Welcome Back to all Law Students

Welcome back to the summer term to all Law students.

For first years this is the final term as "new" students and you will have exams looming.  If you are thinking of pursuing a career as a solicitor or barrister then it's not too late to try to sort out some legal work experience for this summer.  most of the formal work placement schemes are for second years and above but smaller, local firms in your area might be worth approaching. 

Use www.solicitors-online.com to find out details of law firms and what areas of law they specialise in.  For prospective barristers use the new Pupillage Gateway website for information on barristers' chambers www.pupillagegateway.com

For second years you will be revising for your exams before the majority go out on Work Based Learning.  Some of you will be working in a legal environment which is a great opportunity to find out more about law as a career.  Don't be afraid to ask questions and keep details of the people you meet. Networking is so important and you never know when contacts you make now might be useful in future. You might be offered further work experience as a result.

For third years this is nearly the end of your Law degree and you may be finishing off your dissertation plus revising. You may also have decisions to make re accepting a place on the LPC or BPTC or you may have decided to take some time out to get some work experience. You could be applying for jobs in completely different areas from Law. I can help with CVs, covering letters and application forms as well as offering mock interviews.

Good luck to all of you with your exams and please let me know if I can help with your career plans.  Call 01244 513066 to make an appointment or email me p.hardie@chester.ac.uk

Pupillage Gateway now open

The new Pupillage Gateway website is now open at www.pupillagegateway.com

The Pupillage Gateway is the new online application system for pupillage.  It includes a wider range of search criteria, the ability to store data from previous applications, and a longer time period in which to prepare your applications. The Gateway will allow you to tailor, to a much greater extent, your applications to individual chambers.

Under the system you can apply for up to 12 pupillages.  All chambers are obliged to advertise pupillage vacancies on the Gateway though some will use different application methods outside the Gateway.  This means, in effect, that you can apply for more than 12 pupillages in total.

The closing date for applications through the Gateway is Tuesday 30 April at 11.00 am.

Legal Administration Executives - Manchester

Roberts Jackson Solicitors, Manchester has vacancies for Administration Executives.  The firm is a leading specialist in industrial disease and personal injury claims.

Please see below for further details:

Administration Executive

What we require…

Administration executive required in a busy and expanding industrial disease firm. The role will require providing daily assistance to Directors and Fee earners. They will be responsible for the opening of files, preparing bundles, scanning & photocopying, stationary orders, arranging sign up appointments and opening, logging, sorting and distributing incoming post and outgoing post. This role offers progression to fee earning for suitable candidates and therefore determination for a career as an industrial disease fee earner is essential. The ideal candidate must be professional, incredibly well organised and have an excellent eye for detail. The candidate ideally will have previous office experience and have completed the LLB, GDL, or LPC.

Please apply with CV and covering letter to:

Sophie Clark

Deputy Head of HR

Administration Executive

Roberts Jackson Solicitors

Sophie.Clark@robertsjackson.co.uk

 

Who we are…

We are a mid-size firm that are the leading specialists in claiming maximum compensation for industrial disease and personal injury claims. We pride ourselves on looking after our clients, treating them as individuals and giving them the best legal service from the very start of their claim.

Since starting in 2009 with only 2 members, the firm has grown from strength to strength and now has over 110 members. We were recently nominated for Manchester Legal Awards Small Firm of the Year 2013, an award which we won in 2012 and we nominated for in 2011. We have won numerous awards for our training and development initiative and in 2012 were shortlisted for Regional Law firm of the Year. We are a fantastic company to work for if you want to excel within the legal industry or a growing company.

Need funding for the LPC?

There is very limited funding available for the LPC as we all know but it might be worth you checking out the Law Society Diversity Access Scheme.  This scheme is designed to support entrants to the solicitors' profession who also face exceptional social, educational, personal or financial obstacles to qualification.

The scheme offers successful applicants financial assistance with Legal Practice Course fees, access to relevant high quality work experience and a professional mentor.

The closing date for applicants for 2013 is 29 March 2013.

Four more details please visit http://juniorlawyers.lawsociety.org.uk/funding-studies#lsschemes

Law students get to sample life at the Inn!

9 Law students from the University of Chester visited Lincoln’s Inn in London last week to find out more about a career as a barrister. Lincoln’s Inn is one of the four Inns of Court and all students undertaking the Bar Professional Training Course must apply for membership at one of the Inns in order to be called to the Bar.

Each year Lincoln’s Inn invites students from a wide range of universities to attend a series of Information afternoon and evening events.  The object is to provide students who wish to become barristers with a comprehensive understanding of what the role involves.  Competition for pupillage is fierce so it is vital that students are as well informed as possible.

The event began with afternoon tea followed by a series of talks from barristers from both the employed and self-employed bar.  After a drinks reception dinner was served in the very grand surroundings of the Great Hall. The evening concluded with an opportunity to network with QCs and barristers.

The students who attended were able to gain an invaluable insight into the life of a barrister. The Inns of Court have a very important role in student education, including providing Scholarships to assist with the huge cost of the Bar Course, now around £16,000. It was also emphasised to the students just how hard it can be to succeed in this profession.

BPTC Offers out today

If you have applied for the BPTC for 2013 you should have received your offers today.  Hope everyone who applied got their institution of choice!

Scholarship interviews are coming up, too.  Let me know if you need a mock interview! My calendar is filling up fast!

Lincoln's Inn Visit 28 February 2013

I am off to Lincoln's Inn tomorrow with 10 budding barristers, currently LLB undergraduates at the University of Chester.

It should be a really interesting afternoon starting with tea at 4pm in the Great Hall.  This is followed by a variety of different speakers talking about aspects of a career as a barrister. In the evening we all dine together in the Great Hall - a great networking experience for us all!