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April 24, 2010

Practical Work Experience Is Crucial To Wannabe Solicitors

Filed under: attorney — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Mike Tennant @ 6:45 am

Gaining some legal work experience is vital for anyone wanting to improve their chances of getting a training contract. A key reason for this is that the experience of studying and practising an area of law can often differ for people so the more real world experience they can get the better it is for them.

For example, some students may have found themselves become interested in two subjects in particular at university or law school, such as commercial law and criminal law. However, when they begin to research firms to apply to for a training contract they find that firms seem to practise one or the other and not both.

Therefore, they decide to make applications to both groups of firm. They may, however, be taking a risk if they do not also have some practical experience of the different areas of law.

The risk is that when they start a training contract with a law firm that only then do they discover that they do not like the practical application of that type of law in the same way they liked it as a study option.

This highlights the importance for students to get some practical experience with different types of firms.

If we take the person from the example above, they should ideally have undertaken a couple of law placements with a commercial firm and a specialist criminal law firm. If they had done so it would have allowed them to have made a much better informed decision about where to make their training contract applications to, thereby reducing the chances of them making a costly mistake.

Legal work placements can be done at various places from law firms to voluntary organisations.

It is important to look into the various work experience possibilities not only in the area you live to study but also where you might be living during the university or law school holidays if different.

Upon completion of your research, you then should construct a plan about when you will make your applications and where. This will help ensure you get experience in the areas you are most interested in but also to ensure you get a broad range of experience to inform your decisions down the line.

To discover more on legal work experience visit: http://www.traineesolicitorsurgery.co.uk. You will also secure more advice on how to secure a law training contract.

April 13, 2010

Tips on Winning a Law Training Contract in a Economic Downturn

Filed under: attorney — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , — Mike Tennant @ 2:27 pm

Unfortunately, for those wanting to secure a legal training contract and go on to become a solicitor it can be very much a lottery based on the state the economy is in at the time of graduation. Obviously it is much better to graduate in a time of boom than it is a time of bust.

It is not all bad news however, as law firms will always need to recruit trainee solicitors even in a damaged economy.

There may also be an advantage to graduating in a time of economic hardship. If applicants are successful in getting a law training contract in a recession they may have a brighter future than someone who gets one at a more affluent time.

If less trainees are employed during a recession then it follows that there will be fewer newly qualified solicitors in a couple of years. Newly qualified solicitors down the line will therefore have more opportunities to pick their job as the demand from firms for newly qualified solicitors will be proportionally higher compared to the number available. The likelihood is that this would lead to better salaries and career opportunities for them.

Therefore the important thing is to work out how to improve the chances of succeeding in getting a law training contract and getting ahead of the competition in a recession.

The most important thing to do to facilitate this is to do some thorough planning of your applications and your career in general. If you attempt to tackle everything at once, however, it will most likely seem like too much to do. The main thing to master is knowing what to focus on and at what stage.

The initial things to be focusing on are the research and planning of which universities to apply to, what areas of law you want to study and which courses suit you best. You will then want to move onto making a plan about that sort of work experience to undertake, what non-academic activities to get involved in and the types of firms you might want to apply to for their summer vacation schemes and ultimately for a training contract.

Once at university, getting work experience and applying for jobs should be seen as another module in your course. Something that you do consistently throughout the year and which you build your knowledge and skills in constantly so as to put you ahead of the others.

It stands to reason that success in exams and the achievement of better grades than others is down to more thorough research, planning and dedication. If you want to set yourself ahead of much of the competition you may want to adopt a similar approach in respect of your training contract applications.

Check out our further advice about getting a legal training contract. There is also lots more advice for aspiring trainee solicitors.

February 23, 2010

Law Training Contract – Things to Think About When Selecting Where To Do Yours

Filed under: law — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Jonny Legal @ 5:49 pm

In order to select the ideal firm for completing your training contract, it’s recommended that you take the time to fully research both the firms and the area of law you are thinking of entering. You might believe that you already know a great deal about the legal profession and all the firms within it since you have read a number of brochures and firms’ websites. You have probably even spoken to several solicitors as well at open days or law fairs.

No matter what you think you know, it’s best to slow down a bit and think about where you will complete your training contract very carefully. You don’t want to make a rash decision that could affect your future and haunt you further down the road. Of course, you might be able to change law firms after you’ve entered your training contract, but you may find that your options are limited depending on the experience you’ve received as a trainee solicitor. Doing your research is important so that you come across as confident and knowledgeable during interviews with recruiters. Knowing everything about a firm that you’re applying for a training contract with can only help your chances of being accepted.

The main factors to consider while researching your options are as follows:

Type of Work – It is crucial that you consider which areas of law you would like to get some practical exposure to. It is worth bearing in mind that studying a particular type of law as a student can be very different to practising in that same area of law so you must do your research on the practical side of things. Once you have made your choice, ensure you target firms who can give you experience in those areas. Bear in mind that you may not always get to choose the areas of law you will work in during your training contract and also that this may be affected by the size of the firm and the number of other trainees. Firms’ recruitment materials will often give a feel for what type of work would typically be available to trainees.

Client Type – In addition to the area of law you’ll be working in, you should consider the type of clients you’d like to work with. Would you like to work for smaller commercial clients or individuals where you’d have plenty of direct contact with the clients or would you prefer to work for large blue chip clients where you’d rarely have any direct contact with the client?

Staff – Another very important factor to consider when deciding where to fulfill your training contract is the size of the firm you enter. Would you like to be one trainee solicitor of many or one among just a few other trainees? Do you want to work with a large number of varied colleagues, perhaps with many nationalities under one roof, or belong to a small team where you can build strong relationships?

Geographical Location – One factor that’s always a hot topic among those in the legal profession is the balance between work and personal life. This can often be affected by the location of where you work. For instance, working in London will likely mean a very hectic lifestyle and long commute, while working in the regions might offer more in terms of the quality of life. These factors can be subjective so you will have decide for yourself what affect, if any, living in a particular location for the duration of your training contract would have on your life.

Additional Factors – In addition to the above, firms often offer perks to their suppliers such as travelcard loans in London, gym membership, overseas placements or secondments to clients. These should always be a secondary consideration but they can still be used to help you decide between similar firms.

If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a trainee solicitor and securing legal work experience and/or a law training contract check out this website by following the links