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I have significant 'ties' to London. Significant meaning that I spent time growing up there, am a UK citizen (and thus am allowed to work throughout the EU), and have family and friends living there currently. Do these ties mean that I can/should bid on London offices if I have a desire to move there? Or is applying to offices abroad a completely different beast entirely? If so, what is a good approach to this kind of thing?

Also, I'm an 0L, so if I think that I might indeed want to try and work across the atlantic, should that have an effect on where I decide to enroll?

MODS: this is anonymous because it is something I talk about significantly in my applications. If you're really not ok with it being anonymous, please just delete.

Anonymous User wrote:I have significant 'ties' to London. Significant meaning that I spent time growing up there, am a UK citizen (and thus am allowed to work throughout the EU), and have family and friends living there currently. Do these ties mean that I can/should bid on London offices if I have a desire to move there? Or is applying to offices abroad a completely different beast entirely? If so, what is a good approach to this kind of thing?

Also, I'm an 0L, so if I think that I might indeed want to try and work across the atlantic, should that have an effect on where I decide to enroll?

MODS: this is anonymous because it is something I talk about significantly in my applications. If you're really not ok with it being anonymous, please just delete.

Not sure what the point of going to law school and learning American law is if you want to work in the UK?

flexityflex86 wrote: Not sure what the point of going to law school and learning American law is if you want to work in the UK?

I'm not dead set on working in the UK, but the fact is it is an option because I am a citizen, and I know that some people do work in US offices over there.

Also, I went to UG in the states and am far more based here. I'm not trying to become a barrister/solicitor, and anyways law school is not a post-gradate thing in the UK, it's different entirely.

There are enough US offices in the UK with US grads that I just thought it would be a reasonable option for me, and I'm trying to see what the approach is.

What school are you attending? Magic circle firms recruit from the T14 and I have met several people who were working there. The common thread for all of them was that they did well and spoke a foreign language fluently. As far as I know, none of the magic circle associates from US schools that I met had substantial ties to London or the UK.

bdubs wrote:What school are you attending? Magic circle firms recruit from the T14 and I have met several people who were working there. The common thread for all of them was that they did well and spoke a foreign language fluently. As far as I know, none of the people I met had substantial ties to London or the UK.

Yea I was worried about that. I don't speak a foreign language. But I was hoping that perhaps my portability (EU passport) and ties would compensate for that, and I would only really be aiming at London offices (if any at all), so would fluency in another language really matter so much there?

Anonymous User wrote:

bdubs wrote:What school are you attending? Magic circle firms recruit from the T14 and I have met several people who were working there. The common thread for all of them was that they did well and spoke a foreign language fluently. As far as I know, none of the people I met had substantial ties to London or the UK.

Yea I was worried about that. I don't speak a foreign language. But I was hoping that perhaps my portability (EU passport) and ties would compensate for that, and I would only really be aiming at London offices (if any at all), so would fluency in another language really matter so much there?

I can't really tell you much other than I was under the impression that London was sort of a gateway for US corporate practice throughout the rest of EMEA. Lots of cross border deals, disputes, etc... Someone who has gone through recruiting at those firms would probably be able to address more directly whether lack of language skills are detrimental and if EU citizenship provides a boost, but that isn't me.

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Anyone else? Any insights?

If you're competitive for biglaw in the US based on grades/school, you're probably equally competitive for London biglaw. Most all the financial service firms are in both NYC and London, and it's not uncommon for associates to move between the two.

As for the rest of the EU, you're as useless as anybody else. A work visa is the least impediment to working as a US-trained lawyer in Europe, as the continental offices of US firms are full of people who can practice law (and speak to clients) in the place they're located.

V similar life story. 2L currently splitting the summer between the NY and London offices of a US firm. PM me if you want.