We all know that there are a number of qualities and characteristics that make you a desirable candidate for a training contract. So while we may be accused of stating the obvious, this week’s feature is packed with core information that bears repeating. Read our honest guide to the things that firms want to see in their future trainees.

Firms spend a lot of time and money in training the right people – some estimates put it at about £250,000 per trainee – to be their partners of the future. As a result, they have spent a lot of time thinking about the sorts of thing that make good lawyers. With the economy in its current state (more…)

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If you’ve started your career in another field, but think that a legal career might be for you, you’re not alone. Every year, many people successfully make the transition to a legal career from a vast variety of backgrounds.

No law degree?

The first thing to be aware of is that, although you will almost certainly need a degree to become a solicitor or barrister, it doesn’t have to be a law degree. The Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) is specifically designed to give non-law graduates the legal skills and expertise required to move to the next stage of postgraduate legal training. (more…)

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The good news is you’ve been invited to a training contract interview. The bad news is… you’ve been invited to a training contract interview! Don’t panic. This article explores what you should be doing in preparation and how best to present yourself on the day.

You’ve submitted your training contract applications and – hooray! – you’ve been invited to an interview. After five minutes of patting yourself on the back, the associated fears start to surface. What if I become a gibbering wreck? What do I wear? What sorts of question are they going to ask? All of sudden you realise you’re being asked to prove yourself in person rather than on paper. But we’re here to help. (more…)

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LPC graduates should be an appealing prospect to legal recruiters but, despite their obvious advantages, many fail to find training contracts. Graduate recruiter Sue Lenkowski identifies 10 common mistakes these candidates make and how they can be avoided.

In my 11 years as head of graduate recruitment at a Top 20 law firm, I never failed to be moved by the sheer volume of LPC and post-LPC applicants. How could these students continue to chase their dreams, self-fund and be saddled with such huge debt, and yet often fail to do the basics right? (more…)

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Whether you are a law or a non-law degree holder, there are two key points to remember as you start your career journey:

• Research – do as much as possible as this will give you a clearer idea of where you want to go when applying for training contracts
• Legal work experience – get as much as you can, whether it’s short-term, long-term, part-time, full-time or voluntary. With some legal experience behind you, your job applications will look more credible and you will have a better feel for which area of the profession might suit you best.

(more…)

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Whether you are a law or a non-law degree holder, there are two key points to remember as you start your career journey:

• Research – do as much as possible, as this will give you a clearer idea about what you would like to do when you come to apply for pupillage.
• Legal work experience – get as much as you can , whether it’s short-term, long-term, part-time, full-time or voluntary. With some legal experience behind you, your job applications will look more credible and you will have a better feel for which part of the Bar might suit you best.

(more…)

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