A Training Contract (TC) is given after you get a Vacation Scheme (Vac Scheme). They only care for grades, you need to be in the top 5 ranks of a top 5 NLU, that's it, then clear a rigorous process.
Even if you achieve a TC, you will have to go through the SQE training process for about 20 months, and then write SQE 1, which is an examination based on British Law, written by English and foreign (all countries) students, so you may not stand a chance really. This year the pass percentage was 51%.
Then you have to wait for 5-6 months and then write the SQE 2, which is a bit easier as it is based on personality tests, but the results are out late.
Once this happens, over 2 years, you become a registered solicitor (SRA) and then begin your TC for 2 years with 4 sittings. After then you still have to go through a gruelling process and competition, to finally get selected as an Associate.
Mind you, you won't get paid for the 2 years while preparing and hopefully clearing the SQE. The 10k pounds grant (Only Magic circle law firms- only Links and HSF are hiring Indians recently) is simply not enough to sustain in London for that much time.
After you get the TC, it's still going to be hard to sustain in the 50-60k, do consider the 45% taxation in London, UK along with other charges like health cess. And then finally you may end up being an associate. Then to your disdain and shock, your pay will remain the same 100k-110k over the next 8-9 years (Tax alert), considering you don't get fired sooner as these firms have an up or out policy.
After that they make you a salaried partner/ counsel and your pay may become 200k, but it's rare that an Indian achieves this (2 in the last decade). Forget equity partnership.
Coming back to your question, no a gold medal, meaning a 1st in a subject, will be considered to be much much much more critical than a Jessup, which firms don't really care about actually.
Also you are talking about 'qualifying Jessup'. It may make a minute impression only if you 'Win' the world rounds of the Jessup.
1. Forget foreign law firms, any good company with smart HR are looking out for people who have achieved excellence in any field. This is about how you project yourself. This is why CV writing is so important.
2. In no way am I trying to diminish the efforts taken to get a gold medal or to reach the international rounds of Jessup. It takes a lot of effort and hard work to get to these places. So I disagree with someone below saying "no one cares". I am sure some folks might. I am just questioning the notion that law firms are not willing to look beyond medals/jessup for their candidates. Perhaps in lower tier colleges they might only be looking at the top rankers, but at NLS, they assumed most candidates were worth considering during my time. Things might have changed since.
3. Having Jessup/Gold medals will secure an interview perhaps, but you still need to prove yourself during the group discussions/interviews. People who are prepared for these stages will fare better than those who walk in without any preparation. This was one of the places I differentiated myself from someone who might definitely had better grades than me.
4. I can't emphasize this enough. Interviews aren't only about proving your competence in the law, it is also about showing the interviewer you are a good person to work with. Personality matters. They are looking for well rounded people, not automatons.
1. Doing a VS isn't the only way, you also have the Direct TC route. Look it up.
2. TOP 5 NLU IS CAP- Someone from SLS Pune got into Links last year - look it up - don't say exceptions are always there since there are no exceptions to prerequisites - ye top 5 NLU wali baat iss bande ne prerequisite jaisi sound karai hai
3 - For A&O, you only have to study for the SQE 1 remotely - prep lasts 5-6 months - you are paid a maintenance grant for that - SQE 2 you take when you commence your TC in London - PS - you don't prepare for x months and take the exams ek saath - prep time ke beech me hee exams hote hain -
TC to associate isn't that difficult - sure if you underperform you'll be fired but the firm isn't training you, paying for your SQE, paying you a maintenance grant just to say goodbye after 2 years - think of this from their side
Trainee pay isn't peanuts- people survive on a lot less in London - it's the top 1 percentile pay in the city dude.
110k stagnancy is a joke - use reddit - i can confirm that the numbers are north of 135k for an A2 at Freshfields and they increase steadily - partner makes 600k easy , equity partners are million +
The jessup point is correct - so nothing wrong here
Even if you achieve a TC, you will have to go through the SQE training process for about 20 months, and then write SQE 1, which is an examination based on British Law, written by English and foreign (all countries) students, so you may not stand a chance really. This year the pass percentage was 51%.
Then you have to wait for 5-6 months and then write the SQE 2, which is a bit easier as it is based on personality tests, but the results are out late.
Once this happens, over 2 years, you become a registered solicitor (SRA) and then begin your TC for 2 years with 4 sittings. After then you still have to go through a gruelling process and competition, to finally get selected as an Associate.
Mind you, you won't get paid for the 2 years while preparing and hopefully clearing the SQE. The 10k pounds grant (Only Magic circle law firms- only Links and HSF are hiring Indians recently) is simply not enough to sustain in London for that much time.
After you get the TC, it's still going to be hard to sustain in the 50-60k, do consider the 45% taxation in London, UK along with other charges like health cess. And then finally you may end up being an associate. Then to your disdain and shock, your pay will remain the same 100k-110k over the next 8-9 years (Tax alert), considering you don't get fired sooner as these firms have an up or out policy.
After that they make you a salaried partner/ counsel and your pay may become 200k, but it's rare that an Indian achieves this (2 in the last decade). Forget equity partnership.
Coming back to your question, no a gold medal, meaning a 1st in a subject, will be considered to be much much much more critical than a Jessup, which firms don't really care about actually.
Also you are talking about 'qualifying Jessup'. It may make a minute impression only if you 'Win' the world rounds of the Jessup.
2. In no way am I trying to diminish the efforts taken to get a gold medal or to reach the international rounds of Jessup. It takes a lot of effort and hard work to get to these places. So I disagree with someone below saying "no one cares". I am sure some folks might. I am just questioning the notion that law firms are not willing to look beyond medals/jessup for their candidates. Perhaps in lower tier colleges they might only be looking at the top rankers, but at NLS, they assumed most candidates were worth considering during my time. Things might have changed since.
3. Having Jessup/Gold medals will secure an interview perhaps, but you still need to prove yourself during the group discussions/interviews. People who are prepared for these stages will fare better than those who walk in without any preparation. This was one of the places I differentiated myself from someone who might definitely had better grades than me.
4. I can't emphasize this enough. Interviews aren't only about proving your competence in the law, it is also about showing the interviewer you are a good person to work with. Personality matters. They are looking for well rounded people, not automatons.
1. Doing a VS isn't the only way, you also have the Direct TC route. Look it up.
2. TOP 5 NLU IS CAP- Someone from SLS Pune got into Links last year - look it up - don't say exceptions are always there since there are no exceptions to prerequisites - ye top 5 NLU wali baat iss bande ne prerequisite jaisi sound karai hai
3 - For A&O, you only have to study for the SQE 1 remotely - prep lasts 5-6 months - you are paid a maintenance grant for that - SQE 2 you take when you commence your TC in London - PS - you don't prepare for x months and take the exams ek saath - prep time ke beech me hee exams hote hain -
TC to associate isn't that difficult - sure if you underperform you'll be fired but the firm isn't training you, paying for your SQE, paying you a maintenance grant just to say goodbye after 2 years - think of this from their side
Trainee pay isn't peanuts- people survive on a lot less in London - it's the top 1 percentile pay in the city dude.
110k stagnancy is a joke - use reddit - i can confirm that the numbers are north of 135k for an A2 at Freshfields and they increase steadily - partner makes 600k easy , equity partners are million +
The jessup point is correct - so nothing wrong here