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ADVICE NEEDED: Training Contracts

becc.a.j

I'm just about to start third year and I still haven't applied for training contracts. I want to be a solicitor so obviously the LPC is compulsory. However, much of the training contract applications with deadlines recently have been in the field of commercial law. An area not of interest.

I'd like to specialise in criminal/personal injury law....so how do I go about getting training contracts in this area????

Please help!

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Reply 1

Le Nombre

There are firms which do this and offer sponsorship, IM's an obvious one, but it is rarer. Have a look at that section of Chambers Student.

Good option may be to paralegal for a year, save up and apply for TCs at the same time, then if you get one funded great, if it's unfunded you can still pay for it. It's one of the times being an LLB helps, as you can go straight into being a para.

Reply 2

becc.a.j

Original post by Le Nombre

So would you recommend becoming a paralegal for a year, to save up for an LPC and apply for training contracts at the same time? Then hopefully get a training contract for 2017?

Reply 3

Le Nombre

Original post by becc.a.j

So would you recommend becoming a paralegal for a year, to save up for an LPC and apply for training contracts at the same time? Then hopefully get a training contract for 2017?

Well you may as well apply for funded ones this year, if you can get the dream ticket of a fully funded LPC and guaranteed TC you may as wel give it a shot.

However, if this doesn't happen then a year's paralegalling whilst you apply for TCs is a pretty good option.

Reply 4

Le Nombre

http://www.chambersstudent.co.uk/Articles/SolicitorPA/914

Reply 5

becc.a.j

Original post by Le Nombre

Fully funded what sorry?

Reply 6

Le Nombre

Original post by becc.a.j

Fully funded what sorry?

LPC, as in a firm which offers you a TC also pays your LPC fees.

Reply 7

becc.a.j

Original post by Le Nombre

LPC, as in a firm which offers you a TC also pays your LPC fees.

Ah yeah, ideally that's what I would've liked to have done but I think I missed the 2016 training contract deadlines.

Reply 8

Le Nombre

Original post by becc.a.j

Ah yeah, ideally that's what I would've liked to have done but I think I missed the 2016 training contract deadlines.

You have, but you can still apply for 2017 whilst at uni, then fill one year with the LPC and another with whatever you fancy )work, travelling or a mix).

Reply 9

becc.a.j

Original post by Le Nombre

You have, but you can still apply for 2017 whilst at uni, then fill one year with the LPC and another with whatever you fancy )work, travelling or a mix).

Okay, thanks for your help!

Reply 10

jpearson

Original post by Le Nombre

It's really difficult to get paralegal jobs - the market is saturated with law grads who have already completed the LPC. The LPC is almost a prerequisite for paralegal positions - just take a look at any website that lists available legal jobs.

The best you could potentially do with the LLB but without the LPC is be a legal assistant. Mind you, these jobs are also ridiculously competitive.

Reply 11

TurboCretin

Original post by becc.a.j

I don't know whether you have built up much work experience, but if not I would recommend trying to get some mini-pupillages in the relevant area(s). I know you don't want to be a barrister, but it shows some initiative, drive and interest, and it will allow you to tell firms in interviews that you have checked out the barrister route and preferred the idea of being a solicitor.

Also much easier than trying to get work experience at a law firm.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 12

TurboCretin

Original post by Le Nombre

Would second jpearson on the paralegal point - it's extremely tough to get a paralegal position without the LPC, in reality.

Reply 13

jpearson

If you don't know what firms to apply to, look at Chambers & Partners.

Firms ranked highly in criminal law:
http://www.chambersandpartners.com/guide/uk/1/347 (General)
http://www.chambersandpartners.com/11814/2544/editorial/1/1 (Extradition)

Firms ranked highly in personal injury law:
http://www.chambersandpartners.com/guide/uk/1/144 (Mainly claimant)
http://www.chambersandpartners.com/11805/1285/editorial/1/1 (Mainly claimant - industrial disease)
http://www.chambersandpartners.com/guide/uk/1/145 (Mainly defendant) - you probably wouldn't consider these firms as much because they tend to represent the big companies 'the little guy' is suing

I don't know much about these particular areas of law (I applied to commercial firms only) but I recognise these London firms and know them to be quite reputable (I believe they all sponsor the LPC as well but do double-check on their websites):
- Kingsley Napley
- Irwin Mitchell
- Leigh Day
- Stewarts Law

These firms may also offer vacation schemes, which I'm sure you know is arguably the best way to get a TC. Same deadlines apply for the big law firms in these areas of law. VS applications generally open on November 1st and close on January 31st. TC applications also open on November 1st but close on July 31st.

I applied in my final year and was relatively successful so if I were you, I'd definitely apply this year.

Reply 14

Le Nombre

Original post by jpearson

Original post by TurboCretin

Would second jpearson on the paralegal point - it's extremely tough to get a paralegal position without the LPC, in reality.

Is it that bad? I've not done it but talking to our paras over half are doing it in order to save up for the LPC having done the GDL or LLB and there were about 6/20 in my class on the LPC who'd gone that route, though they would have actually applied a couple of years back. It might be better going direct? I know HR show similar biases in uni for paralegals as trainees, which agencies don't as much.

Reply 15

TurboCretin

Original post by Le Nombre

I can only really speak from my own experience in applying (directly) for paralegal work last year - the LPC was often stated as a prerequisite, and where this was not the case firms and companies still showed noticeable bias towards LPC graduates. In a market with so many of them, this makes it difficult for people without to make any headway.

As for explaining your experience, it could be that it's a sampling illusion produced by speaking only to those who have been successful. It would be wrong to interpret a 50/50 split of paras in a given firm having/not having completed the LPC as a sign that the odds are even if the split among the applicants was 20/80. I think what this demonstrates is that we would need to speak to those with neither the LPC nor experience in order to get an accurate idea of the relative success rate of them getting their first para role.

It should be easier to get a paralegal role than a training contract, but while there are about 40-50 applicants per place for TCs the ratio for paralegal positions is often two or three times that, with the top stratum of applicants being equally well-qualified and capable as those who secure TCs. I got a City TC in the end without ever having managed to bag a formal paralegal position of decent length.

Reply 16

becc.a.j

I'm just concerned with funding the LPC really

Reply 17

Crumpet1

There are far fewer TCs in the legal specialities you are looking at, and LPC funding is also rarer. By all means apply to firms that fund, but you may need to accept that you will be funding the LPC yourself.

A slightly cynical addition - whilst criminal and PI are interesting to study at university, don't assume that the more commercial specialisms are not interesting in practice. When TCs are so hard to come by, the TC stage may not be the right time to be picky about who you train with ... get yourself qualified first, THEN be picky.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 18

RedbrickLaw

Hi, I graduated from Law in 2014 from a Redbrick University. I managed to come out with a 2:1 in the end, despite 2:2's in first and second year. I want to go down the solicitor route but I am finding it so hard to get a training contract. I don't mind paying for the LPC myself as I'm actually working as a caseworker for 2 years then hoping to start my lpc in sept 2016. However, the area of law that I am currently working in is Immigration and I want to ideally practice law in a med-sized/regional city firm doing commercial work.

Any advice would be much appreciated. Paralegal positions are just as competitive as TC's. Really don't know where I am going! Also is it true that the LPC becomes out of date/invalid 2 years after you complete it?

Reply 19

TurboCretin

Original post by RedbrickLaw

You don't need a paralegal job to gain valuable experience/demonstrate interest. Most people at this stage simply do it to try and bring money in doing something relevant to their chosen career. Working as a caseworker will help to demonstrate some of the skills which firms seek in trainees, so that's good. But you're right to say that demonstrating interest in commercial work is something you will need to focus on.

Something which helped me a bit was thinking of things I could do with little permission from other people. If it's difficult to gain a position, start something on your own initiative. Start a society, start a commercial law blog - anything.

As J-SP says, apply to as many law firm open days as you can. They are easy to get a spot on (compared to vac schemes), and once you've done maybe ten of them it starts to demonstrate some genuine interest.