u/qyqyqyqyyy

4+ years of generalist work in London start-ups and scale-ups / current salary 85k + bonus

Been trying to find what's the entry point to a London firm for someone who:

• qualified in an EU, non-common law jurisdiction;
• does not have a particular international niche or in demand skill/expertise;
• has no SQE (applied for SQE2 exemption, but need to sit SQE1 regardless);
• is 35yo;
• wants to become a qualified solicitor through an English firm and build a career in law, in London.

Lateral associate hiring for a generalist like me has been really hard. Had some interesting conversations with a few Top 50 law firms, interviews with two of them, but never reached an offer stage.

I've reached a point where I wonder what's the right way for me to enter private practice (if any):

a) apply for a Training Contract and start from scratch, or
b) persist with lateral hiring efforts.

LLMs and old threads do not provide a definitive answer so thought I should get a fresh snapshot.