We want LI to be one of the friendliest places on the internet, where lawyers and law students help each other with their career related queries and occasionally discuss other stuff that might affect their lives too. In other words:
1. Be kind, respectful and helpful to each other.
2. Be bona fide, truthful, genuine and curious.
3. Assume the best intention of others.
Therefore, in using the site, you must agree to do your best to uphold these community guidelines.
Note that what you find here is written and moderated by anonymous people on the internet.
Therefore everything you read here is very likely unverified, rumour, speculation and/or downright false.
In continuing to read anything here, you must therefore agree not to take anything you read here as factual and that you will exercise due caution, diligence and common sense before acting on any information you may come across here.
You also agree to report any inaccurate or malicious comments with the buttons. Moderators take action within 24 hours, as required and appropriate under law.
Our full terms and conditions apply too.
Do you solemnly agree to all of the above?
Say, I want the option of moving to Singapore, US or Europe - which could be the areas of law I should specialize in?
My current preference is International Taxation as I'm seeing other people make international careers out of it. I've been fascinated by the subject as it provides the right amount of intellectual challenge I believe I need.
If it matters : I am starting my fourth year at a decently known private university with good academic records. We don't rely on our placement cell much but can get into good places with sheer determination. I'm committed to giving my 100 percent over the next few years to build the career of my dreams.
2. If you seriously think that you can get in using your own determination etc., that's wonderful. The process for getting vacation schemes and training contracts in London at many firms is one that is particularly conducive to individual effort, as it is long and requires you to go through many steps, which an RCC-type of organisation is ill-equipt to help you with. Therefore, if you can apply yourself to learning about the process of individual firms, practicing Situational Judgement Test practice samples (SJTs as they are known), demonstrating the ability to work in a group in various firms' assessment centres, demonstrate your commercial awareness (i.e., an understanding of how a law firm, as a buisness, is impacted by market movements) and generally show interest in becoming a commercial lawyer, there is no reason why you couldn't be successful in an application process for a vacation scheme (essentially an internship where commercial law firms in London assess your performance before selecting you for a TC) or directly for a TC itself. Do make sure, however, to check with the Graduate Recruitment departments of your chosen firms whether they will sponsor visas for vacation schemes, for if they won't, you may have to apply for a direct training contract itself. Don't worry too much about work visa sponsorship for TC and PQE though, as most firms within the square mile in London at least - the credible names (the big names you think of like Freshfields, CC, A&O Shearman) - are Skilled Worker sponsors, who pay at the rates required by the skilled worker thresholds/going rates that UKVI/Home Office has set. While you'll be competing with those from British unis, other international unis and the NLUs, if you can demonstrate academic excellence along with the other qualities I described above, there's no reason why you couldn't possibly enjoy a successful international career.
a. If you re looking to do transactional work - international taxation, general commercial law, AI&tech law, international IPR especially patents, international investment law.
b. If you are looking for civil society/UN/I-NGOs: International law (especially refugee law, international criminal law, international humanitarian law), human rights law, law and development.
c. If you are looking for academia - in addition to both of the above, comparative constitutional law (especially in Europe), international law (all branches)