How hard is it doing an LPC alongside training contract?

Hi everyone,

I am working at a law firm and have two options in front of me at the moment.
I can either start a full time LPC in Jan 2016 (alongside 1-2 days working at the firm) and then begin my training contract a few months after graduating.

Or I could continue to work at the firm for a year and then commence the LPC in Sep 2016 alongside a training contract.

Either way, I have calculated that I qualify as a solicitor at the same age.

Just don't know whether I should do a full time LPC followed by TC, or LPC and TC at the same time.

What are the pros and cons? Any advice?

Reply 1

Yazooo

Original post by J-SP

1) ask your firm if they have a preference

2) working full time + studying part time is difficult. I'd only recommend it if your employer is supportive of it and are willing to be flexible with your hours and time off. You will undoubtedly need study leave when it comes to formal assessments/exams and it is easier to do this if your employer is happy to approve time off (whether that's annual leave or study leave - the latter could be paid or unpaid).

Posted from TSR Mobile

Thanks so much for your answer. I just need a second opinion

You're right, it would be hard, but do you think it would be any harder than working part time and studying full time? Because if I done the LPC full time I would still have to come into the firm 1-2 days a week.

Reply 2

alittleblonde

Original post by J-SP

Yes, I think it would be harder. Studying tends to be a smaller number of fixed hours for classes/tutorials and then a higher number for your reading which you can do around other commitments and at times that suit you.

Working is something where in most instances you have to work beyond your fixed hours (especially in the legal sector) and it probably isn't going to be 9-5. You could easily end up working 30%-50% more hours a week on a regular basis (depending on the firm's culture and working environment). 30-50% of 15 hours is a lot less than 30-50% of 35 hours.

In short, there would be much more flexibility in working part-time and studying full time, than there will be working full time and studying part time.

However this is highly dependent on your employer and their attitudes to your studies. Which is why speaking to them is vital before you make a decision either way.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Hi!

I'm doing my training contract part-time alongside the part-time LPC and I've found it to be a good balance. I've found that my practical experience helps me to do better on the LPC and vice versa. I also think the workload and volume of information to learn at once/exams to take at once is much more manageable.

I do my LPC at Northumbria uni and the full timers had 2 skill assessments and 3 x 4 hour long written exams within 2 weeks this January, whereas I only had to do 2 written exams as I'd done the rest last year. I think I would've had a meltdown trying to revise for all of those at once!

I honestly think it'd be a struggle to keep up with the studies while working 1-2 days per week, I'm definitely happy with the decision I made. But at the end of the day you'll know in your gut what you think is best for you!

Best of luck.

Reply 3

alittleblonde

Original post by J-SP

That is slightly different - you are doing both things part time rather than one full time and another part time. I can see that would give you the best of both worlds but part time TCs are more difficult to come by (which is a shame).

Posted from TSR Mobile

I guess I should probably count my employment as "full-time" as I actually work 4 days per week and attend uni for the LPC every Tuesday. Either way, I just wanted to pass on my positive experience of the part-time LPC as not many people seem to go down that route!

How hard is it doing an LPC alongside training contract?

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