VUW Undergraduate and Postgraduate International Scholarships

The Unspoken Career Mistakes Law Students Make in Their Final Year

In your final year, the library will practically become your second home, and your supervisor will start to feel like the most important person in your life because, at this point, everything is about that 2:1 or First Class. That’s what everyone is chasing. But let me tell you something most people won’t say clearly: while you are putting all your energy into your grades, you might be ignoring the things that actually determine what happens after school.Final year is not just the end of university; it is a transition period, whether you realise it or not. This is the stage where you are expected to start positioning yourself for your career. And the mistake a lot of people make is thinking that once they get the grade, everything else will somehow fall into place. It doesn’t work like that.So if you are in your final year, you need to understand this early. These are the unspoken career mistakes you need to avoid if you don’t want to feel stuck after being called to the Bar.1. Treating the Final Year Project as Just an AssessmentLet me start with your project, because this is where a lot of people get it wrong without even realising it. Most students choose topics based on what feels easy or what has the most available materials, just so they can finish quickly and move on. But your project is one of the few chances you have to show depth in a specific area before you enter the profession. If you already have an idea of where you might be heading (whether it is corporate law, tech law, finance, or even litigation), your project should reflect that. It should not read like something done for the sake of completion; it should show that you have spent time thinking about a relevant issue. Because when you eventually sit in front of an interviewer, your project can serve as proof that you understand a particular area. 2. Ignoring Administrative Issues Until It’s Too LateThis is one mistake people don’t take seriously until it becomes a real problem. Final year is when all your records need to be clean and complete. Missing scripts, incorrect grades, unresolved fee issues, or documentation errors might seem small, but they can delay your graduation or even your admission into Law School. And the frustrating part is that these issues are often avoidable if you check early. You don’t want to be that person who has done all the hard work but is stuck because of a clerical issue from Second Year. At this stage, you need to be intentional about confirming that everything such as your results, receipts or records are in order.3. Not Building a Relationship With Your Lecturers. Most people don’t really build relationships with lecturers, they just show up, write exams, and move on. But final year is where you need to be a bit more intentional. I’m not saying become best friends with your lecturer or start doing too much. But don’t wait until you suddenly need a recommendation letter, a signature, or help with your project before you try to engage them. That’s when it becomes awkward, and sometimes they won’t even take you seriously. At the very least, be present in their class, ask sensible questions when necessary, and make sure they can recognise you beyond just your matric number. If you have a good relationship with your supervisor, use that properly. These small things matter more than people admit, especially when you need something urgent or important.4. Not Choosing Any DirectionYou don’t need to pick a niche in your final year, but you also shouldn’t be completely blank about what interests you. One mistake a lot of students make is not exploring different areas of law early enough, so when opportunities come, they have nothing clear to say. At this stage, you should have a few areas you are genuinely interested in, and it should show in your CV and conversations. Attend events, whether online or physical. Join relevant student groups or communities and take them seriously. Ask senior colleagues questions so you can understand how those areas actually work in practice. You can also go a step further by writing short articles, essays, or even LinkedIn posts on topics within those areas. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it shows that you are thinking, learning, and engaging beyond the classroom. The goal is not to specialise too early, but for you to come across as someone who is intentional, not directionless. 5. Ignoring InternshipsI understand how demanding final year can be, and it is easy to feel like you simply do not have the time for anything else. But ignoring internships is one of those decisions that shows up later. Good grades can open doors, but they rarely carry you all the way through. At some point, someone will want to know what you can actually do beyond what you have read. Can you draft? Can you carry out proper legal research? Do you understand how work is done in practice? These are things you do not learn from textbooks alone. If you have not gained enough experience in your earlier years, then you need to be very intentional about using the school break before your final year, or even the period after your final exams but before Law School, to secure internships. That window is more important than people realise. But it only works if you start early by sending applications, reaching out, and positioning yourself before everyone else starts rushing at the same time. You can find internship opportunities targeted at law students and young lawyers on TR Thrive (https://trthrive.com/intern). Internships are where the gap between theory and practice is closed, and without them, the difference between you and someone with real experience becomes very obvious.6. Sending Weak Applications (or Not Applying at All)Some students apply for opportunities, but they don’t take the time to do it properly. Others don’t apply at all because they feel like they’re not ready. Both are mistakes that lead to the same outcome. If you’re going to apply, take it seriously. Use your CV as a working document and keep refining it. Check strong samples online to see what good CVs actually look like. Ask a senior colleague to review it and give you honest feedback. If you can, use your career centre to help you draft or improve it. You can also use tools like Thrive AI to score your CV and identify what needs to be fixed. The point is simple: don’t just send applications, send strong ones. And don’t wait until you feel ready, because that feeling rarely comes. You become ready by applying, making mistakes, learning from them, and improving. Every application teaches you something, and every rejection gives you information you can use to get better. If you’re not sure where to start, use available tools to guide you. Thrive provides CV tools and AI features that help you review and improve your CV before applying (https://trthrive.com) 7. Staying Invisible or Having No Personal Brand You might be doing everything right academically, but if nobody knows you, it limits your opportunities more than you think. And in today’s space, that “knowing you” largely happens on professional platforms like LinkedIn. Yet many students are either not on it at all or have empty, inactive profiles. The assumption is that your results will speak for you, but that’s not how it works anymore. People need to see you, what you’re learning, what you’re interested in, and what you’re building. You don’t have to post every day or turn into a content creator, but you should at least have a clear, updated profile, engage occasionally, and position yourself within the legal space. Opportunities move through visibility. Someone comes across your profile, sees your interests, remembers your name, or reaches out. If you’re completely absent, you’re simply not in the conversation.8. Not Taking Networking SeriouslyA lot of people misunderstand networking and avoid it because it feels uncomfortable or unnecessary. But in reality, it is simply about building relationships over time. It is about asking questions, learning from people ahead of you, and staying connected to professional spaces. In the legal field, many opportunities are not publicly advertised. They move through conversations, recommendations, and relationships. So if you are not building those connections now, you are making things harder for yourself later. At the same time, don’t only focus on networking upwards. Your peers matter too. The people you are in class with, and even students in other departments, will go on to become founders, bankers, consultants, and business owners. They can become your clients or refer work to you later.9. Not Seeking Mentorship Early EnoughMany students wait until they graduate or enter the job market before they start looking for guidance, but by then, they are already playing catch-up. Mentorship is not just about someone helping you get a job; it is about having access to insight, direction, and honest feedback while you are still figuring things out. A mentor can help you avoid common mistakes, understand how the profession actually works, and make better decisions earlier. Without that kind of guidance, you are essentially navigating a complex transition on your own, and that usually makes things slower and more difficult than they need to be. The good thing is, finding a mentor is not as complicated as people think. Start with people already around you, your supervisor, a lecturer you respect, or a senior colleague from an internship. You can also reach out to lawyers on platforms like LinkedIn, but be intentional. Don’t just say “please mentor me.” Ask specific questions, show genuine interest in what they do, and build the relationship gradually. Mentorship does not always start formally. Sometimes it begins with simple conversations and consistent learning.10. Underestimating How Competitive the Legal Market IsA lot of students assume that once they graduate and get called to the Bar, opportunities will naturally follow. But the reality is very different. Every year, thousands of law graduates are entering the same market, applying for the same roles, often with similar qualifications. What this means is that doing the normal things is no longer enough. Having a good grade, attending classes, and finishing your degree is expected. It is the baseline. The people who stand out are the ones who have gone beyond that by gaining experience, building relationships, developing skills, and being intentional about their career early. If you underestimate how competitive the space is, you will likely underprepare. And by the time you realise it, others who started earlier have already positioned themselves ahead. “The Legal Market is Competitive” and understanding this early should push you to take your final year more seriously and make better use of the time you have.Final ThoughtsAt the end of the day, final year is not just about finishing school. It is about what you are doing while you are finishing. Two students can graduate with the same result and end up in completely different positions, and most of the time, the difference comes down to the choices they made during this period. So as much as your grades matter, they are not enough on their own, you need to be equally intentional about everything else you are building alongside them.📌 Pro Tip: Don’t try to figure everything out on your own. Use TR Thrive (https://trthrive.com) to get exclusive access to 1,000+ curated jobs, internships, events, and career tools designed specifically for you.Written by: Chimamanda Augustine