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How Non-Law Graduates Can Get a Training Contract: Six Easy Steps
Didn't choose to study law? Enjoy your course but after
two years of soul searching realize that a career in law is the thing for
you? If this is you, take a step back, relax and follow this four-step
guide. With a little patience and a lot of passion you'll be well on your way
to plotting a successful career as a solicitor.
You should know that the
law training contract is essentially
the last and most difficult hurdle for those wishing to become solicitors. With
competition now tougher than ever non-law graduates can feel totally at sea
when it comes to deciding how to tackle the challenges ahead. However, if you
think and plan carefully, there's no reason you can't be fully armed when the
time comes to win (and keep) a
solicitor training contract.
Step One: Get Informed
The first thing you must do is your homework. Remember you
will be competing against people who might already have some familiarity with
the way the legal profession works either through their course or via early
work experience. So, now is the time to make good use of all the resources
available. One place to start is the Times law reports for digestible
information on the latest judicial decisions and legal analysis for the layman.
Also, familiarize yourself with some basic legal jargon. Remember, lawyers work
in firms never in companies. Use your university careers office. Most
institutions have a careers team and you should book a personal appointment to
discuss your options in depth. It may still be early days but the more you
know, the better equipped you will be to succeed later.
Step Two: Work Experience
In the meantime, if you are a second year student, try to
get some informal work experience over the summer vacation. Smaller firms are
the most likely to be accommodating in this respect. Even if you probably won't
be given much responsibility, you'll still be able to learn from meeting
solicitors and seeing how they work. In addition to this, getting work
experience will show you're serious and is unlikely to do your CV any harm.
Step Three: Researching and Applying for Training
Contracts
Many firms begin to take applications for legal training
contracts up to two years in advance, which means you may need to start
thinking of your application before you've even graduated! Consider the type of
firm you want to work for - not everyone is suited to a corporate environment so
don't just head straight for the biggest firms. You will need to direct
applications to each firm individually. Make sure your application stands out
and use everything you have done to sell yourself.
However, if you feel this is too early, don't worry. Some
firms take applications only a year in advance so you can wait until you've
completed your GDL before applying. The important thing is to be clued-up.
Step Four: The GDL
The Graduate Diploma in Law is the conversion course that all non-law
graduates must acquire in order to move forward. The idea is that it will bring
you up to speed with law graduates in an intensive format. Applications must be
in before 1st February and should be made through Central Applications Board. A
full time GDL course is generally completed in one year but there are options
to take the course part-time as well. If you have not done so already, you
should be narrowing down the list of firms you would like to complete your
training contract with. If you haven't got one yet: persevere. Attend as many
law careers fairs as possible and check for adverts in places such as Law Society Gazette and LawCareers.Net
Step Five: The LPC
So, you got some work experience and got onto a GDL
course. What next? The Legal Practice course (LPC) of course! The LPC is the
vocational course for those who want to become solicitors in England and Wales.
It is composed of a combination of compulsory and optional subjects.
Applications must be in by 1st August of the year you hope to start
the LPC.
Step Six: The Training Contract
One non-law degree, a GDL and an LPC later here you are
about to face the most difficult stage of your journey. The
training contract
is your opportunity (after years of study, debt and hard work) to start
learning about what being a solicitor really involves. You will complete
a professional skills course (PSC) and probably get a taste of different
departments over a period of two years. After this point you will be invited to
the official roll of solicitors.
Written by Mary Clare Waireri
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