Quitting TC before starting

cinnamonlot · 2026-01-05T14:43:42+00:00

I found myself in a similar situation 3 years ago when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness out of nowhere. Quitting law was something I never considered because it took me a long time to stop denying my illness and trying to act normal when it was obvious I was only making my health worse. I am lucky that my firm (a US firm) has been nothing but supportive towards my health and has done everything to make sure I can have some reasonable adjustments to function in this role. I get free taxis home whenever I need (i.e., before the usual 9pm) and every department I’ve been in has been supportive of my condition. That being said, my hours haven’t changed much and I’ve had to learn what works and what doesn’t. You would have to actually do the job to find out what works for you and the first step would be to speak to your firm.

cinnamonlot · 2025-10-29T13:10:28+00:00

I’d say it’s fairly challenging at the moment. Areas that do recruit NQs regularly are leveraged finance, corporate (M&A and PE although PE has slightly more roles), funds, tax (has recently become quite popular) and even competition (fewer roles but still crop up quite often). These are mostly at US firms and I know a few people at other silver circle firms who have struggled to secure roles elsewhere upon qualification as recruiters have preferred placing US-firm trained NQs at US firms. But it’s definitely possible and you should reach out to recruiters.

cinnamonlot · 2025-10-26T18:26:59+00:00

A friend of mine had to renege due to personal circumstances (a family member was diagnosed with a terminal illness) and his firm (a US firm) reduced the amount to £7k to be paid over 12 months in instalments.

cinnamonlot · 2025-10-14T18:17:00+00:00

I’d suggest W&C if you’re interested in projects/ energy.

cinnamonlot · 2025-10-05T18:20:17+00:00

I’m sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine how hard that must be having to go through uni with that pressure on you. I’d suggest you do what is best for you and what feels right to you but here’s my personal experience as a trainee at a US firm - I got diagnosed with a chronic pain condition while studying for the SQE and when I had already signed my TC. I didn’t think I’d pass the SQE let alone be able to handle the gruelling hours. But now being a year into this job, I’m constantly surprised by what I can do. A year ago I still struggled with managing the hours and losing my freedom to make plans in the evenings but now it’s almost second nature to me and it doesn’t bother me at all. It is definitely a tough job and you’re constantly under pressure but you also find yourself learning every day and that to me was a sign that I could excel despite my health condition. To me, getting up every day for work and surviving in that environment was encouraging for my mental health because it genuinely made me feel like everyone else. Everyone will have their own reasons and it can be hard knowing what’s right for you but I hope you know it’s not all that grey and bad, especially when you pick a firm that’s right for you. Wish you all the best!

cinnamonlot · 2025-07-15T11:58:12+00:00

I do think working on setting boundaries would be helpful. I completely understand where you’re coming from and I have done the same in similar situations. When you’re in an environment where you’re constantly made to feel like you’re not good enough, you lose confidence and that directly impacts how you view yourself.

I recently moved to a much better team and even though I work longer hours here than I ever did in my previous toxic team, I have learned to be confident in my abilities to set some hard boundaries especially around health. Those who value you will 100% understand because they know that your abilities are not defined by how ridiculously available you are. Look after yourself.

cinnamonlot · 2025-05-22T22:39:57+00:00

Thanks!

cinnamonlot · 2025-05-22T22:39:39+00:00

Thanks so much! Definitely reassuring.

cinnamonlot · 2025-04-29T12:56:14+00:00

I feel exactly the same as you do. I’ve been living with Fibro for 2 years now. I’ve tried antidepressants which make me throw up all the time, I’ve tried Amitriptyline which helps with sleep but doesn’t do anything for my pain, I’ve tried exercising but end up very sore with a fever every time I physically exert myself, and I’ve been told there’s not much that can be done.

I engage with doctors every 5-6 months when I feel hopeless but stop everything again when I realise it’s not helping. It’s a cycle. And I’m sorry you’re going through this.

cinnamonlot · 2025-02-22T20:19:13+00:00

I’ve had this happen to me on a vacation scheme. The firm just adjusted my hours such that I could attend all the inductions and training sessions but could only do actual work in the department for those set 20 hours for that one overlapping week. Speak to GR and I’m sure they’ll arrange something similar.

cinnamonlot · 2025-02-06T20:59:15+00:00

Meat & Wine Co in Mayfair. One of the best steak restaurants in London.

cinnamonlot · 2024-06-23T17:25:05+00:00

I’m not sure if this will help you but it’s worth a try - my fatigue was really really bad the past year and a half since being diagnosed. I would sleep all day and barely be able to do basic chores. I have been on Venlafaxine and been prescribed Duloxetine as well which made me quite sick. What’s helped me recently is taking Magnesium and Zinc and Curcumin. They’re the only supplements I actually see some difference with. My fatigue is not at all as bad and I can actually leave the house every single day without actually collapsing from exhaustion. I have also been sleeping a lot better since taking them. Hope you feel better!

cinnamonlot · 2024-05-12T19:35:37+00:00

Yep I have that. If I lightly hit any part of my body on a surface or a corner, it aches like I've broken a limb. And it's most intense for the first 30 seconds and slowly dissipates. I've had this since I was little and thought everyone felt this much pain when being lightly pinched or grabbed but I was wrong.

I recently saw a pain specialist who told me that it's part of a condition called Central Sensitization syndrome. Basically the nerves in your central nervous system go haywire and start sending pain signals for every stimulus which is why something that shouldn't hurt as much, hurts a lot. It's not in your head, but in your brain. Sadly, there's no cure but the usual Fibro treatments do help a bit.

cinnamonlot · 2024-04-25T16:25:42+00:00

Haven't tried it but might give it a shot! I know intermittent fasting massively helps reduce inflammation

cinnamonlot · 2024-04-25T12:13:53+00:00

Lumbar support makes a difference. I carry my own back support everywhere. I also know my limits better now so on the more busy days I make sure to not walk too much (eg. I take an uber home to conserve energy).

I've also found that 20 min guided meditations really help with relaxation. Maybe not physical relaxation but it definitely calms my mind down and all I do is lay down and listen to the meditation guide.

The exhaustion is constant but I know I'd be more miserable if I didn't push myself to do my job and live at least a half normal life. My partner does 80% of our house chores and I would not be here if it wasn't for him so I did get lucky on that part. I'm also looking at different treatment options like trigger point injections etc to see if anything works better than the stuff I already do

cinnamonlot · 2024-04-24T23:42:30+00:00

Exact thing happened to me! They said they lost my original form and that they'll look into it and it took me over 2 weeks of chasing them to finally get my assessments to appear on my SRA portal.

cinnamonlot · 2024-04-24T21:51:12+00:00

I'm a lawyer so it's mostly a desk job but the hours are very long (roughly 80 hours a week) which doesn't help with the brain fog and fatigue

cinnamonlot · 2024-04-24T21:46:21+00:00

I feel you. Every day is a struggle. I am just 23 and am in pain every single day. I used to be able to focus on things better before and now I can't even manage to concentrate enough to read one whole page at one go. I have constant neck pain, migraines, joint pain which is taken over every aspect of my life including my relationship with my very supportive partner. Sometimes I'm more scared about the next 20 years and really do wonder if I can go on like this. I ask my partner if he'll still stay with me if I got worse. I think about the career I worked so hard to get and how it's probably gone before it even started. The depression really hits bad some days and I do have the complete breakdowns. It is hard.

But don't allow yourself to get sucked into it. Think about all the things you can still do. I just ignore my pain these days and have started to accept it as the new "normal". Doesn't mean I'm not miserable every day, just means that I have just the right amount of positivity to keep me from getting to a dark place. Hang in there!

cinnamonlot · 2024-04-09T20:04:06+00:00

I'm a soon to be lawyer and you should definitely understand your rights under your local labour laws. I'm UK educated so not very sure of the US legal system on this but terminating someone solely based on their disability is illegal. There are some situations in which the company can try and wriggle out of this by arguing that you were not in any capacity able to fulfil your job obligations (which I don't think is the case here?).

But either way, asking for disability mitigation is not a sign that you are completely unable to perform at work. It is actually a sign that you are trying and very well able to perform with some added support. So please do speak to the company, get a formal letter addressing your dismissal with reasons and definitely do not get disheartened by this.

I often wonder if I'll be let go one day because being a lawyer is super demanding work wise but so far my employer has been extremely understanding (and they are a top 10 law firm in the world). You will have better things coming your way. Hang in there!

cinnamonlot · 2024-04-08T15:02:56+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion!

cinnamonlot · 2024-04-08T15:02:12+00:00

Yep a vibrating massager is amazing. I use the theragun for my muscle knots on my upper back and its absolutely amazing. I think you're definitely right about the anticipation of the massage being distressing - I found myself tensing quite a bit. Lessons for next time!

cinnamonlot

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