A must-read for students applying for training contracts

As the deadlines for training contacts for 2019 approach at the end of June or July, this article by Paul Gascoyne, Graduate Recruitment Manager at Shearman & Sterling, is definitely worth a read.

100 ways to improve your training contract application

Shearman & Sterling is an international corporate law firm with headquarters in New York and offices throughout the world, including London.  However, the advice given in the article above could apply to training contract applications for just about any law firm.

SRA goes ahead with decision to implement Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE)

The decision has been made.  The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) announced this week that its planned Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) is going ahead.  

This means that the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) and the Legal Practice Course (LPC) will cease to exist, but not yet! The SRA plans to implement the SQE from September 2020, at the earliest, a year later than originally scheduled.

What does this mean for you as a Law student, if you wish to qualify as a solicitor?

If you are interested, I suggest you might like to read the following:

Lawyer2B - How will the super exam affect you?

Lawcareers.net - New 'super exam' confirmed for qualifying solicitors confirmed for 2020

There are lots of decisions still to be made about the detail of the changes by the SRA and others, but for the time being it's very much "business as usual"!

What to expect at an Assessment Centre for a Training Contract

If you've received an invitation from a Law firm to attend an assessment centre for a training contract, you may be wondering what to expect on the day.

This varies from firm to firm but is likely to comprise at least some of the following activities:

• Written test  - you could be asked to write a short report on a business-related subject. Normally you are not expected to show in-depth legal knowledge.
• Group exercise - as the name suggests you will be given a topic to discuss in a group of 6-8 people. Again, this could be a business or legal problem or it could also be something quite random.  There won't be a right answer whatever the problem is.  You are being assessed on your ability to work in a team, get your point across, and interact with the other people in your group.

• Case study - you will be given this to read and make notes on what you think the key issues of the case are.  You will then be invited to discuss the case with a partner or senior lawyer who will be assessing your understanding.
• Partner interview - you may have already had a first interview with someone from Graduate Recruitment.  This interview is an opportunity for a partner to assess you on 3 key points:

1. Can you do the job? Do you possess the necessary skills and knowledge?
2. Will you do the job? What is your motivation for becoming a lawyer in that firm?
3. Will you fit in?  The culture can vary quite a lot depending on the firm so the partner will be assessing whether you are the right fit for the team.

Shearman & Sterling has produced a short video on assessment centres which is well worth watching. You can view it here.

University of Chester Law students visit Lincoln's Inn

On Wednesday 5 April 8 Law students from the University of Chester Law School attended an Information Afternoon and Evening at Lincoln's Inn in London.

The students mingled with undergraduates from other Universities over tea before sitting down to an afternoon of very interesting talks, given by practising barristers from both the employed and the self-employed bar.  The aim of the talks was not to try to recruit students to the Inn or the Bar as a profession, but to give them a realistic view of  life as a Barrister and the challenges they may meet along the way.

The talks were followed by a drinks reception, giving students the opportunity to network with Members of the Inn, including the speakers, other barristers and judges.  Everyone then took their places in the Old Hall for a formal dinner with speeches.

The students all thoroughly enjoyed the event.  Scott Hughes, a first year Law student said," I got the chance to discuss some great topics with barristers, judges and also in the presence of Lord Neuberger. It has definitely strengthened my decision and increased my determination to become a barrister."

Diana Murariu, also a first year Law student, commented, " The event was a great experience. Besides being a lot of fun, we got the chance to talk with barristers and judges and they gave us useful advice. It definitely helped me to make a decision regarding my future, and now I know what I need to do next to achieve my goals."

Pictured below are some of the Law students who attended from the University of Chester.

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