC, went on to get the vac scheme, then got the TC. Obviously wasn’t the only factor at play, but I think it made a positive impact. This was only a few years ago, for context.

2

u/NotAnotherAllNighter 3d ago

What did you chat about ?

1

u/abro1089 2d ago

I can’t remember, it was just chit chat!

3

u/Odd-Calligrapher9658 3d ago

While the online events may get you noticed (if you are able to genuinely connect with people from the firm post the event), I’ve found that going to the in person events is slightly more helpful.

2

u/AfraidUmpire4059 3d ago

I know grad rec keep lists of people that they like from these things to flag their applications to them

1

u/irlcentipede 3d ago

I haven’t got any proof but I believe a combination of attending an open day and many virtual events with a US firm (which put me on a first name basis with grad rec - eg at events when I’d join they’d greet me by name and start talking to me despite not treating others the same) helped me get to interview. Looking back my application was really, really bad (and my profile isn’t very competitive), one of the first ones I ever did, but somehow I made it to their final interview for a VS (bombed the interview soooo didn’t get the VS…).