Legal Gap Year after Year 13

I am thinking about taking a gap year after finishing Sixth Form (I am currently in Year 12) before I apply to university. I would like to do something legal related, but am finding it hard thinking of anything I could do that does not require a law degree or that does not require signing up for a Solicitor apprenticeship, or anything like that. I have searched pretty extensively and I cannot really find anything that I could do.

I recently found the Pinsent Masons Gap Year Scheme and thought it would be perfect, but it was ended a couple of years ago which is a real shame.

Does anyone have any ideas about anything that I could do that has anything to do with Law? I honestly do not mind what I do, as I would like to gain some experience before university.

Vert limited as you have no skills and little or no knowledge at that stage, especially for a year.

CAB
Charity- lots to do with youth justice.
Post room at solicitors.
Local government
Courts


I would be more focused on saving money or getting a job in business. Law is a bonus really.

What is your aim in taking a gap year?

If your aim is to get into law, you'd be better just getting started with your degree and picking up experience in the summers.

As you've found, there's not a great deal you can do without at least having started with your degree.

My local citizens advice has already said no unforuntately. I have tried working in legal charities but it is proving quite difficult. Thanks for the advice though!

They have more than one branch in a city, usually. No need to overemphasise work experience in year 13.

My local citizens advice has already said no unforuntately. I have tried working in legal charities but it is proving quite difficult. Thanks for the advice though!

What role did you ask about? They have different roles on offer, some requiring more skills than others. I haven't heard of anyone being turned down before, but I can see your age being an issue. Not because you actually know less but because people might respect you enough to receive that advice.

I would repeat Timmona's advice. Not a great deal you can do at this time. Maybe do some reading, read the FT lots, keep up to date with current affairs. I will add that not having legal experience before university is not going to matter; most people won't have a considerable degree of experience and on an academic law degree that does not matter. Anything you learnt from CAB or anywhere else would not make your degree any easier! It is a whole other type of law, really.

I asked about any role in general. I already read a variety of news sources and have to for my politics class so I doing that well. Yeah I get that, I just wanted to have more experience before university really to give me more things to talk about in interviews for either university or vacation schemes. Thanks though!

You probably be better doing a gap year programme with one of the big accountancy or financial firms - I have recruited a fair number of trainees who had that experience prior to uni.

No, you said "I would like to do something legal related" and ended with "Does anyone have any ideas about anything that I could do that has anything to do with Law?".

Not really no that’s why I suggested other areas - seen compliance gap year programmes in FS which is probably the closest to legal I have seen.

The challenge is that many of those formal programmes will have closed applications already though, although Deloitte’s Scholar Scheme still seems to be open for Audit/Assurance in some of the regional offices.

Then that’s not an issue at all. Look out for programmes and apply - lots of the Big 4 have gap year programmes, and also look at Investment2020’s website for opportunities in FS.

Pinsent Masons used to do a gap year programme - not sure if they still do.

Unfortunately not.

Start looking in October and see if each firm/organisation has dates on their website then and hen create w strategy of where to apply to based on that information.