AIBU to ask for legal career advice?

[thelongwayhome]

Posting for traffic. Uni have been unhelpful. I was meant to have a placement year, this was canceled due to covid. I am in my final year of my law degree. I'm trying to apply for training contracts but getting somewhat confused.

Do I need to apply for the LPC before securing a TC? I will not be undertaking the LPC without a TC, it's a risk I'm not willing to take. I cannot afford to do the LPC myself, do all TC offers fund your LPC, or do some require you pay for it yourself? The firm websites do not make this clear.
I have good grades and a decent CV, I cannot move as I have a child who is settled here and we live near her father, but there are many well respected local firms.

My other option is to undertake the SQE and find work in the meantime, obviously that will be somewhat difficult given the current climate.

I mention the placement as I would have been applying for 2022 starts with no period of potential unemployment after finishing my undergrad, however now I'm effectively finishing a year earlier it's really screwed that up.

Any and all advice is welcome, especially if I've misunderstood something. As I said uni has been less than helpful in regard to what's next for us! Trying not to worry too much.

No not all training contracts come with an lpc paid for, in fact we paid foe our daughters and she was given a training contract by one of the biggest global firms, which she is now doing . She also worked as a paralegal when doing it. At another top ten law firm. Many do offer it though.

Training contracts are usually offered two years in advance, if it comes with the lpc or gdl then they book this and you do it in the year before you start,

You cannot book your lpc because you need to start paying as soon as you do.

What uni are you at? They should be giving support on this. Also you can google which companies offer them. But it lists the big ones, if you want to go high st it’s less easy to find.

What is your projected degree result?

Also why do you see doing your lpc as a risk? Even paralegals need it at a certain level.

@Bluntness100 it's a lot of money that I would have to have as a loan with no guarantee that I could pay it back. Genuinely not sure if I'll have a job at all with the way things are looking for grads right now!

@Bluntness100 that's all really helpful thank you! Currently on track for a high 2:1. I'm not at a Russel group, it's a fairly small uni. We've had minimal communication since leaving for the lockdown in March, they were assuring us we'd still get placements about 3 weeks into this semester.

OP, have you read about the Solicitor's Qualifying Exam, if not - look into it. It is a new way for individuals to qualify in Law and comes into force September 2021. Cost estimates are approximately £8000.00 but not all paid out in one lump sum so there's some breathing space.

Are you applying for training contracts op? You need to get this done. They take some time, the applications, and you need to make it specific to the company to stand a chance.

If you’re not forecast a 2:1 forget the big boys. You won’t even be able to complete the application if you’re not. If you are, get applying, if not, focus on High street, but you need to get your applications in.

Again though, what uni you’re at and what your result is forecast to be is important,

Sorry, just read you have looked into the SQE.

Further, don't allow your results to deter you, 2:1 is fantastic. My firm have just awarded a TC to a paralegal with a 2:2 who did his law degree with the OU.

I know someone who, because they were applying for contracts late, applyed for lpc part time and took on part time paralegal position. That spread it over the extra year they would otherwise have nothing. I lost contact so not sure they got TC after, but I imagine the extra experience would have helped.
There are also some high street firms which don't offer TC as a standard but want you to work as a paralegal first. It's worth to speak with them.

Some firms will still have openings for starts when you need it now.

And I agree with bluntness. The uni should be supporting you in this. Has the career centre just not been any help?

Check out legal Cheek, Lawcareers.net, Targetjobs and Bright Network. They have lits of info, deadlines, tips etc

The firm's websites will say whether they fund the LPC or not. Only some of the big firms do, smaller firms won't. If it doesn't say they do on the website - they don't.

Good luck. I graduated in 2017 and went to about 5 assessment centres in 2019 for training contracts as well as doing 2 vacation schemes that summer. I've been working in a law firm in pre-lit PI claims since I graduated with a first class degree from a 'good' but non RG uni. Rejections all round. Like you I cannot take the financial risk of the LPC without a TC offer, nor can I relocate. The problem is if you only apply to firms that will fund your LPC that won't be very many firms at all, unless you live in London. In my NW city I think there are about 6 in the city who will fund the LPC. It's very competitive.

@SchrodingersImmigrant not particularly. As all the students who were on placement last year are now in a year with us (effectively double the usual cohort numbers) I think they're overwhelmed with how many of us are in this position. Will keep trying to get some help though.

The initial plan was to do the placement which would count towards a year of the SQE requirement and hopefully get a TC with the firm I did my placement with, so I didn't plan for this eventuality! Only have myself to blame there for failing to plan ahead. Will check those websites out

(The placement year was compulsory at our uni and they've had to revise the rules this year for obvious reasons)

[quote thelongwayhome]@SchrodingersImmigrant not particularly. As all the students who were on placement last year are now in a year with us (effectively double the usual cohort numbers) I think they're overwhelmed with how many of us are in this position. Will keep trying to get some help though.

The initial plan was to do the placement which would count towards a year of the SQE requirement and hopefully get a TC with the firm I did my placement with, so I didn't plan for this eventuality! Only have myself to blame there for failing to plan ahead. Will check those websites out[/quote]
If you were accepted to the placement in the firm you want to do TC in, have you had a chat with them about it? It may be possible they would be helpful and you could secure TC with them

@MeadowHay that's so helpful, thank you. Sorry you've not had much luck either, although it is a bit of a comfort to know I'm not alone. Have you enjoyed working in a law firm, and what are your ongoing plans if you don't mind sharing? Exploring all options and routes

@SchrodingersImmigrant I have sent a few emails and not yet had a reply, I also enquired about unpaid remote working experience over lockdown as I had finished for the academic year at the start of May but they didn't get back to me on that either.
They're my "holy grail" as it were and I desperately want to work there (although I'm happy to work elsewhere, setting realistic expectations), the paralegal vacancy they currently have is in an area I'm very not interested in but it's still an option. There is also a legal secretary role which isn't ideal, but it's better than nothing.

Perhaps the SQE is a better route to explore in regard to this as it's a bit more financially viable

Try again with your careers/employability team. You should be able to have a guidance appointment with a careers adviser, hopefully one who specialises in the the legal sector.
The websites given up thread are a great resource.
I’d say a funded LPC is getting increasingly rare, and firms look to hire from within. Working up from paralegal or legal sec is common.
There’s also the CILex route.
Lots of providers integrated the LPC into masters courses a few years back so students could qualify for the postgraduate loan - so fees not needed upfront.
Hope you can get the advice you need 😊

@Sunshine0620 this thread has been incredibly helpful and I have a much better understanding of my options now, CILex was mentioned to us in 2nd year but it had slipped my mind, I'll investigate that too.

My job is alright. Very low paid (I was earning minimum wage until about a year ago), not a 'passion' area or anything, boring sometimes. But on the plus side my team are lovely, my manager is amazing, the sector is pretty stable so the job is quite secure, my employer is quite good about flexible working, I very rarely have any work-related stress etc. Pros and cons. I don't work very closely to any of the actually qualified lawyers. My employer isn't a 'typical' law firm though (don't want to out myself) and isn't the employer I initially joined due to various takeovers. There is very limited opportunity for career progression where I am and in terms of trainee solicitors, there have been no trainees in our office for years and no plans to have any. Given the size of my employer that's quite unusual though I think.

Lots to think about, thank you so much. Really appreciate all the advice and help!

Op, am I reading you’ve not actually applied for any training contracts yet? You need to do this, not just send emails.

You won’t get a training contract if you don’t apply. And if you delay you’ll miss your opportunity,

I’d not sniff at paralegal work, irrelevant of the area, some law firms see it as invaluable and many senior and renowned lawyers started that way and like to see the Junior lawyers do it too, a kind of I earned my stripes you should too.

The firm I work for employ paralegals with LPCs and they are then offered a training contract after a year working as a paralegal. Most firms won’t pay for the LPC.

Some civil service jobs including the CPS will pay for you to train once you work for them. Any CPS employee can apply for their various schemes as an example. If you've got your law degree it's quicker than if you don't.
I'd be applying for jobs such as civil service and paralegal as well as training contracts then you've got something relevant to do whilst still applying if you don't get something straight away.

@Bluntness100
I've been looking at applications today, and none of the firms say they will fund your LPC/SQE and that you need to provide details of the above for September 2022 applications, so given what everyone's said I'm assuming I can't apply until I've undertaken or plan to undertake those qualifications. Several local firms also state they only hire internally from their current paralegals, there are a few paralegal positions available at different firms but most are asking for at least 6 months previous paralegal experience, so trying to find one that doesn't require experience or additional qualifications

In the 15 years that I’ve been in law (3 firms, city, 250-1,000 employees) there has been a huge shift. 15 years ago it would be the norm to secure a training contract and start as soon as you can.

Now the more traditional way ( here up north anyway) is to either compete for a tiny number of TCs, or first finish your LPC, then work as a paralegal, and THEN if you prove yourself you’ll be offered a TC.

My firm takes on zero trainees now but does guarantee all paralegals a TC if they complete a temporary six month contract. All firms I’ve worked at wouldn’t even consider anyone with less than a 2:1, and undertaking summer internships are a must.

Good luck.