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

The_Judge · 30 Mar 2006 at 17:30

My dad needs two new solicitors if you're prepared to work in Newcastle

Its all about who u know.

Raymond Lin · 30 Mar 2006 at 17:48

The_Judge said:
My dad needs two new solicitors if you're prepared to work in Newcastle Its all about who u know.

Two trainee ?

I'll go ! No Girl Friend, no mortgage, i'd go where the job takes me. Email in Trust !

Alchemy · 30 Mar 2006 at 18:04

How did you find Plymouth University? What were the requirements?

I could have a look myself, but...well...

Raymond Lin · 30 Mar 2006 at 18:07

Alchemy said:
How did you find Plymouth University? What were the requirements?

I could have a look myself, but...well...

It's alright, i did Architecture there so i don't know the requirement for Law.

Alchemy · 30 Mar 2006 at 18:14

Oh, so you didn't actually have to do the Law degree then?

VIRII · 30 Mar 2006 at 18:23

Raymond Lin said:
p.s. your spelling is still all over the place...

Raymond Lin said:
Immergration.

Slime101 said:
Surely the programming has helped your spelling.....
atitude youll wont cant

/grammar and spelling Nazi.

danrok · 30 Mar 2006 at 18:25

The few people I know who work as solicitors/advocates all have family members who were solicitors before them.

Raymond Lin · 30 Mar 2006 at 18:41

Alchemy said:
Oh, so you didn't actually have to do the Law degree then?

I did a Post Grad in law, convertion, so i do have a post grad in Law.

Dolly · 30 Mar 2006 at 18:44

S@njay said:
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?

I've got a training contract and I can testify to the fact that getting to interview is the hardest thing. Once you get past the application stage you have more of a chance to sell yourself and make an impression and get to know the firm etc. If you do a vacation scheme at a firm, then you are in a good position for a training contract there (unless they didn't like you) as you can write more about the firm in your training contract application. However, getting past the application stage is hard - they ask ridiculous questions, such as "who would you take with you to the moon and why?"...

Ultimately, it could all depend on the type of firm she is aiming for - do you know what kind of firm she wants to work in? High St? Medium sized? Magic Circle? As W11tho said, maybe she is aiming too high, or in the wrong area...

To be honest, a 2:2 is not going to do her much good at all (IMHO people with 2:2s will struggle - even from the top institutions) and the only way she will get a training contract is if she either a) lowers her expectations or b) gets a load of relevant work experience under her belt (which may be nearly as difficult to obtain as a training contract). However, its not impossible to get a training contract with a 2:2 - plenty of people do it, so tell her not to give up!

When I did my applications, it was a long and cumbersome process - it took nearly a week to do just one application :eek:

I tried to ensure I had researched the firm thoroughly (even if this meant ringing HR and asking for more info) - know why you are applying to that firm and that area. From experience, most firms will need to be sure that you are settled in that area before offering you a training contract there (my training contract is in Cambridge and nearly everyone on the vacation scheme had links to Cambridge or lived close by - and we were all specifically asked in interview why Cambridge) - they probably won't look favourably on someone who has no idea where they want to go...

Anyway, I seem to have rambled for a while now, I hope this helps

Dolly · 30 Mar 2006 at 18:47

Raymond Lin said:
I did a Post Grad in law, convertion, so i do have a post grad in Law.

Isn't it a Diploma in law?

Post-grad in law sounds like you've done post-grad level law, which the PgDL is not.

Raymond Lin · 30 Mar 2006 at 19:00

Dolly said:
Isn't it a Diploma in law?

Post-grad in law sounds like you've done post-grad level law, which the PgDL is not.

missed out the dip bit, thats what i meant. Could do a LLM in it too with only the dissertation to do but they wouldn't let me do it at the sasme time as the LPC.

Alchemy · 30 Mar 2006 at 19:01

Great advice Dolly.

PygmyPuff21 · 30 Mar 2006 at 19:02

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.

Nottingham Law School is rated 'Excellent' by the Law Society - the highest you can get, so I'd say its not doing too badly

Am going there myself to do the LPC in September. Mine's being paid for by my law firm (phew!) and I'd say it is pretty common practice for the law firm you have a training contract with to pay for the LPC, mine paid for my GDL as well.

Alchemy · 30 Mar 2006 at 19:09

Sorry, I don't quite understand.

So, once you finish your degree you look for a firm that you can do your training contract with, but before that pay your LPC for you?

Raymond Lin · 30 Mar 2006 at 19:15

Alchemy said:
Sorry, I don't quite understand.

So, once you finish your degree you look for a firm that you can do your training contract with, but before that pay your LPC for you?

Yeah, i have friends who got their training contract in their Third year at uni.

Dolly · 30 Mar 2006 at 19:16

PygmyPuff21 said:
Nottingham Law School is rated 'Excellent' by the Law Society - the highest you can get, so I'd say its not doing too badly Am going there myself to do the LPC in September. Mine's being paid for by my law firm (phew!) and I'd say it is pretty common practice for the law firm you have a training contract with to pay for the LPC, mine paid for my GDL as well.

I've also heard very good things about Nottingham, I actually regret not applying there now (at the time I didn't want to move too far from London).

However, I don't think where you do your LPC matters that much in terms of obtaining a training contract (with the exception of some MC firms which like you to go to a particular LPC provider) - what matters more is where you went to Uni, what your result was, and your relevant work experience etc.

Dolly · 30 Mar 2006 at 19:18

Alchemy said:
Sorry, I don't quite understand.

So, once you finish your degree you look for a firm that you can do your training contract with, but before that pay your LPC for you?

Most firms recruit two years in advance so there will be plenty of time for them to pay your LPC fees and maintenance (and for PgDL too if neccessary).

PygmyPuff21 · 30 Mar 2006 at 19:19

Usually if you're doing a law degree you start applying for vacation schemes in your penultimate year of your degree, and with any luck if you've been usccessful with those you will either get a TC with one of those firms, or if not you begin to apply for training contracts in your final year.

If you are doing a non-law degree generally you start applying for vac schemes in your final year, and its the same process, but if you've not got a TC by then, then you apply for one throughout the GDL. I applied throughout my final year of a non-law degree and got a TC last summer, literally a week before I was due to start the GDL, so that worked out very luckily for me.

Generally a law firm will pay for your GDL/LPC if you have a TC with them before you start it, but wont bak-pay if you get a TC after you've done one or both of them, so if I was to only have got one now, i would not be getting my fees paid for the GDL only the LPC.

Alchemy · 30 Mar 2006 at 19:26

I see, thanks again.

One last thing, can anyone point me out to a list of Uni's which have a good reputation for teaching Law? (Degree)

I'm looking on the Law Society website, but I can't find anything about it so far.

Dolly · 30 Mar 2006 at 19:35

Alchemy said:
I see, thanks again.

One last thing, can anyone point me out to a list of Uni's which have a good reputation for teaching Law? (Degree)

I'm looking on the Law Society website, but I can't find anything about it so far.

For a general idea you can look at the Times Good University Guide (by subject) - see here. For more information, The Student Room under the law section is quite good as they have a sticky/guide on different places (I'm probably out of date on where has a good reputation as I applied 4 years ago

)