What exactly is an ABS and why is this relevant to Law students and graduates?

An ABS stands for "Alternative Business Structure" and this is relevant to Law students and graduates because they are part of the changing legal landscape of England and Wales.

ABS came about as a result of the Legal Services Act of 2007.  It allowed non lawyers to offer legal services alongside other business areas and became known as "Tesco Law".  It was actually the Co-op that became one of the first to get its ABS licence and was closely followed by the AA, Direct Line and Saga.  Then some established law firms such as Irwin Mitchell and Weightmans also joined the ABS group.  PWC was the first of the big four accountancy practices to get its licence and now offers legal training contracts, as does EY.

What does being an ABS mean for organisations?

For law firms, it means that they can be managed by non-lawyers and can attract external investment. For organisations like the Co-op it means they can offer legal services alongside their established businesses such as funeral care and insurance, thus widening the market for the consumer.

What does the establishment of ABS mean for students and graduates?

Although there are now over 500 ABS licensed organisations, this hasn't led to a massive change in legal recruitment yet.  However, it could lead to more jobs for paralegals which is good news for LLB graduates unsure about going straight on to the LPC without a training contract.

One such firm is Riverview Law, based on the Wirral.  Riverview provides business legal services  to its customers using a fixed price model working to support in-house legal teams, for example.  Riverview employs paralegals (or Business Law Executives as it calls them).  It then recruits trainee solicitors from those paralegals.  Some of our University of Chester LLB graduates are now trainees at Riverview Law.

ABS has certainly got a foothold in the market for legal services so every Law student and graduate should be aware of them.

Have you got a LinkedIn profile? Are you using LinkedIn to look for jobs?

If not, you could be missing out on job opportunities. LinkedIn is the world's biggest professional networking site.  More and more organisations are using LinkedIn as a recruitment platform.  It's really easy to get your profile launched.  Just sign up at www.linkedin.com and follow the step-by-step instructions.

Here's a few hints and tips to help you set up your LinkedIn profile:

1. Choose a photo that creates a professional impression. 
2. Headline - this is the first piece of information anyone will read about you so make it interesting and eye-catching.  Don't just say "Student".
3. Customise the URL that LinkedIn gives you to make it more personal.  Click the edit button and revise
4. Summary - This should contain 150-200 words outlining your career goals and achievements. You can also add links to blogs and videos here as well.
5. Experience - Use this section for any paid work or legal work experience
6. Voluntary experience and causes - any volunteering you may have done
7. Education - give details of your degree subject and where you studied.
8. Skills and endorsements - add skills that define your professional role, experiences and contributions.
9. You can also add any languages you speak.

There is some really useful information to help you develop your profile on the LinkedIn website - https://university.linkedin.com/linkedin-for-students

Follow my online training guide - How to make a perfect LinkedIn profile

More and more employers are advertising jobs on LinkedIn so get started with your profile today!

Alternative Legal Careers event University of Chester Wednesday 22 March - Book now

According to the Law Society only around 50% of students on a Law degree actually go on to become solicitors or barristers.  So, what do the other 50% do?

There is no doubt that a Law degree gives you a whole host of transferable skills.  This means that these skills can be adapted and used in other careers.  You may decide to go into a career area that is legally related such as paralegal or Legal Executive work, law costs, legal research etc. Even if you decide to do something completely different, skills such as essay writing, research, advocacy and debating are all transferable to other graduate jobs.

The majority of employers, outside of specialist areas such as medicine or engineering, do not specify a degree subject when recruiting. They want to hire you because you are a graduate and you bring along the skills gained from studying for any degree.

In order to give you some insight into alternative legal careers, as a starting point, 

Careers and Employability has arranged an afternoon of speakers on Wednesday 22 March from 1.30 - 3.30pm in Binks 013.

At 1.30pm there will be a presentation on the CILEX route to qualification as a Legal Executive.

At 2.30pm the University of Law will present on alternative legal careers.

To secure your place please book via Events on CareerHub here

Law Society Diversity Access Scheme now open for applications

Please see below for details of the Law Society Diversity Access Scheme (DAS) which is now open for applications and closes on Wednesday 12 April 2017.

The Diversity Access Scheme

Opening doors, changing lives:
scholarships for the solicitors of tomorrow

The Law Society’s Diversity Access Scheme (DAS) is a scholarship with a difference. It provides awardees with:


Finance 

Funding for up to the full cost of your LPC fees.

Professional contacts

A professional mentor to help answer your questions about starting your career in law.

Opportunities to gain work experience

Work experience placements, brokered through the Law Society.
Already it has helped over 170 students complete their professional education. Without the DAS these students would not have been in a position to join the profession.

If you don’t have the financial means to pay for your LPC, the DAS might be able to help.

Who should apply?

We encourage applications from graduates and those in their final year of a law degree, including mature students.

The DAS 2017 application round is for those who wish to start a full time or part time LPC either in September 2017 or January 2018.

Application criteria

You have to fulfil certain criteria to be eligible for the DAS. To check your eligibility, please visit our website.

How many awards are available?

Up to ten standard DAS scholarships will be available this year.

When do applications open?

The applications are now open and close at midnight on 12 April 2017. The application form and guidance are now available to download from our website.

To find out more visit www.lawsociety.org.uk/das
or email diversityaccessscheme@lawsociety.org.uk 

Applications close on 12 April 2017

Student Event - Beyond corporate law: How to become a top serious injury lawyer

This event is definitely worth applying for.

Legal Cheek is joining forces with Fletchers, one of Britain’s leading clinical negligence and serious injury law firms, to host a discussion and networking session for students looking for a career beyond corporate law. There are 50 free places available.

The exclusive Q&A takes place on the evening of Wednesday 1 March at The Hive in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. A panel of leading solicitors and barristers will discuss developments in the high-value medical negligence field, talk about some of the major cases they have worked on, and share their careers advice with the next generation of lawyers.

After the hour-long panel debate — which runs from 6-7pm — there will be drinks and networking, where students will have the opportunity to meet the speakers in person and discuss their career plans with Fletchers’ graduate recruitment team.

The panellists are: Ed Fletcher, CEO of Fletchers; Christopher Melton QC, specialist catastrophic injury barrister; Adrian Denson, head of Fletchers’ serious injury practice; Mark Tempest, head of the serious injuries unit of Fletchers’ medical negligence practice; and Fletchers senior medical negligence lawyer Sue Taylor. The session will be chaired by Legal Cheek publisher Alex Aldridge.

Apply here to attend by submitting a CV and two questions for the panel. The CVs of those offered places will be passed on to Fletchers’ graduate recruitment team and attendees will be guaranteed an interview for the summer 2017 Vac Scheme.  

Students of all levels are welcome, but places are limited.  Good luck!

Student Event - "Practice Makes Perfect" at BPP University Law School, Liverpool

You might be interested in attending this - 

On Wednesday 22^nd February, BPP University Law School is running ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ at our Liverpool centre. This event will sharpen your professional skills, allowing you to approach the challenge of an assessment centre with greater confidence.

This is a comprehensive event for any student who is serious about enhancing their prospects of securing a training contract or pupillage, and you will walk away with our coveted 'Professional Skills and Commercial Awareness' certificate, providing a great opportunity to enhance your CV.

You will get to experience a mock assessment centre, requiring you to complete a succession of tasks you might encounter in the recruitment process, as well as attending a panel and networking event when you will get top tips from key members of the legal profession with DLA Piper, Riverview Law and Hill Dickinson appearing on the panel event. You will also have the opportunity to network with BPP Alumni who will be happy share their experiences and tips for succeeding in the legal profession.

With an unrivalled list of over 60 top law firms who send their students exclusively to BPP University Law School, and an excellent record of students who secure pupillage and tenancies in top sets of Chambers, there is no better place to prepare for your legal career. 

Avoid the pitfalls of the recruitment process by learning from them now in a supportive environment at our Liverpool centre!

Book your place now for Practice Makes Perfect by registering here:

·         Liverpool – Wednesday 22^nd February 

https://practice-makes-perfect-liverpool.eventbrite.co.uk

*Deadline for registrations – Wednesday 15^th February*

*For some of our events, delegates will have staggered start times from 4pm, and the event aims to conclude at approximately 8.30-9.00pm. A full agenda will be forwarded to you following your registration to the event.

CPS Legal Trainee Scheme 2017 now open

This blog post is more for information as far as undergraduate Law students are concerned, but it is definitely worth knowing about for possible future recruitment campaigns!

The Legal Trainee Scheme is offered to those who wish to complete their pupillage or period of recognised training (PRT) with the CPS. There are two different roles on offer in the scheme – a pupil barrister and a trainee solicitor. 

Academic Qualifications 

• Candidates must have a minimum of a 2:2 undergraduate degree – please note that this does not need to be a degree in Law. Candidates with a degree other than law must have completed a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) or Common Professional Examination (CPE)

• Candidates must have successfully completed, or be due to complete the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) or the Legal Practice Course (LPC) to enable them to start within the CPS by November 2017


Please note the closing date for applications is midnight on Thursday 23rd February

Duration of the scheme - 

Pupillage - 1 year in duration 

PRT (formerly known as a training contract) - 2 years in duration 

Number of positions available on the scheme - Approximately 30 x Legal Trainee posts are available throughout England and Wales. 

Upon successful qualification Legal Trainees will be offered permanent posts as Crown Prosecutors, with the expectation that they will gain the necessary skills and competence to apply for Senior Crown Prosecutor posts through regular recruitment procedures. 

Legal Trainees are offered a starting salary of £23,276 per annum (more in London) with 25 days leave


For more information please go to Legal Trainee Scheme 2017