Diversity Great strides are being made by diversity and social mobility initiatives to improve equal representation at all levels of the legal profession. Organisations such as upReach and the InterLaw Diversity Forum work for free with students to provide advice on CVs, application forms and interview practice, while also working with employers to provide work experience opportunities and improve openness. Increasing diversity in the legal profession is also one of the main aims of the SQE (see page 12 for more). However, there’s no getting away from the fact that the profession is historically overwhelmingly white, male and privately educated, and more needs to be done to address the imbalance. Head to LawCareers.Net’s Diversity hub, sponsored by Gowling, for information and updates on what’s going on in the industry.
Competition There are fewer training contract and pupillage places than there are people with the necessary qualifications.
You must find a way to stand out, so make sure you shine through by being resourceful, authentic, determined and committed to the profession and a career in law.
Commercial Awareness
The legal world is part of the business world. If you have ambitions to work
for a commercial law firm, it’s essential to develop a good understanding of the issues and events affecting businesses. Read our weekly commercial news round-up, as well as the Financial Times and The Economist from time to time, and try to appreciate the appropriate legal issues thrown up by your studies from a commercial perspective.
Work/life balance It’s true that the legal
profession has a reputation for long hours and intense work. It’s worth doing your
Experience You need a combination of work experience
research as workload and expectations vary depending on the practice area or type of law firm/chambers you choose. However, it’s also important to note that mental health in the legal profession is being talked about now more than ever, and progress is being made in this area.
(legal and non-legal) and extracurricular activities to become the all-rounder that employers want to hire. Having both strings to your bow will help you to demonstrate that you have the necessary skills for a career in law.
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