Is it a good idea to a masters in conflict resolution as a lawyer?

Hi!
Yes I am working as a lawyer in my country. Even though I have done my undergrad (LLb) from uk it's accepted here (I live in a commonwealth country)
My main goal right now is to be able to find a job in the uk - preferably in a commercial firm or chamber set (I have done the bptc)

But my university ranking/repute might be a hindrance.
Is it advisable to go for the masters program in conflict resolution?

Come on, can you seriously look me in the eye and tell me a degree from Sheffield Hallam is the same as a degree from the University of Manchester?

I'm sorry, but rankings and prestige are there for a reason. Companies specifically hold job fairs and recruit exclusively from top universities for a reason. Stop trying to delude people, prestige does matter in life.

I think it's important for me to be frank about this. Ideally, yes that would be the situation, and if they had two interview slots that would likely to be the outcome. However, if they were only interviewing one candidate and their applications were identical in every way possible, the person as the higher rated uni is likely to be selected.

The reality is though applications are not identical. Even candidates with identical work experience, academics etc will have different applications. How they are written, extra curriculars, motivation etc means it is highly unlikely a recruiter will ever have to make a decision based on where someone studied. Something else (or a mixture of other factors) is far more likely to influence the decision.


Posted from TSR Mobile

Come on, can you seriously look me in the eye and tell me a degree from Sheffield Hallam is the same as a degree from the University of Manchester?

I'm sorry, but rankings and prestige are there for a reason. Companies specifically hold job fairs and recruit exclusively from top universities for a reason. Stop trying to delude people, prestige does matter in life.

Why are you so insecure about your university?

You have experience as a lawyer and hopefully skills, leverage those instead of worrying about silly things like prestige. Networking is also a great way to break into the areas you're interested in.

Posted from TSR Mobile

I am unfortunately very insecure abou the reputation of my university. I almost went to kings college and then I decided to make this stupid decision (of attending UoM) and now I regret it. I wish I could undo it. I was so stupid in a levels that I didn't know which universities were the "good" ones and which weren't and I just applied on a whim without putting thought into my university list. I wish I had been more proactive and had done my research and gone to kings instead.

It's been a good 8 years since I applied and finished a levels but I still have not been able to get over this and I don't think I ever will.

1. Stop being dumb, Kings wouldn't have made up for your attitude
2. A uni on your CV will not make up for lack of preparation, initiative, positive attitude on your part
3. Get over the university thing and find a way to achieve your goals without coming across as bitter and insecure
4. Stop making posts about this issue everywhere and start working towards your goals
5. Don't blame a perfectly strong university for your shortcomings

I'm sorry but you're not getting sympathy from me.


Posted from TSR Mobile

That's being a bit over paranoid. There isn't a huge difference between KCL or Manchester in terms of reputation.


Posted from TSR Mobile

That's being a bit over paranoid. There isn't a huge difference between KCL or Manchester in terms of reputation.


Posted from TSR Mobile

1) it isn't a disadvantage but it is not going to be an advantage either. Too many people who qualify abroad think it's easy to get a qualified role in the UK.

It isn't - a lot of firms discount 2-3 years experience from non-UK qualified lawyers, mainly because the UK system requires a 2 year training contract before someone qualifies.

Your experience then has to be comparable to that of the U.K. to be in a good position. By that I mean you have to have worked with the same type of clients and the same type of complexity of cases/deals. Unless you have worked in a major financial centre like New York/Hong Kong you are far less likely to have comparable experience.

The other major difference is that you are not a UK qualified lawyer - you technically can't work in the UK as a lawyer on English law matters without it being signed off by an English qualified lawyer. Being dual qualified via the QLTS would eliminate that issue but would still not give you practical English law experience.

2) it would look impressive on your CV. However it's unlikely to help you get work in the US (you usually need a JD). It's not going to help with the above issues if you wanted to work in the UK either.

3) I can only say it from a law firm perspective rather than from chambers, but yes they do take non-EU trainees or NQs. Given what you have said about your experience, a training contract seems the best route for you rather than a qualified role and there are enough firms who will sponsor a tier 2 visa for you for that. But your issue is those firms are about to recruit for their 2019/2020 trainee intakes, plus there is going to be a big question on your application about your motivation for 1) being in the UK and 2) commercial law firm over chambers given you choose the BPTC.


Posted from TSR Mobile

I think the addition of an LLM from a good university will strengthen an already good application, but I don't think it would be enough to drag a terrible one out of the gutter. So I guess it depends on how good the rest of your profile is. If you only want to do it to enhance an application rather than any genuine interest in the subject that would be a pretty poor waste of so much money though

Well it's twofold - I want to be able to enhance my cv/application (to rule out the negative effects of my first university) and second I am genuinely interested in dispute resolution as a field. That's what I deal with almost daily at work right now.

But what I wanted to figure out was whether work experience will be more valued than a masters?

No.

You will either need to complete a training contract. To do this you will need to convert your BPTC to the LPC (not sure what exemptions you get, if any). You will then need to complete a 2-year training contract. You are then qualified.

The only alternative is if you are eligible, you can take the QLTS (Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme). You would need to check your own eligibility for this though. The challenge you would have if you took this route is potentially you are qualified but under experienced compared to UK qualified lawyers.




Posted from TSR Mobile

You just have to be eligible for the QLTS. If you are not, you can't take the series of tests to qualify to work as a lawyer in England and Wales. It sounds like you are eligible.

This is where it gets tricky. I wouldn't just recommend people dive into the QLTS without working out whether they have the rest of their CV up to scratch. You really need advice from senior lawyers or recruiters working in the areas of law you are interested in to see if they think your experiences/academics are up to the level they would expect. Completing the QLTS is not some form of magic bullet that means you will automatically be considered for jobs, you need the rest of it to back it up.

The QLTS is not easy either. It has a significant fail rate, so it isn't an easy process to complete it - although if you have studied English law at undergraduate level, you will have an advantage.


Posted from TSR Mobile

In my opinion (and I've worked in recruitment etc) work experience will always be more valuable than a masters. The double whammy is when you've got a masters AND work experience - like doing a master's part time. This is what I'm doing now and it's worked out extremely well for me. I don't think a good masters university will wipe out having a poor university on your CV to be honest, lots more people do masters degrees now and in general they are easier to get onto than undergrad because they're so financially beneficial for the universities*

If you don't mind me asking whether universities have you attended (postgrad and undergrad?)

No that's not what I am saying.

My advice is not to find work, it's to get specialist advice on this from lawyers/recruiters in the specific field you are looking at. Find out what route they would recommend to you given your circumstances. I suspect that if you take the QLTS route and seek qualified lawyer work you will be "over qualified but under experienced" but you need someone to review the details of your CV and then extent of your experience to give you clarity on this.

You are eligible for a training contract - you'd just need to complete the majority of the LPC.

Do not seek work until you get more advice on what is the best route for you. Until today you didn't even know what qualifications you would need so you are severely under researched and therefore under prepared/knowledgable. You need to look into this further before delving into either route.






Posted from TSR Mobile

Southampton (not Solent) for my LLB and I'm at King's College London for my MA