Training as a solicitor / working full time as a mum

[Motherofking]

I have just completed my Masters in Law, I have done a few vacations schemes and opens days and i am planning to apply for training contracts. I have a 1 and a half year old so no plans to look for training contracts in city law firms , Just international law firms, national and regional firms which offer a better life work balance. Can someone give me tips on how i can manage a full time job and be a full time mum . I will put my son in nursery but i want us to spend alot of time together, i dont want to spend the only hours i have at home cleaning or cooking id rather spend it with him ?

And another question, alot of training contracts give you the job two / three years in advance, For example if i get the job in 2022 my start date will be 2024 or 2025. Would it be a bad idea to get pregnant and have a baby within that gap. I really want another baby especially because once i start my career i dont want to have any more babies. I just want to keep working until i am established enough within my career without any breaks or interruptions.

@kirinm

I'm guessing it's this

I am not sure what the PGDL is . It must be a new course i believe . When i signed up their was only the GDL option and LLM option

I think the OP needs to be clearer has she done The PGDL with the top up module to LLM? Or the standard LLM?
OP are you aware that a standard LLM isn’t a conversion course? Because if you are you could have been a lot clearer in your initial post that you did the PGDL with a top up module to LLM. Saying you did the LLM is confusing if you did the non standard one as most LLMs won’t be conversion courses. Part of being a lawyer will be communicating clearly and succinctly .

@XelaM

What type of litigation do people do to have a good work/life balance? I've had an awful work/life balance in fraud litigation (particularly international banking fraud). It has always been manic.

I don't know what constitutes a good work / life balance. If you're home for 7pm is that 'good'? Having an international aspect to any litigation is always going to make the hours difficult. I don't actually do much international lit but once had a witness giving video evidence to the court from Australia and trying to make that work was one of the most stressful times of my working life.

@FallonCarringtonWannabe has a point. Plenty of firms (and clients) won’t be impressed by their lawyer making such a basic mistake. Excellent (and accurate) written communication is really important for lawyers.

@kirinm

I've never enjoyed employment law (undergrad or post) but it does seem to be an extremely popular area. So many firms do it so depending on where you live, you won't have a shortage of firms to apply for.

But it doesn't sound like you're 100% up on the options available to you. In the early days none of the options, other than ILEX I suppose, fit brilliantly with small children but there are firms who are known as family friendly. Look for those.

Thank you. Do you have any ideas on how to go about looking for 'family friendly firms ' from your experience

@Motherofking it was called the GDL when I was at that stage but the P just stands for postgraduate.

When i signed up their was only the GDL option and LLM option

Op, you’ve been very clear, I don’t understand why people are trying to convince you you’ve done something else, you’ve been very clear you did not do the gdl and why and that you did the llm at BPP. And the llm only.

PGDL and GDL are both the same. They are both post graduate courses for students with a degree not in law that converts your degree into a law degree so that you are then able to train as a lawyer.

In my day it was the CPE

Are you just starting the SQE route? My partner's firm gives him half a day per week of study time, which is pretty generous from what I've heard. He studies for two hours every morning before work, too.

@3WildOnes

I think the OP needs to be clearer has she done The PGDL with the top up module to LLM? Or the standard LLM? OP are you aware that a standard LLM isn’t a conversion course? Because if you are you could have been a lot clearer in your initial post that you did the PGDL with a top up module to LLM. Saying you did the LLM is confusing if you did the non standard one as most LLMs won’t be conversion courses. Part of being a lawyer will be communicating clearly and succinctly .

It’s the standard llm she’s said it repeatedly. It couldn’t be any clearer unless she posted a pic of her certificate.

Honestly, no don’t have another baby and be realistic if you’re wanting to make it at a firm that is going to sponsor/support you through law school that they will be getting their money’s worth. I honestly couldn’t imagine doing it with kids, they won’t expect a trainee to be saying they’re off to do pick up from a nursery. If you want a better work life balance then v carefully pick what sort of legal career you want.

Honestly, just Google it. Also check out 'roll on Friday'.

workingfamilies.org.uk/news/top-30-2020/

@Bluntness100 yes my LLM does allow me to progress to the LPC . The only reason why i have not done so is because i dont have the funds . And i am not a bum , you dont know anything about me, I have worked very hard for my accomplishments . I achieved the grades required to do the LLM that is how i was able to do it .

But if she has done the standard LLM then she seems completely confused as she still needs to complete the PGDL/GDL. Besides, doing the standard LLM would have been a wasted of time and money without the PGDL/GDL.

[quote Motherofking]@Bluntness100 yes my LLM does allow me to progress to the LPC . The only reason why i have not done so is because i dont have the funds . And i am not a bum , you dont know anything about me, I have worked very hard for my accomplishments . I achieved the grades required to do the LLM that is how i was able to do it .[/quote]
But how is this possible op? This is what’s causing rhe confusion and why folks are thinking you must have done something else and you don’t know what course you did. Can you like to what you’ve done?

Because you’re adamant it is the llm and this does not allow you to proceed to lpc.

Not sure why everyone is getting into such a tizz about the course.

Essential OP, you need to be applying to do your LPC at a local University which offers it or The College of Law. At the same time you also need up to date relevant work experience in a law firm. Once you have completed your LPC or alongside it you will be applying for a training contract. You may of course find you have to work as a paralegal in a firm before being offered a training contract. You will then rotate seats in different areas and then qualify. You will then hopefully be offered a fully qualified position in that firm and possibly in an area you may not initially have thought you would work in. Or you will apply for a qualified position in a different firm. You will then be in a position to negotiate hours on the basis of what you deem to be family friendly. Your firm will then let you know if that is possible. Talking from experience here.

[quote Motherofking]@Bluntness100 yes my LLM does allow me to progress to the LPC . The only reason why i have not done so is because i dont have the funds . And i am not a bum , you dont know anything about me, I have worked very hard for my accomplishments . I achieved the grades required to do the LLM that is how i was able to do it .[/quote]
Um I said gained entry due to the need for bums on Seats this is not calling you a bum, it means because they needed enough people.

It couldn’t be any clearer unless she posted a pic of her certificate.

Tbf that's probably about the only thing that would stop this thread continuing to go around in circles.

@3WildOnes

I think the OP needs to be clearer has she done The PGDL with the top up module to LLM? Or the standard LLM? OP are you aware that a standard LLM isn’t a conversion course? Because if you are you could have been a lot clearer in your initial post that you did the PGDL with a top up module to LLM. Saying you did the LLM is confusing if you did the non standard one as most LLMs won’t be conversion courses. Part of being a lawyer will be communicating clearly and succinctly .

I understand where the confusion is coming from . But my course is literally called llm masters in law which is why i wrote that in my post. google it on bpp's webite or any law school

This thread is a rollercoaster.

Bluntness - she didn't do the standard BPP LLM, whatever she says, because she didn't have the qualifications and it's not a conversion course. There is a BPP option that is (was) the LLM (Conversion) which seems to have now changed its name. I'm pretty certain this is what OP is talking about. It's causing confusion with lawyers because until recently you couldn't get LLMs that acted as conversion courses as well. Technically it's a Masters but it's not worth anymore than the GDL in terms of job applications. OP says she did it for funding reasons, which makes sense.

OP employment is a highly competitive area of law. It's also often not what people think it is. What attracts you to employment law?

@Chocolatetrifle

Not sure why everyone is getting into such a tizz about the course.

Essential OP, you need to be applying to do your LPC at a local University which offers it or The College of Law. At the same time you also need up to date relevant work experience in a law firm. Once you have completed your LPC or alongside it you will be applying for a training contract. You may of course find you have to work as a paralegal in a firm before being offered a training contract. You will then rotate seats in different areas and then qualify. You will then hopefully be offered a fully qualified position in that firm and possibly in an area you may not initially have thought you would work in. Or you will apply for a qualified position in a different firm. You will then be in a position to negotiate hours on the basis of what you deem to be family friendly. Your firm will then let you know if that is possible. Talking from experience here.

Everyone is getting “in a tizz” becayse the op is posting she’s done the standard BPP llm, which does not allow you to do the lpc, she still needs to do the gdl before she can do the lpc.

But the op is saying it does allow her, so people are trying to work out if she’s confused as to what course she did or if she’s mistaken on her ability to do lpc.

That’s a really big deal, as if she’s done the llm it means she cannot simply apply for training contracts she needs to do the gdl first, unless she finds a company who would pay for it, as she’d need to do the gdl to do the lpc.

@Bluntness100 well that was not the case. i earned my place by getting the grades needed for the course

@Bluntness100 this is not true. I dont need to do the gdl. I can go on to train by doing the LPC. please google it on bpp website or any law school