Work experience
placement. All said that non-law graduates should at least make the effort to research the profession, speak to solicitors/trainees about their experiences and visit firms or attend open days. In addition, they suggest using personal contacts to obtain work experience, either in law or in a related field (eg, banking or accountancy). A former graduate recruitment and development manager at a US firm says: “Work of all types – including cleaning and waiting – shows grit and determination, as well as a willingness to roll up your sleeves and get on with the job. We recruit candidates with wide interests and if you have experienced other careers, you can speak from the heart at interview about the reasons you have excluded those careers and feel propelled towards law.” One recruiter talked about the non-law student candidate who was studying business management, but joined his university law society and enjoyed the benefits it gave him. Best suggestion of all: write speculatively to firms for experience in some sort of support capacity (eg, legal secretarial work or paralegalling). Commercial experience, perhaps in-house, is also regarded as valuable. A recruiter at one international firm says: “Previous non-legal work experience can help students understand businesses or individuals that they are working with and the challenges they face.” A graduate recruitment assistant at another international firm suggests: “Try to get other business experience in order to develop yourself in all areas. It’s worth trying to make contact with the firm you’re interested in (eg, attend a law fair or phone up the graduate recruitment team), so that your name is remembered positively. In relation to extracurricular activities, we like to see anything that demonstrates commitment and an ability to take something to a high level.
Activities that show responsibility, leadership or team cooperation are also valued.”
Students with disabilities would do well to contact the Lawyers with Disabilities Division. This division of the Law Society aims to achieve equality of opportunity for people with disabilities, whether they be qualified solicitors, trainee solicitors, law students, clients or members of the public. One of the things that the division does is contact firms to encourage them to offer work placements to disabled students. For more details visit www.lawsociety.org.uk/support-services/ practice-management/diversity-inclusion/ lawyers-with-disabilities division. When should I look for legal work experience? It’s never too early to start. In terms of formal schemes, law students should try to secure a placement in the summer before their final year at university at the latest; non-law students should apply during the summer following their third year. In fact, more firms than ever are running schemes aimed at first years, so you need to be on the ball right from the beginning of your university career. Most formal schemes last between two and three weeks. See the “Vacation scheme insider reports” chapter for a selection of application deadlines for formal work placement schemes. Otherwise, check individual firms’ websites.
And for informal experience, get in contact with local law firms, courts and barristers.
How do I get the most out of my legal work experience? Without a shadow of a doubt, most firms use their formal and informal work experience schemes as part of the recruitment process. A solicitor at national firm Freeths says: “You can only learn so much from an application
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