Why Law School Still Fails to Prepare Graduates for the Reality of the Legal Market

I’ve said this publicly for years; in the national press, on panels, and at conferences, and I’ll keep saying it until something meaningfully changes:

Law school does not go far enough in preparing students for the reality of the legal job market.

This isn't an attack on our educational institutions. Rather, it is an observation from someone sitting at the sharp end of the profession for over a decade. At JMC Legal, we speak daily to private practice partners, associates, and thousands of London solicitors who all see the same thing: many a law graduate leaves university academically brilliant but commercially unprepared. By the time they realise there is a gap, it’s often too late.

What Happens After Law School?

Universities do a stellar job of teaching the law, but they do a far weaker job of explaining what life in a firm actually looks like. Most students are understandably laser-focused on modules and grades but very few are encouraged to think seriously about:

• what law firms actually look for at entry level
• how competitive the graduate market really is
• how early career decisions compound
• how to position themselves as employable humans, not just capable students

In short, you probably could've guess but the legal graduate market is incredibly competitive. While students are studying, they are often unaware of how early career decisions compound or how to position themselves as employable humans rather than just walking transcripts. This isn't a talent gap; it’s an information gap. In the eyes of a newly qualified solicitor, the realisation that a degree is not a job offer can be a brutal wake-up call. 

Firms assume a baseline level of intelligence; what differentiates a candidate is their communication, self-awareness, and clarity of direction.

Why Your CV is Failing the Private Practice Test

This is the part that genuinely frustrates me as a recruiter. I regularly speak to bright graduates who have mastered complex legal principles, yet their CVs tell me absolutely nothing about them as individuals.

Instead of seeing what drives a candidate or how they might communicate within a team, I see generic templates and "box-ticking" bullet points. A CV is not a list of modules; it is a sales document. Many graduates are sent into the market having never been taught how to sell themselves professionally. To land a role among top London solicitors, you must articulate who you are beyond your transcript and demonstrate a genuine commercial understanding of how a law firm operates as a business.

Soft Skills

The Decisive Factor in Legal Recruitment

Law schools still tend to treat soft skills as secondary, but in private practice, they are often the decisive factor. The lawyers who progress the fastest aren't always the cleverest on paper. They are the ones who can build rapport, manage pressure, read a room, and adapt their style to different audiences.

These are the "quiet" priorities that firms use to choose between two technically similar candidates. Yet, many graduates enter the market having never had a serious conversation about how to develop them. The market doesn't wait for you to catch up, it simply moves on. This is why many seek out the best legal recruiter they can find to bridge that gap between academic success and professional employability.

Timing matters more than students realise

Another pattern I see constantly is graduates engaging with their career too late.

By the time many students start thinking seriously about applications, others have already:

• refined their CVs
• built experience
• understood the market
• and positioned themselves strategically

Career development isn’t something you tack on at the end of a degree. It’s something that should run alongside it.

Transparency Over Theory

The legal market is competitive, and it always will be. But that competitiveness should be matched with clarity. Students deserve an honest picture of how firms actually hire, what differentiates a candidate, and how much groundwork is required before they even reach newly qualified solicitor status.

At JMC Legal, my perspective comes from lived experience, not theory. We’ve spent years advising firms on hiring strategy and helping candidates understand where they’re going wrong. Most don't lack ability; they lack guidance. It's time we start treating career development not as something you tack on at the end of a degree, but as a discipline that runs alongside it.

Are you a law graduate or a solicitor looking for your next move in London? Get in touch with JMC Legal today to find out how we can help you navigate the competitive legal landscape.