Career Clinic: Is charity law a cut-throat area?

Get a training contract before doing the training. Apply to the specialist firms you are most interested in (look at the relevant section in Chambers and Partners or the Legal500 if you do not know which firms to aim at) but cast your net widely: even if you plan to go into charity work eventually, training with a city firm or a government department will do you no harm at all. However, if you cannot get a training contract now, you should be aware that you will not be in a better position once you have paid for your own training. I realise this sounds harsh, but I work with a large number of paralegals most of whom paid for their own conversion course and LPC but several years on are no closer to securing a training contract. In my opinion, the training providers do these students a disservice by encouraging them to get heavily into debt on the promise of a lucrative career that then fails to materialise.

Ex-MC Lawyer -21 Jan 2008 | 16:40

I've got to say I agree with the other post on here about service providers having a duty to give law/non-law graduates the real perspective when it comes to training contracts. I myself did not have a training contract and paid my way through the LPC and have been lucky enough to secure a TC but this was down to hard graft as a paralegal and, thankfully, working at a firm that did not close the door to paralegals. However, a high proportion of people I studied with who didn't have training contracts prior to taking the LPC are still working on getting a TC. It's time that certain providers gave an honest account on what the likelihood of succeeding is, particularly those with average grades who are drawn to the profession because they have been spun the line that they can become City lawyers on huge wages.

City trainee -22 Jan 2008 | 13:32

I have to agree with the above advice about getting a training contract before doing the CPE and LPC. However, even if you manage this feat, you may not get the opportunity to work in the charity/NGO area due to stiff competition. This may not be a problem, as you may find something else that you are interested in pursuing. Remember also that you can salve your social conscience through your firm's pro bono scheme (if they have one) or simply volunteering in your spare time (if you have any) to assist a charity or NGO. I occasionally act as 'legal support' for Greenpeace activists when they chain themselves to things. Thus I get to help a favourite cause in a vaguely legal-related manner but without the risk of getting arrested.

Birmimgham solicitor -22 Jan 2008 | 16:20

Get your TC, try out four (or more) areas of law while you train, then decide which you like. You can't know what you will enjoy until you try it. Almost everyone who at your stage thinks they know in which area they want to practice changes their mind once they have had the horizons opened up through the TC.

junior assoc -24 Jan 2008 | 16:15

I used to paralegal at a mid-sized charity law firm (one of the handful that is known for this work in London) and you should realise that as much as these types of firms might be viewed as liberal, cuddly, woolly jumper-type firms, they're as much of a commercial enterprise as the most cut-throat corporate city players. Also, the one I worked at was very much run by a typical old boys' club, closed to anyone who didn't fit into the 'upper-class twit' mould, with their own 'olde worlde' inefficient and usually ad hoc ideas about how to treat employees and how the organisation should be run. This particular place also had a completely closed-door policy to giving TCs to SOME of its paralegals, but not to others... Basically, there was no policy, decisions were made at the whim of a handful of the aforementioned upper class twits, so it wasn't really a fair or open kind of procedure. Mind you, I'm sure it's like that in a lot of places...I don't know.Also, from what I gathered, charity law consists of the same work as otherwise relatively mundane corporate administrative law. Yes, it's very worthy and exciting to be working for big well-known charities, but the work doesn't appear to differ all that much from general corporate work done for big greedy corporations, so it's worth bearing that in mind. In any case, try to get a TC first off before you do the LPC. Some firms, I've discovered, just don't respect you if you're a paralegal first - even if you're bloody hard-working, have impressed people and have good grades. Sadly, paralegals are just seen as second-class citizens in a lot of firms, despite having the same, or more, qualifications as some of the trainees. The secretaries used to get paid more than the paralegals in this firm I was at, and that was even despite the firm insisting that paralegals should have the LPC. So, they basically want slave labour with no commitment from them of some sort of payback. What can I say? I think the law firms suck as a result, but then I'm cynical like that. Needless to say, I don't work at a law firm now...

anonandon -25 Jan 2008 | 11:32

Charity law, charity law... It' basically company law. I find it boring dealing with mem and arts, board resolutions, dealing with Companies House, etc. However, there is a brighter side to 'charity law' and some firms in London may have the tag as being great charity law firms but they are beefed up company/commercial law outfits masquerading as fluffy woolly-jumper types.If you enjoy the finer aspects of company law then by all means attempt to pursue it but just be prepared to be bored with the content.With regard to paralegal comments, I largely agree. Some paralegals were treated like dirt, some were often more qualified then their trainee counterparts and often did not possess the smirk that was overtly present on trainees. Even secretaries were and are paid more then paralegals. Often, paralegals are not welcomed to join the TC race. I am not bitter as to this firm as I do not want to train as a solicitor and have no desire but have seen at first-hand how some members of staff are treated and messed about it. It is not nice and perhaps paralegals' jobs are not worth it unless you can discover the right type of firm, which really values paralegals and the potential they have.

West London -29 Jan 2008 | 14:59

I am a trainee and looking to go into charity law so I have read these comments with interest. I fully agree with the advice to get a training contract first and beware of the cost of it all. As a trainee I do not get paid as much as the secretaries at my firm. This career is one of the most difficult there is unless you happen to be wealthy and/or living at home with wealthy parents. It is in no way open to all, and to some extent even harder for those of us who genuinely want to help do something worthwhile. Good luck with it all though! You've still got to try. ...And that's what they count on!

xyzlegal -20 Nov 2008 | 22:02