Rejected by Consulting, Seduced by Legal Canapes

Redirection, not rejection

After a crushing defeat in the first round of both my Castlecliffe and Playfair Consulting applications, I decided a swift career pivot might be a smart move. Hence, on a warm Friday evening, I found myself at the Law Society opening drinks.

I'll be honest: as an event, there was frustratingly little to critique. No one got blackout drunk, no food was thrown, and there was a disturbing lack of the pretentious corporate wannabes who you've probably come to expect in career-adjacent societies. Committee members were warm and friendly (if a little eccentric), and the wall hangings were perfectly adequate for the setting (though I do fear they exacerbated the heat in the room).

But do not be fooled: this event was strictly professional, as evidenced by the proliferation of business casual attire. Take the hybrid trainer/dress shoe, a corporate staple which makes you look both unprofessional and unathletic. In addition to the bastardisation of corporate footwear, one could also bear witness to the good, the bad, and the ugly of networking. 

The good: attendees were engaged and looked, for the most part, like they wanted to be there (with the notable exception of myself).

The bad: plenty of awkward silences, as keen attendees scrambled for questions about a sector they’d never cared about, aimed at a fourth-year who, like everyone else at this university, hasn’t studied law and is probably just as clueless as them. Despite this indictment, the fourth-years stood their ground (one future Linklaters trainee impressively answered questions unwaveringly from an encircling sea of first years).

The downright ugly: the fact that very few people in the room could actually give you a leg-up in the legal corporate world.

Despite these downsides, for a profession notoriously full of cutthroat individuals who love to be the smartest in the room, the Law Society Drinks were an encouraging and friendly environment where even I felt inspired to start a career in law.

What’s more, despite my well-documented disdain for 'networking' events, there were two notable highlights to this wonderful evening.

The talks given were incredibly informative. We heard from representatives of CASOC (Commercial Awareness Society); the Master and Mistress of the Moot;  St Andrews Law Review; and Citizens Advice, a charity that helps people by providing free and expert advice across a broad range of sectors, from money to housing. This last point stands out as, among the many St Andrews events I’ve been to, the charity is often reduced to a logo on a billboard. USTA Law Society gave Citizens Advice a place in the spotlight.

These talks (as well as being engaging) also provided an opportunity for St Andrews students to bolster their CVs through low-commitment activities that integrate well next to doomscrolling sessions. You could write for the Law Review, participate in mooting competitions, and even provide real-life support to individuals through Citizens Advice. 

If that isn’t enough of a reason to pop along to a law society event, do it for the canapes. Highlights included haggis bonbons with mustard mayo and shortbread with cream cheese and tomato. Sources tell me that each canape costs around £4 to make. Set against a ticket of roughly £13, the return on investment of this event was through the roof (and that’s before you count the drinks)!

So, if you happen to be doing an Arts degree and have little clue what you want to do with your life, do pop along to the Law Society — even if only for the canapes!.

Illustration by Sandra Palazeulos Garcia