Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Work experience for Law? I need help!!!

I finished Year 12 and it's summer now, I know I should've done this sooner but..here goes.
I desperately need work experience at a Law firm. I am pretty sure I want to do Law at University, and probably move on to become a solicitor. But I realised how tough the competition is so I need atleast a week's worth of experience I can talk about in my personal statement.

I contacted many of my local solicitors, emailed/sent my CV and stuff like that but none of them replied. After I come back from my holiday I only have 2 weeks left which I will try and fill in with work experience.
Should I just go to random solicitors and see if they can give me any?
Have any of you ever done it? Was it useful? What else can I do to make myself look more prepared to study the subject?

Thank you :smile:

Reply 1

Miracle Day

Go to them in person OP

Reply 2

WilliamODPannell

I think it might be too late to sort something out over the summer, but i'd keep trying anyway. I went to my local courts and watched a crown court case there for a week, I'm not sure this applies so much to being a solicitor but it might be better than nothing.

Reply 3

Captain-Jack

I'm in exactly the same boat as you. I (unfortunately) left it to late to get any work experience for law, but basically was told not to worry. Apparently unis (particularly the top ones) see reading as more important, as in a placement you could just be making teas and coffees for all they know. Read like text books if you don't study law atm, (letters to a law student/learning the law for example) and if you do law now, take on further reading to develop a field of interest (eg human rights, constitution, whatever). I also visited the local crown and magistrate, and also the Supreme Court in order to show the physical aspect, and intend to add this into my cv, say what I learn/enjoyed

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 4

Hoola Hoops

Yeah I think you're right, I have ordered some books like "What about Law?" to give me an insight into studying law at uni and stuff. Thankfully I managed to secure a week's work experience at a local solicitors..I hope that'll help. Also, court visits should be fun :biggrin:

Reply 5

Unsworth

Personally, I wouldn't dedicate more then 3 lines on the PS talking about work experience at a law firm, so don't use it as a way of making an entire paragraph out of it. If you can't get any, just go to your local court, watch some cases and talk about something that interested you. It will look just as good as any actual work experience at a law firm, and probably be more interesting too at your age.

Reply 6

jfranks

I'm in the same boat as you - i wouldn't bother, would just focus on doing something else for ur application like extra reading since it's such short notice... and if you're still 17 by the end of ur holiday then most places won't take you on as I have found that most solicitors and barristers offices require you to be 18 for the sake of the insurance and that its a non-negotiable factor. not to mention most of those places are too busy and only ever do work experience as a favour to the family members of their employees.

also - this may not apply to you, but i do wish somebody had told me this before:
last year i contacted firms about work experience and when i recently tried again this year, they mentioned already having had received my application (the old one from last year) and that they would not offer work experience. they didnt even botherr to read my new application with my updated cv and personal statements. i know this because they sent back emails within 5mins and while over the phone they said these things without any hesitation.
so think of ur first formal application as ur only chance at doing this. dont waste it now when it's too short notice or ur unlikely to get anything cos ur still 17.

good luck in ur application to law and i hope my experience can help you in some way.

Reply 7

Aristotle's' Disciple

http://www.pinsentmasons.com/en/graduate/our-programmes/school-work-experience/

Good luck. :smile:

Reply 8

username944192

You don't need work experience to get into uni for law. Lots of people on my course didn't have any. I would try the high street firms as opposed to big ones, they'll be more willing. Also in your letters try saying you want to "shadow" a solicitor as opposed to "work experience", this makes it seem like you are happy to sit quietly as they go about their day (and that they don't have to give you anything to do...).

While I did have extensive work experience, as others have said, it shouldn't take up too much of your PS anyway. Law is not a vocational course, it's taught as an academic subject and not everyone who reads Law will go on to be a lawyer. The LPC is the vocational training part of becoming a solicitor, NOT the law degree, and you need to show that you understand this distinction in your PS. There's nothing wrong with saying you intend to be a solicitor but you should focus on why you want to study Law as opposed to practice it.

Reply 9

Cephalosporin

I think it's a good idea to read widely, as others have suggested.

What about being part of a mock jury? Some universities conduct research on the workings of the jury system and sometimes recruit volunteers to act as jurors!