[ellie_flower]

Hi

This might sound pretty hazy because it's just a plan in my mind so far. I haven't started bucket loads of research yet but can you tell me if it's doable please? I'd be so grateful! Ive just graduate with a good 2:1 from Durham in history and French.

Basically Im about to start as a civil service fast streamer in the MoJ, hopefully in human rights law or perhaps in asylum law. However I'd really like to work at a firm like Norton Rose or Withers in commercial law.

How best to proceed? Ideally I'd do my GDL at evening courses and then start a training contract with any of these companies. Could people tell me what would be he best way to proceed please?

Thanks so much

[h-g-1]

The first thing I notice is your job will be in Human Rights law or Asylum law - these are very different to commercial law at Norton Rose / Withers. If you get to an interview stage at those firms, they will certainly see this immediate disparity and question how you came to the conclusion you want to go into commercial law.

The fact that you said you'd like to do your GDL sounds like you're sure that at least you want to go into law. I think you'll find that it's a lot harder to find a TC with any of these companies then it is to actually do the GDL; although that will also be struggle.

I assume you want to do evening courses because you want to carry on working in the MOJ? I'm not sure if they offer evening courses, but they'll offer a part-time course. I have no experience of the part-time course but hopefully other people will tell you whether this is manageable with a full time job. I know that the GDL workload is intense. Also, have you thought about costs of the GDL?

You can of course apply direct for Training Contracts but that's difficult when you don't have any legal work experience (which I assume because you didn't write it, you don't have any). You would probably be best off applying for vacation schemes first. But they're difficult to do if you have a full time job. In case you didn't know, the applications open (firm dependant of course) around Sept, Oct time and then Jan 31. Some firms will specify an earlier date for graduates or if they run Easter / Winter schemes.

TC applications (for the majority of firms) are closed now for 2014. They will open again around the same time as vac schemes and of course will run until July 31st 2013. I think you'll be wiser to spend your time around now to do as much research as possible into firms (Withers and Norton Rose are very different!) aside from those two that you want to apply for. And whether you can juggle applications, work and GDL at the same time.

[ellie_flower]

(Original post by h-g-1)
The first thing I notice is your job will be in Human Rights law or Asylum law - these are very different to commercial law at Norton Rose / Withers. If you get to an interview stage at those firms, they will certainly see this immediate disparity and question how you came to the conclusion you want to go into commercial law.

The fact that you said you'd like to do your GDL sounds like you're sure that at least you want to go into law. I think you'll find that it's a lot harder to find a TC with any of these companies then it is to actually do the GDL; although that will also be struggle.

I assume you want to do evening courses because you want to carry on working in the MOJ? I'm not sure if they offer evening courses, but they'll offer a part-time course. I have no experience of the part-time course but hopefully other people will tell you whether this is manageable with a full time job. I know that the GDL workload is intense. Also, have you thought about costs of the GDL?

You can of course apply direct for Training Contracts but that's difficult when you don't have any legal work experience (which I assume because you didn't write it, you don't have any). You would probably be best off applying for vacation schemes first. But they're difficult to do if you have a full time job. In case you didn't know, the applications open (firm dependant of course) around Sept, Oct time and then Jan 31. Some firms will specify an earlier date for graduates or if they run Easter / Winter schemes.

TC applications (for the majority of firms) are closed now for 2014. They will open again around the same time as vac schemes and of course will run until July 31st 2013. I think you'll be wiser to spend your time around now to do as much research as possible into firms (Withers and Norton Rose are very different!) aside from those two that you want to apply for. And whether you can juggle applications, work and GDL at the same time.

Thank you for your immensely useful reply. I know I have a disparity between the different areas of law I'm interested in and the idea of going into commercial law. I got through to an interview with norton rose earlier this year but didn't go because I'd just gt my MoJ offer, so I'm pretty sure I can get into a TC if a research and work hard enough? I think at sme point real life experience, like working at MoJ, must trump a 2 week vac scheme?

If you dont think so I'd be grateful to hear from you because I don't want to raise my hopes!

All in all, many many thanks for the reply. I think I'm going to do the GDL at an evening course at BPP law college. It'll take 2 years to do and the workload seems manageable.

Thanks

[h-g-1]

(Original post by ellie_flower)
Thank you for your immensely useful reply. I know I have a disparity between the different areas of law I'm interested in and the idea of going into commercial law. I got through to an interview with norton rose earlier this year but didn't go because I'd just gt my MoJ offer, so I'm pretty sure I can get into a TC if a research and work hard enough? I think at sme point real life experience, like working at MoJ, must trump a 2 week vac scheme?

If you dont think so I'd be grateful to hear from you because I don't want to raise my hopes!

All in all, many many thanks for the reply. I think I'm going to do the GDL at an evening course at BPP law college. It'll take 2 years to do and the workload seems manageable.

Thanks

Ahhh, congrats with the interview - they're like bloody gold-dust themselves! Oh I completely agree with you about the real life trumping 2 week vac scheme - ultimately, being in the real world and getting some different experience helped me get my TC.

If you've had successful feedback already from doing what you're doing, then keep at it

[haych333]

hey there,

just wanted some advice also. I am a paediatric nurse at the moment working in great ormond street. I really want to work somewhere in human rights and have found a masters at soas that really interests me called called human rights and law I have been offered the place. However I really want to know more about where I can go after this and could I study or work my way into becoming a human rights lawyer?

[h-g-1]

(Original post by haych333)
hey there,

just wanted some advice also. I am a paediatric nurse at the moment working in great ormond street. I really want to work somewhere in human rights and have found a masters at soas that really interests me called called human rights and law I have been offered the place. However I really want to know more about where I can go after this and could I study or work my way into becoming a human rights lawyer?

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=617674

Maybe have a look at this thread - in particular one post that basically details out how there isn't such a thing as "Human Rights Lawyer". Depending on what area you want to work in, there will be different routes.

Maybe think about what is it about "human rights" exactly that interests you. Based on that, research what requirements are needed to work at Amnesty for example (if you wanted to go into the whole international scene). I suspect to be a lawyer (either a solicitor / barrister) would require at the very least a GDL conversion if you haven't done a law degree. This is obviously not something to be entered into lightly. So probably put that on the bottom of your list to research.

http://www.hrla.org.uk/

http://www.lawandlegal.co.uk/careers...rights-lawyer/

These are two websites I found simply by using google - I can't vouch to say whether they're any good or not but it's a start for you.

[Hanaan.Marhuby]

Hi, I'm a Bachelors of Business Management specialised in Finance graduate from Sheffield Hallam University, but I'm from the Middle East, so I'm back in my home country now "Sultanate of Oman" and currently working in PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as a Tax and Legal Services Consultant.

Initially I was put into this job to work in the tax area as it relates somehow to finance, but since we had a shortage of staff when I first joined and I was the only local employee in my department so I had the language advantage of speaking Arabic when necessary, I kept getting thrown into legal advisory work and I actually loved it and got really into it and now I'm thinking of doing my GDL conversion.

Only downfall is, like I said I live in the Middle East and this course isn't provided here, and I just got married and I do not want to travel abroad yet again. although I must say I do love the UK. SO THE QUESTION IS: do you think it is possible for me to do the 100% online GDL course?? which would take 2 years.. is it really tough?? will I be wasting my time, money and energy trying to do this when I clearly won't be able to??

[h-g-1]

(Original post by Hanaan.Marhuby)
Hi, I'm a Bachelors of Business Management specialised in Finance graduate from Sheffield Hallam University, but I'm from the Middle East, so I'm back in my home country now "Sultanate of Oman" and currently working in PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as a Tax and Legal Services Consultant.

Initially I was put into this job to work in the tax area as it relates somehow to finance, but since we had a shortage of staff when I first joined and I was the only local employee in my department so I had the language advantage of speaking Arabic when necessary, I kept getting thrown into legal advisory work and I actually loved it and got really into it and now I'm thinking of doing my GDL conversion.

Only downfall is, like I said I live in the Middle East and this course isn't provided here, and I just got married and I do not want to travel abroad yet again. although I must say I do love the UK. SO THE QUESTION IS: do you think it is possible for me to do the 100% online GDL course?? which would take 2 years.. is it really tough?? will I be wasting my time, money and energy trying to do this when I clearly won't be able to??

I think you should post this as a separate thread for more responses? Also, have you contacted the law providers that do the 100% online course and spoken to them about requirements etc.? I didn't do the GDL but I have friends who have done the normal GDL and they say its pretty tough. However, I hope you find people who have done the online courses who would share their experiences.