Not exactly, but same thing happened to me in a different way. I was randomly taken off a few matters, and every single mistake was pointed out. Credit was not given where it was due. Hints were dropped and it was made so obvious that I had to go, else, I would have been asked to go. Still jobless. Been rejected at nearly 7 firms after having made it to the interview stage. Feeling down and out.

PS: Anyone with a constructive suggestion or a way out to help, please get in touch. Those who wish to say things on the lines of "you are incompetent", "it is shameful that you could not land an offer anywhere even after so many interviews", "you are not cut out for this profession", etc., etc., please do not reply. So much of negativity already. The last thing I need is more of it.

On a couple of occasions, it was my interview performance. But I made improvements, read up further on the law, and answered technical questions better. But even in the interviews where I answered technical questions correctly, I was rejected saying that an offer commensurate to my skills and experience cannot be made. So to answer your question, it has been really bad luck for the most part. Left me wondering why I was even interviewed in the first place if they were looking for someone with more experience. And if everyone keeps saying more experience, and refuse to take me in, how will I ever learn the practical aspects ? How will I grow ? Also, with regards my interview performance, this was the same interview performance which got me in to my previous organisation.

I do not want to leave Law, but if so many rejections are coming my way, I don't think I would have much of a choice.

I was with one of the most sought after law firms some years ago. The hiring that happened in my team was disproportionate to the work it had. I would go to the extent of saying that the hiring I witnessed back then was rather directionless. I was, nevertheless, excited about this firm's 'up and coming' profile and my future there, which saw an abrupt and unfortunate end - when I reached out to my supervising partner, informing this partner of not having much work. I was reminded of my every omission and shortcoming and advised to resign. This conversation left me feeling worthless and depressed. The embarrassment of being told by former colleagues/ staff - what happened to you wasn't right or fair offered little solace and came as a fresh slap on my face. I was seen as "damaged goods" in the job market, and there was no escaping it. It took a lot of effort and initiative to keep going.

To those of you who are experiencing anything close to this, my advice is as follows - believe in yourself, you've got this. You will, with time, find your niche and people. Trust the process. Work hard. Most importantly, be careful of the criticism that you take to heart. If the criticism isn't constructive and is a flimsy attack on your self-worth and defines where you belong, trash it right there. It doesn't deserve your time.

I was fired as an A2 and it was my rock bottom moment in life. The partner I worked for, a Banking and Finance partner at a Tier 1 had a habit of hiring indiscriminately with joining bonuses, 30% pay hikes, the whole package. What I didn't realise was that he was simply poor at managing resources and hired a bunch of people when they had some active mandates and then fired them when work was slow. After my exit I asked around and found out that the team had fired some 6 odd people in 2.5 years.

In your first few years, all your seniors want to see is a good attitude, dedication, hardwork, and ability to put in the hours when necessary and for you to be conscientious. You should be able to absorb like a sponge and ask questions when you don't fully understand something. If you're a genius, then that's a bonus, but that's not what is expected when you first join.

The next few years after that is where you will be expected to start with the real "legal" work. Good drafting, good understanding of the basics you've picked up and how to come up with innovative solutions. This is the separating grain from the chaff phase. Some will excel. Others may not. But again, if the basics are all there - good attitude, dedication, hardwork, and ability to put in the hours when necessary and for you to be conscientious - noone will fire you especially at this stage when the grunt work of training you up has already happened.

Believe me when I say this: noone wants to fire anybody unless there's absolutely no work around. The pandemic may have cut down on business for a few firms, but even then people would not have let go of anyone, unless they were already on shaky ground before.

Good luck!