I’m from a Non-Russell Group university - can I get a training contract at a big firm?

Yes - you can!

There are plenty of examples of non-Russell Group students being offered a training contract at City, national and regional firms.

Whilst it’s true City and larger national firms predominantly target Russell Group universities (and elite US firms are particularly keen to attract Oxbridge graduates), it is possible to get a Big Law training contract as a non-Russell Group graduate.

If you’re at a non-Russell Group university, it may be because of your A Levels. I talk about poor A Levels and what to do if you don’t meet a firm’s A Level entry requirements in this previous post.

On the other hand, if you had very strong A Level results - attending a non-Russell Group university will probably be less of a limiting factor. Firms are more interested in your public exam results and your university module marks than where you achieved them. For instance, if you’re studying a law degree and looking to be a commercial lawyer, firms may be keen to see what you’ve achieved in contract law and commercial modules.

It is fair to say that a small number of firms are more particular about recruiting from Russell Group universities than others but more recently, firms have shown that they are keen to recruit from a diverse range of universities.

Final thought: Your academic history is only one element of an application form. Work experience, the way you answer the competency/motivation questions on a form and your extra-curricular activities are also important to achieving success.