Careers Support for Law and Finance Students

Dedicated MLF careers support
The Alumni, Careers and Events Officer is available for MLF students to talk to one-to-one, to consider their careers plans and strategy, to give feedback on CVs and covering letters, and to ensure students are able to receive tailored advice that is specific to their interests, whether that comes through the University’s Careers Service, the Said Business School Careers Service, our alumni or Advisory Board, or by arranging something more bespoke when it is required.

MLF careers events
We run some specific careers-focused events at the Law Faculty that aim to meet the particular needs and interests of MLF students. Events have included a session on career development within a law firm, in-house legal positions, legal drafting skills, and an overview of the finance industry and recruitment. There is also a dedicated careers day in the induction programme that sets out the various different types of careers support available to MLF students, and includes workshops that provide focused advice on the particular careers MLF students tend to be interested in, e.g. working in a London-based law firm (as a trainee or as an associate), moving to work in the finance sector, careers in academia. 

MLF profile book
Every year we produce a profile book that we circulate to our supporting practitioners and to the programme’s recruitment contacts. The profile book shows a summarised CV for every MLF student, along with their professional photo (which we take during the induction week) and information about the MLF. The profile book is also available on the MLF Course Page. 

MLF business cards
MLF students can order business cards with the Said Business School and Law Faculty logos on, to represent themselves professionally as being a student at Oxford.

MLF alumni mentoring scheme
Before MLF students start their degree we pair them with some of our MLF alumni, who can give advice through the MLF and in their career choices.

MLF Advisory Board
The MLF has an Advisory Board of leading practitioners from law firms, banks, regulators and industry who provide a link between MLF students and employers, attend MLF events and can provide careers advice and guidance to MLF students.

Practitioner involvement in MLF courses
Several MLF courses, including various law electives, such as Principles of Financial Regulation, and the interdisciplinary course, the Law and Economics of Corporate Transaction, involve practitioners who visit Oxford to teach on the course, to present seminars and lectures, and to provide real-life case studies that students consider in groups, for which the practitioners then provide feedback .

MLF Alumni at the 2016 reunion

MLF alumni network
MLF students are invited to attend the MLF alumni reunion events held in a London law firm in Michaelmas and Hilary Terms. These events offers students a great opportunity to meet MLF alumni from all previous years of the degree, to find out about their career path and to make professional contacts.  

Law and Finance Events
We run many Law and Finance speaker events during the academic year, for example the Business Law Workshop series. Some involve practitioners coming to Oxford to talk about specific aspects of the work they do or a particular deal or matter they have been involved in, and other welcome leading academics from around the world to talk about research that they are involved with. These events are a great opportunity to find out more about the academic and professional arenas of law and finance, and to build helpful connections with leading thinkers in the area.  

Oxford University Careers Service
The Careers Service has a huge amount of resources that are available to MLF students, and also run a range of employer events, alumni and networking events, careers fairs, skills workshops and have careers advisors available to help provide guidance, give feedback on CVs and covering letters and help students prepare for interviews and assessment centres.  Much of the content is available through the CareerConnect platform, so please take a look.

Careers @ Saïd
MLF students are able to access the careers service at SBS which offers, for example, employer recruitment events, skills workshops and sector consultant interviews as well as a portal giving access to hundreds of job postings.