Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

Law Firm Milkrounds 2019

1…89101214

Comments

  • #332
    StargirlLaw
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭StargirlLaw


    Has anyone heard from RDJ about their offer?


  • #333
    Coleman101
    Registered Users Posts: 23 ✭Coleman101


    Any word from HOMS?


  • #334
    T.Chunter164
    Registered Users Posts: 102 ✭✭T.Chunter164


    Anyone still active haha? Any tips for amoss


  • #335
    amusicalfrog
    Registered Users Posts: 73 ✭✭amusicalfrog


    Has anybody with a McCann's offer received a contract yet?


  • #336
    Paraeagle
    Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭Paraeagle


    Hi all, I have a summer internship secured that’s due to begin in July (haven’t heard anything to the contrary as of yet). I’m just wondering if anyone in a similar situation has heard from their respective firm as to whether the internship will go ahead/be pushed out?


  • Advertisement
  • #337
    lawgrad15
    Registered Users Posts: 114 ✭✭lawgrad15


    Paraeagle wrote: »
    Hi all, I have a summer internship secured that’s due to begin in July (haven’t heard anything to the contrary as of yet). I’m just wondering if anyone in a similar situation has heard from their respective firm as to whether the internship will go ahead/be pushed out?

    A few people have discussed their stories on this forum - https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058053870&page=8


  • #338
    Coulter97
    Registered Users Posts: 134 ✭✭Coulter97


    Paraeagle wrote: »
    Hi all, I have a summer internship secured that’s due to begin in July (haven’t heard anything to the contrary as of yet). I’m just wondering if anyone in a similar situation has heard from their respective firm as to whether the internship will go ahead/be pushed out?

    McCann Fitzgerald are moving their internship online and shortening it.


  • #339
    Paraeagle
    Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭Paraeagle


    lawgrad15 wrote: »
    A few people have discussed their stories on this forum - https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058053870&page=8

    Thanks!


  • #340
    channing90
    Registered Users Posts: 178 ✭✭channing90


    Anyone have opinions on my chances of getting into the big firms, I have a 2:1 law degree and 7 fe1s passed and good experience in a general practice firm but none in commercial, just wondering if I have any hope of getting into the big firms.


  • #341
    rightytighty
    Registered Users Posts: 434 ✭✭rightytighty


    channing90 wrote: »
    Anyone have opinions on my chances of getting into the big firms, I have a 2:1 law degree and 7 fe1s passed and good experience in a general practice firm but none in commercial, just wondering if I have any hope of getting into the big firms.

    Definitely


  • Advertisement
  • #342
    Bayb12
    Registered Users Posts: 116 ✭✭Bayb12


    channing90 wrote: »
    Anyone have opinions on my chances of getting into the big firms, I have a 2:1 law degree and 7 fe1s passed and good experience in a general practice firm but none in commercial, just wondering if I have any hope of getting into the big firms.

    honest answer, unless you have a contact or something which makes your CV stand out enough to get you an interview, or have a good explanation as to why you arent in a commercial firm, it can be very tough. Even getting an interview, you would be offered a contract for 2 or 3 years time if you were successful.


  • #343
    rightytighty
    Registered Users Posts: 434 ✭✭rightytighty


    Bayb12 wrote: »
    honest answer, unless you have a contact or something which makes your CV stand out enough to get you an interview, or have a good explanation as to why you arent in a commercial firm, it can be very tough. Even getting an interview, you would be offered a contract for 2 or 3 years time if you were successful.

    No offence but this is rubbish. Training contracts are regularly offered to 3rd and 4th year undergraduates with no FE1s and at best a summer internship under their belts. Having the FE1s will be hugely advantageous, especially as I’d imagine this particular milkround will be very competitive.

    Lack of commercial experience can be offset with good reasons for wanting such a career, a good explanation of how your skills can transfer into the corporate sphere, and strong answers in your application.


  • #344
    Bayb12
    Registered Users Posts: 116 ✭✭Bayb12


    rightytighty wrote: »
    No offence but this is rubbish. Training contracts are regularly offered to 3rd and 4th year undergraduates with no FE1s and at best a summer internship under their belts. Having the FE1s will be hugely advantageous, especially as I’d imagine this particular milkround will be hugely competitive.

    Lack of commercial experience can be offset with good reasons for wanting such a career, a good explanation of how your skills can transfer into the corporate sphere, and strong answers in your application.

    In my own personal experience, the big firms do exactly as you've said, hire candidates in college from summer internship round etc without FE1s and spaces go fast. They will definitely question why you hadn't secured a TC in college before starting FE1s. It is not necessarily an advantage when it comes to the big 5 in my own experience.

    Of course lack of experience can be off set, but you need to have something that will set you apart from other candidates along the lines of you volunteered for a year etc or have a really niche extra curricular, not that you went into general practice.


  • #345
    channing90
    Registered Users Posts: 178 ✭✭channing90


    Bayb12 wrote: »
    In my own personal experience, the big firms do exactly as you've said, hire candidates in college from summer internship round etc without FE1s and spaces go fast. They will definitely question why you hadn't secured a TC in college before starting FE1s. It is not necessarily an advantage when it comes to the big 5 in my own experience.

    Of course lack of experience can be off set, but you need to have something that will set you apart from other candidates along the lines of you volunteered for a year etc or have a really niche extra curricular, not that you went into general practice.

    Fair enough, tbh I wasn’t arsed trying to get a Tc until I’d had 4 fe1s done at first then covid struck, I am currently just at home waiting to do the final exam, wondering what I could do to make myself more employable for a Tc.


  • #346
    Bayb12
    Registered Users Posts: 116 ✭✭Bayb12


    channing90 wrote: »
    Fair enough, tbh I wasn’t arsed trying to get a Tc until I’d had 4 fe1s done at first then covid struck, I am currently just at home waiting to do the final exam, wondering what I could do to make myself more employable for a Tc.

    You are still hugely employable, just in my experience the big 5s are very competitive and that was my experience of it when the market was "good" 2/3 years ago.


  • #347
    rightytighty
    Registered Users Posts: 434 ✭✭rightytighty


    channing90 wrote: »
    Fair enough, tbh I wasn’t arsed trying to get a Tc until I’d had 4 fe1s done at first then covid struck, I am currently just at home waiting to do the final exam, wondering what I could do to make myself more employable for a Tc.

    Go on insidesherpa. Matheson are the first Irish firm to have launched a virtual work experience programme that anyone can sign upto. I remember having a look at it and also seeing that Kennedy’s in the UK had similar. They’re only a few hours I think but you could put them on your CV.

    Coursera is another good resource. Lots of universities offer certificates through it in different areas of law. They’re longer to complete (Maybe 20-30 hours) but it’s definitely another good way to enhance your CV especially with things being the way they are at the moment. You can complete the courses for free but they charge a fee if you actually want to be issued a certificate on completion. There’s no real need as what you’re essentially paying for is a link that allows you to make a LinkedIn post out of it at the end. Would be upto you.

    (Edit: just as an aside I agree with poster above that you’re hugely employable. I got my tc last year with no FE1s, but did have commercial experience. You’re vice versa but I would definitely go at the applications with confidence, especially if you can add any of the above. Good luck!)


  • #348
    IgoPAP
    Closed Accounts Posts: 343 ✭✭IgoPAP


    In my experience the top firms seems to hire a certain type of person: high, consistent academics from the Leaving Cert, high 2.1 or 1.1 (preferably from UCD/Trinity/UCC), young, gets on with other people. This seems to account for like 90% of students they take on as trainees. Same with the magic/silver circle in London.

    Having FE-1's completed doesn't give you any special advantages. They usually hire years in advance.


  • #349
    LawBoy2018
    Registered Users Posts: 1,162 ✭✭✭LawBoy2018


    Bayb12 wrote: »
    In my own personal experience, the big firms do exactly as you've said, hire candidates in college from summer internship round etc without FE1s and spaces go fast. They will definitely question why you hadn't secured a TC in college before starting FE1s. It is not necessarily an advantage when it comes to the big 5 in my own experience.

    Of course lack of experience can be off set, but you need to have something that will set you apart from other candidates along the lines of you volunteered for a year etc or have a really niche extra curricular, not that you went into general practice.

    Firms don't care about your extra curricular activities or volunteer work tbh, things like that are seen as the cherry on top.

    If you're not getting interviews, you need paralegal/legal executive experience + potentially a master's, if you'd like to do one. Connections are key though! If you can get friendly with a partner, you're sorted. Harsh but true! Exhaust LinkedIn and any connections you have with the big firms.


  • #350
    LawBoy2018
    Registered Users Posts: 1,162 ✭✭✭LawBoy2018


    IgoPAP wrote: »
    In my experience the top firms seems to hire a certain type of person: high, consistent academics from the Leaving Cert, high 2.1 or 1.1 (preferably from UCD/Trinity/UCC), young, gets on with other people. This seems to account for like 90% of students they take on as trainees. Same with the magic/silver circle in London.

    Having FE-1's completed doesn't give you any special advantages. They usually hire years in advance.

    This couldn't be further from the truth, imo. Grades are essential as an undergrad but become almost irrelevant once you start gaining quality experience. Once they see that you're commercially aware and that you can get the job done, you'll get a traineeship 85% of the time after a stint as a paralegal/legal exec. I scraped a 2.1 and I will be training in one of the top 5.


  • #351
    IgoPAP
    Closed Accounts Posts: 343 ✭✭IgoPAP


    LawBoy2018 wrote: »
    This couldn't be further from the truth, imo. Grades are essential as an undergrad but become almost irrelevant once you start gaining quality experience. Once they see that you're commercially aware and that you can get the job done, you'll get a traineeship 85% of the time after a stint as a paralegal/legal exec. I scraped a 2.1 and I will be training in one of the top 5.

    I was speaking specifically about the types of students that manage to pick up TC's. Obviously the further you are out college, the less that grades might matter, and the more that experiences and jobs you've had since will be essential.


  • Advertisement
  • #352
    LawBoy2018
    Registered Users Posts: 1,162 ✭✭✭LawBoy2018


    IgoPAP wrote: »
    I was speaking specifically about the types of students that manage to pick up TC's. Obviously the further you are out college, the less that grades might matter, and the more that experiences and jobs you've had since will be essential.

    Yes 100%. Re Channing90, once you get some experience in a good firm, you won't believe the opportunities that'll come knocking. You will need to move to Dublin though (if you're not from there) which can be tough as your salary won't be great starting off.


  • #353
    channing90
    Registered Users Posts: 178 ✭✭channing90


    LawBoy2018 wrote: »
    Yes 100%. Re Channing90, once you get some experience in a good firm, you won't believe the opportunities that'll come knocking. You will need to move to Dublin though (if you're not from there) which can be tough as your salary won't be great starting off.

    Thanks for that. The issue now prob will be to obtain any sort of legal/paralegal role now with covid.


  • #354
    LawBoy2018
    Registered Users Posts: 1,162 ✭✭✭LawBoy2018


    channing90 wrote: »
    Thanks for that. The issue now prob will be to obtain any sort of legal/paralegal role now with covid.

    I'm pretty sure that most of the big firms have halted hiring until after Christmas, but you should aim to land something from January onwards and really put the effort into your applications/CV (patronising, I know! I'm sorry but it's crucial) Also, keep an eye out for the likes of Dentons, Kennedys, Pinsent Masons, Simmons & Simmons and the likes! They're going to grow rapidly in the coming years.

    Best of luck!


  • #355
    amusicalfrog
    Registered Users Posts: 73 ✭✭amusicalfrog


    channing90 wrote: »
    Thanks for that. The issue now prob will be to obtain any sort of legal/paralegal role now with covid.

    When applying for TCs have a look at some of the less obvious places. I've a TC with two of the big 5 and subsequently got one with DLA Piper - who I'd never even heard of before doing the internship - and the TC salary for DLA ended up being better than the big 5. Also, the people in DLA seemed to be more diverse than the stereotypical corporate law intern in the other firms. They didn't really seem to place much stock in college/academics, and were much more interested in commercial acumen (in a way that I thought went beyond the others' somewhat superficial interest in same). Same goes, I imagine, for the likes of Freshfields and Dentons.


  • #356
    hullaballoo
    Administrators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,707 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭hullaballoo


    The market for high end Commercial/Corporate law firms has moved on substantially from the traditional "Big 5".

    I know it's difficult as a student to get across the market for legal jobs here and little assistance provided in that regard. So take this post as assistance in that regard.

    The Big 5 are still the "biggest" firms in Ireland but they are part players in comparison to some of the international firms who are now active in the market here.

    Looking beyond those 5 we now have (off the top of my head and in no particular order):
    • Walkers
    • Pinsent Masons
    • Dechert
    • DLA Piper
    • Simmons & Simmons
    • Maples
    • Dentons (biggest firm in the world)
    • Eversheds Sutherland
    • DAC Beachcroft
    • Fieldfisher (ex McDowell Purcell)
    • DWF

    Then some home grown non-big 5 firms that are not to be sniffed at:
    • MHC
    • ByrneWallace
    • RDJ
    • Beauchamps
    • Dillon Eustace
    • Eugene F. Collins
    • HOMs

    There are plenty of "small" boutique commercial firms knocking around Dublin too if you have a bit of time and access to Google.

    This idea that the traditional "Big 5" are somehow more prestigious than the alternatives in the market will literally only serve to hold you back in this day and age, in particular where the market is expanding and some other big (truly big, global firms) players on the cusp of entering it.

    Hopefully there is some food for thought here and as always, the very best of luck to anyone looking to start on the road in this profession.


  • #357
    biglawhead420
    Registered Users Posts: 46 ✭biglawhead420


    Hi there, any chance you could let us know what the DLA salary is? it is very interesting that they have come to Dublin!


  • #358
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    In terms of firms wanting ‘commercial awareness’ - what proves this/what level of detail are they expecting and in what areas?

    Was hoping to get a traineeship starting 2021 but so many firms are hiring for 2022/23 I’m very stressed ;(


  • #359
    hullaballoo
    Administrators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,707 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭hullaballoo


    Yeah, it's a bit woolly. I have been told I have good commercial awareness but I don't really know how or why.

    Say if you're going for a job in a firm that does a lot of M&A stuff, have an idea what transactions they've been involved in recently and talk about that. Know how deals were structured and what kinds of issues might have cropped up.

    Aside from that, general awareness of the business world is a good idea. Read the FT.

    I suppose a good part of it is recognising that as lawyers, we have a very unique view of the world. Commercial interests don't always align with even very expensive legal advice so looking at things from your clients' perspective is a part of it.


  • #360
    neon123
    Registered Users Posts: 189 ✭✭neon123


    Hi Folks,

    I'm going to being applying for a couple of grad schemes in the larger firms and was just wondering what my chances of success are? I'm 28 and finished my degree in 2015 and LLM in 2016. I worked in a litigation team for one of pillar Banks for almost 2 years and I'm currently in a new business department of a life assurance co, and just finished my QFA qualification. I applied for a handful of firms last year but only DE came back to me and I didn't make it past the first round. I completed my first 4 FE1s in March 2020 and I'm due to sit 2 more this November. I'm wondering if not working in an actual law firm will go against me. I was thinking of looking for a legal exec job at start of this year but due to what happened in the world I didn't want to leave a relatively stable Job and I wanted to stay permanent as I'm just finishing the process of purchasing a home. Any advice would be much appreciated!


  • Advertisement
  • #361
    LawBoy2018
    Registered Users Posts: 1,162 ✭✭✭LawBoy2018


    neon123 wrote: »
    Hi Folks,

    I'm going to being applying for a couple of grad schemes in the larger firms and was just wondering what my chances of success are? I'm 28 and finished my degree in 2015 and LLM in 2016. I worked in a litigation team for one of pillar Banks for almost 2 years and I'm currently in a new business department of a life assurance co, and just finished my QFA qualification. I applied for a handful of firms last year but only DE came back to me and I didn't make it past the first round. I completed my first 4 FE1s in March 2020 and I'm due to sit 2 more this November. I'm wondering if not working in an actual law firm will go against me. I was thinking of looking for a legal exec job at start of this year but due to what happened in the world I didn't want to leave a relatively stable Job and I wanted to stay permanent as I'm just finishing the process of purchasing a home. Any advice would be much appreciated!

    Hi there! You sound like you have some solid experience imo. Sell your background in banking and litigation and express in your application that you want the opportunity to merge your experience in both industries, ideally in the banking department of a large corporate firm. Passing half of the FE1s will stand to you as it shows that you're ready to begin your legal career. I think your age will actually be more attractive to the corporate firms as it would make it seem as though you're more settled and less likely to go galavanting after a year or two.

    Having said that, a legal exec/paralegal role would definitely be beneficial. Don't feel obliged to jump ship straight away, however I would certainly keep an eye out for any opportunities that might arise in the new year. Best of luck!


Advertisement