law training contract for non-law student
Hello!
I'm about to start my BSc in Psychology but don't intend to go down the clinical route. I'm already thinking about switching to law after my BSc. The best way, to my current knowledge, would be through a training contract. I'm eager to start making myself more competitive and would like direction. I'm going to the University of Liverpool and plan on joining the Law society there, but otherwise not sure what else to do. ALL advice welcomed!
Also -
Where abouts do I find Spring Weeks and Insight Days for law firms? I've seen Bristol Trackr advertised but wonder about the alternatives. And would I be able to join these events as a non-law first year?
Final question -
If I were to secure a training contract after my BSc, would that mean all further study for law (i.e. law conversion, SQE 1&2) would be funded, so I don't get into any more debt?
Thanks in advance!
I'm about to start my BSc in Psychology but don't intend to go down the clinical route. I'm already thinking about switching to law after my BSc. The best way, to my current knowledge, would be through a training contract. I'm eager to start making myself more competitive and would like direction. I'm going to the University of Liverpool and plan on joining the Law society there, but otherwise not sure what else to do. ALL advice welcomed!
Also -
Where abouts do I find Spring Weeks and Insight Days for law firms? I've seen Bristol Trackr advertised but wonder about the alternatives. And would I be able to join these events as a non-law first year?
Final question -
If I were to secure a training contract after my BSc, would that mean all further study for law (i.e. law conversion, SQE 1&2) would be funded, so I don't get into any more debt?
Thanks in advance!
Reply 1
It would be rare for a first year undergraduate who is not studying law to obtain a work experience position, but you might obtain such a position in your second or more likely in your third year.
You can obtain information about vacation schemes and so forth from sites such as Legal Cheek, and perhaps also Roll On Friday (a site that exists mainly for trainee and junior solicitors to bewail their bad decision in signing the Faustian Bargain and joining a large law firm). Also check out The Law Society, Bar Council, and Inns of Court websites.
If you obtain a training contract, you might obtain funding for legal education, and you might not. That depends on the firm which offers you the contract. The same is true if you obtain a pupillage.
Have you already considered and decided against trying for the Bar?
As you may already know, competition for training contracts and for pupillages is intense. Most of those who set out to become lawyers fail to become lawyers. The attrition rate is high. This is not a reason not to try to become a lawyer, but you need to go into the process with your eyes open, and to have a Plan B.
How much do you know about what lawyers do? Have you any views on what type of law you might like to practise?
I hope that you will enjoy university. Good luck!
You can obtain information about vacation schemes and so forth from sites such as Legal Cheek, and perhaps also Roll On Friday (a site that exists mainly for trainee and junior solicitors to bewail their bad decision in signing the Faustian Bargain and joining a large law firm). Also check out The Law Society, Bar Council, and Inns of Court websites.
If you obtain a training contract, you might obtain funding for legal education, and you might not. That depends on the firm which offers you the contract. The same is true if you obtain a pupillage.
Have you already considered and decided against trying for the Bar?
As you may already know, competition for training contracts and for pupillages is intense. Most of those who set out to become lawyers fail to become lawyers. The attrition rate is high. This is not a reason not to try to become a lawyer, but you need to go into the process with your eyes open, and to have a Plan B.
How much do you know about what lawyers do? Have you any views on what type of law you might like to practise?
I hope that you will enjoy university. Good luck!
Reply 2
Original post
by crazyIemonHello!
I'm about to start my BSc in Psychology but don't intend to go down the clinical route. I'm already thinking about switching to law after my BSc. The best way, to my current knowledge, would be through a training contract. I'm eager to start making myself more competitive and would like direction. I'm going to the University of Liverpool and plan on joining the Law society there, but otherwise not sure what else to do. ALL advice welcomed!
Also -
Where abouts do I find Spring Weeks and Insight Days for law firms? I've seen Bristol Trackr advertised but wonder about the alternatives. And would I be able to join these events as a non-law first year?
Final question -
If I were to secure a training contract after my BSc, would that mean all further study for law (i.e. law conversion, SQE 1&2) would be funded, so I don't get into any more debt?
Thanks in advance!
I'm about to start my BSc in Psychology but don't intend to go down the clinical route. I'm already thinking about switching to law after my BSc. The best way, to my current knowledge, would be through a training contract. I'm eager to start making myself more competitive and would like direction. I'm going to the University of Liverpool and plan on joining the Law society there, but otherwise not sure what else to do. ALL advice welcomed!
Also -
Where abouts do I find Spring Weeks and Insight Days for law firms? I've seen Bristol Trackr advertised but wonder about the alternatives. And would I be able to join these events as a non-law first year?
Final question -
If I were to secure a training contract after my BSc, would that mean all further study for law (i.e. law conversion, SQE 1&2) would be funded, so I don't get into any more debt?
Thanks in advance!
Hi,
It’s great that you are being so proactive! I would encourage you to get involved in a range of extracurricular activities and societies as well as joining the law society. Law firms look for a range of skills (e.g. teamwork, resilience, communication, flexibility, drive) and it can help you stand out if you can show these in different contexts.
Keep an eye out for events and law fairs run with your university. As a first-year non-law student you may not be eligible to attend many firm-run insight schemes/days (these tend to be for second years, with vacation scheme applications generally opening to you in third year), but I am sure there are some - have a look through the Legal Cheek Key Deadlines Calendar to find the job listings and check the eligibility criteria. There are plenty of webinars and open days which you should be able to attend in any case. It would be fantastic if you could narrow down the type of firm you would like to work for and/or the sort of work you are interested in (practice areas/sectors) early on, as it will make tailoring your applications to individual firms much easier. Make sure you keep a list of every event you go to which you can refer back to later.
Many law firms do pay your tuition and exam fees for the PgDL and SQE courses! A good number also provide a maintenance grant (no repayment needed) for these years of study. Legal Cheek has collected some of this data (PgDL grants and SQE grants), but they can sometimes be out of date if the firm has recently updated the numbers so it is a good idea to cross-reference them on their websites.
I hope this helps!
Layla
SQE LLM student
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