Any lawyers/solicitors? How did you get your job!

S@njay

S@njay

S@njay

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This is really really nagging me now, my girlfriend is finding it really hard to get a training contract at law firms in london.

She has done a law degree and the LPC at nottingham law school. So has all the basic qulifications.

But she still is finding it hard to get a job, and that means no big presents for me :(

She has applied, not not much luck really, she has even been to seminars on how to apply for training contracts!

She seems to think law firms are just heartless, and the whole industry is "cut throat", is this true?

I really dont understand much of that industry (i am just a meere comp sci student!) so has anyone got any inside info? Or any helpfull hints?

Its all getting a tad stressfull, and i really am hating the present draught!:(
 
Maybe she is just crap at law and they dont want her. And maybe you should get over the fact that you just want presents :rolleyes:

KaHn

/edit: and its drought
 
I am in the same boat, and like all professions it's as much as who you know as to what you know. If she doesn't know anyone in the professions, then try get herself foot through the door. Offer something different if she has any skills (languages may be?) Try start with being a Para Legal and work towards a training contract. I am doing my LPC now and about to sent out a bunch of CVs this week, there really is no best way to get jobs, the profession is hard to get into but the rewards (both job satisfaction and financial) warrants it IMO.

I find those seminars on how to get training contracts utterly pointless, it makes no difference what so ever.

P.S. Is she willing to move out of london? The problem with London firms is that they are saturated with students all over the country going there for jobs. Personally i have no ties to any city in England and Wales. I'll go whereever the training contract takes me.

P.P.S. My sister just got a training contract last week to start in September, her language skills helped her, being a new practice in which specialised in Immergration, she has an advantage most other applicants.
 
KaHn said:
Maybe she is just crap at law and they dont want her. And maybe you should get over the fact that you just want presents :rolleyes:

KaHn

/edit: and its drought
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ouch:eek: someone is being a bit nasty!

just wanted a little advice if anyone had any! Sorry about my spelling, its a little off recently, with all this programming i have been doing.

As for the presents bit, just thought it would add a little humor to the topic, sorry if i offended you.
 
S@njay said:
ouch:eek: someone is being a bit nasty!

just wanted a little advice if anyone had any! Sorry about my spelling, its a little off recently, with all this programming i have been doing.

As for the presents bit, just thought it would add a little humor to the topic, sorry if i offended you.
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Surely the programming has helped your spelling.....

As for the job - going in with the atitude of it being cut throat can work one of 2 ways, you play the game or as it seems in her case you take the line that they are all mean and nasty and youll get nowhere! Get her to fight for the bloody jobs, they wont land on her plate especially not in a decent firm in london (or a decent firm anywhere!)

If she cant handle it as a trainee she ought to re-train pretty sharpish!
 
has she got the necessary grade requirements - ABB minimum, 2.1 at undergrad etc?

has she not done any law work experience? she should have ideally gotten on a vacation scheme as they tend to lead to the TCs.

its just a matter of keep trying and asking for feedback as you keep getting rejected. whilst she is looking she should be building up her resume though.
 
Vacation schemes/placements/work experience is a HUGE plus in my experience.

As said before, while applying for training contract work she should be trying to get experience too, if she has a law degree maybe approach the CAB for volunteer work, letters to chambers to shadow counsel, shadowing solicitors for a week or two in local firms for free, that kind of thing.
 
Rich_L said:
Vacation schemes/placements/work experience is a HUGE plus in my experience.

As said before, while applying for training contract work she should be trying to get experience too, if she has a law degree maybe approach the CAB for volunteer work, letters to chambers to shadow counsel, shadowing solicitors for a week or two in local firms for free, that kind of thing.
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Thanks for the replies guys!

unfortunately she got a 2.2 for her law degree:(

She does loads of volunteering work with disabled people, and she is at a CAB right now volunteering and getting another qualification from it :)

edit : spelling mistakes!
 
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S@njay said:
Thanks for the replies guys!

unfortunately she got a 2.2 for her law degree:(

She does loads of volenterring work with desabled people, and she is at a CAB right now volunteering and getting another qualification from it :)
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by volunteer work, LEGAL volunteer work, doubt many firms cares about her working with disable people, regardless how nice that might be.

p.s. your spelling is still all over the place...
 
Hiya,
You know what that suggests to me ;)
There are plenty of law firms that specialise in work with vunerable/ poor/ disabled/ etc. people & the issues that effect them- One of these could be a much better bet than a major solicitor, as she should already have a knowledge of the issues & people involved.

-Leezer-
 
I've just noticed that she hasn't yet sold her soul to th Big Man downstairs.

That's usually a prerequisite for legal positions.

At the very least, she should sacrifice a goat at midnight.
 
S@njay said:
unfortunately she got a 2.2 for her law degree:(
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That will be a major factor, even more so if she doesn't also have a minimum of ABB at A-Level - in London at least. Perhaps she should look elsewhere?
 
Is Nottingham Law School actually any good? This could have a big bearing on it. I know a lot of people do law here at Nottingham University so if she's applying around here she'll have a lot of stiff competition.
 
SaBBz said:
Is Nottingham Law School actually any good? This could have a big bearing on it. I know a lot of people do law here at Nottingham University so if she's applying around here she'll have a lot of stiff competition.
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I won't say it's bad, i know someone from there who before he graduated got a Training Contract with Norton Rose in London, they are paying for his LPC (£7000 +), give him living expenses, given him a £10,000 year out spending money (he took a year out after his degreee before beginning his LPC), and a starting salary of £35,000 when he begins in 2008.
 
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Raymond Lin said:
I won't say it's bad, i know someone from there who before he graduated git a Training Contract with Norton Rose in London, they are paying for his LPC (£7000 +), give him living expenses, given him a £10,000 year out spending money (he took a year out after his degreee before beginning his LPC), and a starting salary of £35,000 when he begins in 2008.
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Very generous salary/benefits. It is typical for a firm to pay someone's LPC?

What are you doing at the moment? LPC? How is it going?
 
It depends on the firm, its common for bigger practices to do that, but it is also very competitive. I am doing the LPC but out of my own pocket...ouch !
 
Not sure, he's the brother of a friend, who I went to Plymouth university with and now practice as a Criminal Solicitor.
 
I really want to be a solicitor, I'm only at the A-level stage though. I don't think I've got the determination to be one either. I'm not particularly academic, and I'm not very well motivated, so I guess my chances are pretty slim.
 
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