Career Clinic: Graduate lost in law

I am sorry if I sound harsh, but you have your work cut out. Most candidates for training contracts have impressive CVs these days with plenty of relevant and not-so-relevant but impressive work experience. If you have none at all I would wonder why you haven't bothered to find out about the world rather than sitting in the college bar - or even the law library. Do you mean to say that you have never had a job at all? Or only no legal work? If you have worked in your summer holidays then put it in your application. I would be a bit sceptical of a mummy's boy/girl who has done nothing for themselves as it shows no initiative, independence or application. My advice to you is that if you haven't worked before, go and get a job pronto and it doesn't matter whether it is paid or voluntary. I would be a lot more impressed by someone who had done a job being paid nothing for wiping arses in an old people's home than someone who had just been president of the debating society. If I am misunderstanding you and you have worked before in non-legal roles then the next step is to get some legal experience - probably the quickest route to doing that will be applying for some mini-pupillages in barristers' chambers. Those in the provinces are probably easier to pick up than those in London as the latter often do "assessed" mini-pupillages which are designed for those who will be applying for a proper pupillage at the end of it. Most big firms only do quite structured work experience programmes which one has to apply for way in advance, but you may be able to find something in a smaller firm. Take anything you can get - if I had you in front of me and you told me that you wanted to be a trainee in my firm but you had never seen a lawyer at work (notwithstanding that you have spent the last 3 years doing a law degree) I would be pretty unimpressed. What do you expect to talk about in interview if all you have ever done is read law books?You have a lot of catching up to do - go and get a job - it is probably not too late to rescue the situation but you have to move fast.

Partner -12 Jul 2007 | 15:31

I agree with the above poster (who knows a thing or two given his/her position as a partner). Your situation seems a bit odd given that law graduates start the business of applying for training contracts in their second year at university. I am a non-law student, and by the end of the second term of the final year of my three-year degree I had completed two vac schemes and secured a training contract. My advice is to get on with things. You MUST also get some work under your belt, this provides invaluable examples of showing teamwork/leadership/communication skills during interviews. Good luck!

Anonymous -12 Jul 2007 | 16:27

I didn't waste any time doing vacation schemes or work experience. They're utter b******s. You've got the rest of your life to be stuck in an office during the summer, so take full advantage and do something you might enjoy. And I got 3 TC offers.The bottom line - don't become a lawyer anyway. It's boring.

Associate, US firm -12 Jul 2007 | 16:35

I found myself in a similar position at the end of my law degree. I studied law and philosophy, thinking it would be interesting as an academic discipline, not because I necessarily wanted to practice. I woke up with a bit of a bump after going along to other graduate training scheme interviews, where I found I had a lot of explaining to do about why I wasn't becoming a lawyer. I did exactly what the partner above suggested and got myself a couple of mini-pupilages pronto. They were a disaster, but at least I had something to say in interviews. I can't say I had an embarassment of offers but I did end up with a training contract at a magic circle firm and, to be honest, having to work that bit harder for it than everyone else probably made me appreciate it a whole lot more.

MC lawyer -12 Jul 2007 | 16:43

Sorry to say this but these days good grades without relevant experience to back it up is no good. Expectations are really high in the legal sector, not to mention the competetion, which is very fierce. Get some legal experience and your CV will weigh much more otherwise at that stage you would not even be shortlisted.

Legal assistant -12 Jul 2007 | 16:48

If you wanted to start in September 2009, then ideally you should be applying now (and in the case of some firms, very soon as I assume they still have 31 July deadlines). If you are not 100% sure you want to be a lawyer (and don't have a job lined up before you start it) I would suggest not doing the LPC as unless it has markedly improved over the years, it will cost you a lot of money and you won't have much to show for it. The lack of legal experience may not be of great benefit in applying for training contracts this summer but if, as the partner above says, you have other work experience then think how that might be relevant. For example, if you have worked in a shop over the summer, then that may have given you better people skills than someone who has happened to get a couple of work placements with law firms over the summer. You will have less familiarity with the day-to-day workings of a law firm, but arguably most of these things you don't find out properly until you start. Bottom line - put your applications in NOW and see what happens (and don't be someone who is snobby about where you apply - if you have no relevant experience, applying for the magic circle training contracts only is unlikely to deliver anything positive).

Anonymous -12 Jul 2007 | 17:53

Like the other posters, I can't help but wonder what you've been doing with your time (all those long holidays?) if you've never managed to have a job at all. Even pretty menial office work (receptionist, admin) can be an advantage (and help pay the rent), since many employers complain about graduates lacking basic office skills. It's also worth contacting your local law centre or Citizens' Advice Bureau; they're often keen to have volunteers. In short, you're going to have to get off your rear a little.

Associate, mid-sized firm -13 Jul 2007 | 14:32

Did you take the time to visit your university careers centre or attend careers fairs and employer presentations? I recently finished the LPC at one of the top institutions and there were a shockingly high percentage of people paying their own way through the course with no legal or commercial experience whatsoever. They wondered why some people with identical or worse grades than themselves managed to secure training contracts while they struggled to even obtain a single interview. My friends and I always wondered how they managed to get this far without any experience on their CVs. Many are now paralegalling with the vain hope of finding a training contract in the meantime, but whether this technique pays off remains to be seen!

recent LPCer -13 Jul 2007 | 15:10

By the sounds of your post, I'm not convinced that you even really want to be a lawyer. I did a non-law degree but made sure that I knew the application deadlines for training contracts etc a long time before I finished my degree. As the above poster said, if you want to commence a training contract in 2009, your applications need to be in as soon as possible as the majority of law firms (the larger, more commercial ones anyway) recruit 2 years in advance. I would also advise that you secure a legal job (or any job!) before you go travelling as, not only will you be able to relax more when you are away, but it will also give you something to talk about in applications/interviews. Not that I have any recruitment experience, but if I was a recruiter, I would be questioning your commitment to the profession given that you seem to have shown no real enthusiasm or motivation for pursuing a legal career. Nowadays, good academic credentials are standard so it is essential that you show that you have more to offer than the average applicant. Make sure that you highlight ANY work experience, your travel/languages/any amazing exploits in your applications.

Trainee -13 Jul 2007 | 16:54

I sympathise...I'm currently applying for the 2009 round now. But honestly, with no work experience, I'd say you have two options:1) Lie. And practice lying well so you can convince them you are committed to a career in law in an interview.2) Spend at least part of your gap year getting some decent work experience and go for the 2010 intake.

LLM Student -13 Jul 2007 | 20:28

I think many of the posters are being a bit unfair. Yes, ok, lots of superkeen students have spent their holidays on work placements and competition for TC placements will be fierce. However, lots of others (me included) spent their holidays seeing the world and experiencing new and amazing things. The City firm which offered me a TC (two years after I finished my degree) was interested in my potential and in my personality (rather than the fact that I had spent time on placements reading files). Saying that, lots of firms these days recruit trainees from summer schemes, so this can be a way in. It sounds as if you are really not sure if you want to do law at all. If in doubt, have a break from it, work abroad or go and do something fun. There are many options for a law degree than simply following the well beaten path into private practice.

Solicitor, In-House -15 Jul 2007 | 21:01

Go to your careers service. Look at the Law Society and other legal websites for information. And get a job - preferably in a law firm or office, or at least something that you can talk about at interviews that shows that you are capable. Firms are looking for proactive, enthusiastic and energetic trainees who are up-to-speed. You perhaps should have thought of this earlier but the past is the past and there is not point thinking about that as you can't change it. Start working on your career now. And believe you can do it.

Anonymous -15 Jul 2007 | 22:09

Unlike the solicitor who spent his holidays seeing new and amazing things, I had to spend mine working to make ends meet. However, its quite clear that most of the lawyers I've met didn't - their vacation schemes were often the only job they did before their training contract. Lack of legal work experience is more of a barrier than lack of other work or life experience. Get on some schemes and go from their - probably for the 2009 or 2010 intake.

Anonymous -16 Jul 2007 | 11:25

Don't feel like you have to rush into a career in law. There's plenty of other jobs out there and just because you weren't one of the keen ones that was applying for a training contract in their second year of university doesn't mean you can't go back to law later. I did a psychology degree and hadn't even thought about law until I was 24 and bored with my previous career - this didn't seem to bother the firm I was offered a training contract with and in fact they seemed very positive about the fact that I have other life experience. You don't have to know what you want to do with your life straight out of university and I think those who have commented that you should already know what to do are being a little harsh.

Trainee -17 Jul 2007 | 16:49