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Eight questions you must ask yourself when choosing a law firm
The
decision to apply to any law firm for a
training contract can be daunting
enough without having to decide on which ones to apply for. Though it may be
tempting to apply to everything you find to increase your chances, this can be
counterproductive. Not only will it be time-consuming to go through each
application process but your answers to application questions may become
generic and unfocussed. It is therefore a good idea to pick only a few
companies based on criteria which are important to you, remembering that different
law firms can vary as much as the employees who work for them. Here is a list
of basic questions to ask yourself when thinking about where to apply:
1. In
which location do I want to work?
Whilst most big companies tend to be located in
London, a good number will have offices in other cities
such as Leeds,
Manchester or
Birmingham. If you have never lived or worked
in
London, it
may be worth considering the type of lifestyle change you may have to undergo,
but also realise that salaries in the capital will tend to be higher to balance
costs. Also, large international firms often offer opportunities to work in one
of their offices abroad, so if travel appeals to you this may be something to
think about.
2. What
size of company do I want to work for?
The size
of the firm will determine a lot about the kind of work you will be doing and
what life at the company will be like. New trainees can suffer from "small
fish, big pond" syndrome when working in large organisations but this can also
be more rewarding than working in a smaller company that deals with less
impressive work.
3. What
are the main areas the firm deals with?
Most firms
will tend to specialise in particular areas of law such as property, tax or
finance, so you should think carefully about your interests when choosing a
firm. This will not only be to your benefit when you secure a contract but it
will also show
employers that you know about and are interested in the areas
you will be working in.
4. What
are the salaries for new trainees?
Starting salaries for
new trainees vary greatly from firm to firm, with bigger city firms generally
offering a much higher pay. For example, many city firms are offering pay in the
region of £30,000 - £36,000 for upcoming contracts in 2010, with some
US
firms
offering even more than that.
5. What
are the entry requirements?
Generally,
competition for securing trainee contracts is very strong for all companies,
but particularly in the larger city firms. Almost all firms will require a good
degree with excellent A level results and some will also insist on work
experience in the legal field (which can sometimes be a summer placement at the
firm). Also, if you have a non-law degree, different firms will have different
attitudes to this some would prefer law graduates, whilst others value
diverse backgrounds equally. What is more crucial to remember, however, is that
non-law graduates must take a one year law-conversion course before they begin
their contract.
6. Is
there any financial support for courses offered?
If you are
a non-law graduate, you will find that many big firms will actually sponsor you
(fully, or in part) to take the law conversion course provided that you agree
to work with the two year contract afterwards. Many non-law graduates choose to
apply to such companies as the CPE or LPC can be very expensive. But remember
that because of this, the competition is much fiercer than at other firms.
7. What
is the application process?
Most
initial application processes are now done online, and many contain numeracy
and literacy tests. It is important to not only consider what the application
process is like but useful dates for your chosen firm. It may be that you have
missed the application round for the firm you had your heart set on, in which
case it may be best to consider others, unless you don't mind taking a year
out. Many firms offer summer placements which graduates or penultimate-year
undergraduates are advised to consider applying to first. These will not only
increase your chances of acceptance but will also give you a good idea of
whether the company is for you.
8. What
are the hours like?
The
working hours in any commercial law firm will generally be tough across the board,
with a typical working day being 9am till 6.30pm. Some big projects may mean
you have to work on evenings, but rarely will you have to give up your
weekends. Though hours don't vary too much between companies, those working at
international firms tend to suffer the most.
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