Your ‘first steps’ checklist
If you do decide that a career as a lawyer is for you, there are a few things you should be doing even before you start university. Here is a brief checklist to get you started:
Talk to your careers adviser at school to go through your options.
Research the different paths into law – university, chartered legal executive, paralegal, apprenticeship (read The Law Apprenticeships Guide 2019 ) – and decide which is right for you. Get some practical work experience at a law firm, barristers’ chambers or legal advice centre; it will help you to decide what suits you best and will also improve any applications you make later. Work hard at your academic studies. Excellent grades are essential! Talk to friends, parents, acquaintances – anyone with a connection to the legal profession; they may also be able to help you get some work experience. Think about the kinds of extracurricular things you can do to make yourself into a well-rounded candidate. Consider sport, volunteering, drama, music… Sign up to LCN Weekly on LawCareers.Net. Our free weekly email newsletter will deliver news and information about the profession, plus advice and reminders throughout the legal recruitment calendar, straight to your inbox. Read the business pages of the newspapers to improve your commercial awareness and get you starting to ‘think business’.
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker