To desperately seek training advice from lawyers?

[Starlingexpress]

Apologies in advance for being cagey with some details but I’m struggling to navigate forward with a DC with lots of historical issues and am having to be careful of boundaries but am getting to the stage where I’m so confused about options that I really need help before another difficult conversation.

They have a law degree and for various logistical and financial family reasons, rather than have the year out they wanted, have nearly finished an MA and SQE online. Had a very close fail with first SQE exam and has resat awaiting results. Assignments/portfolios all passed so far.

Again, for practical, financial reasons I need them to move forwards regardless of outcome of exams but am unsure of how they can do that.

Is a paralegal role reasonable? Or a training contract to repeat SQE in it’s entirety? Or a completely different route? ( These are all things they’ve talked about but not actioned)

Would you recommend emailing every solicitor locally to see if there are any opportunities?

Please be gentle. I’m totally unfamiliar with this area and dealing with a very headstrong DC who is a hard worker but very much a last minute action taker!

OP, are you honestly suggesting that you would email solicitors/potential training options on your DC's behalf? Please don't... I'm not a lawyer, but if I received an email from the parent of an adult applicant, I think it would reflect so poorly on them, and raise a massive 'red flag' as a candidate.

It really is up to DC to navigate their next step in life, and they have identified options to pursue. You can certainly emphasize that you need them to pursue an option, and that you're willing to cheer them on.

Good luck!

Most training contracts (as far as I'm aware) recruit 1-2 years in advance so I'm not sure how feasible that plan would be. They're also like hen's teeth.

I don’t completely understand, but are you saying that they have just failed one module of their SQE. If so by far the best thing would be to retake that as quickly as possible.

If they don’t pass the SQE then they will never get a training contract or be admitted as a practising solicitor. The only option is likely to be a career paralegal (not a brilliant career) or something like a trademark specialist or legal executive when you don’t need to be admitted as a solicitor but not great options.

More generally your DC needs to work this out for themselves- if they are finding the SQE a struggle or are being passive about next steps then this may not be the career for them.

A last minute action taker/ bad planner sounds like a recipe for disaster in a legal career too.

It’s nearly 20 years since I qualified so this may be outdated but I don’t think you can start a training contract without having completed the LPC or SQE.

Also, with regard to e mailing every firm in the area, what type of law does your child want to do? That will dictate which firms they contact. If they want to do corporate/commercial work for example no point e mailing a high street firm dealing with mainly resi/private client etc.

At most firms I have worked for, trainees have spent time as a paralegal beforehand.

Also, kindly, law if so competitive. I don’t know any students in my intake who failed an exam on the LPC. I’m not sure how the SQE is graded but on the LPC very few students who got a pass rather than merit or distinction got TC’s in the end. If they are scraping through at this stage, they may find the actual job quite challenging.

You can't push them through specialist training and into a career. They must want it and be good at it on their own. It's a very tricky profession even for people who are great at it so chances of them succeeding, given how you've described them, are slim to none.

Hi Op,
I am involved in delivering SQE training and first of all, I would say that many students do find the course tough! In addition you say your DC is doing the online option which does require a lot of motivation.
Your DC should be able to access careers support through their training provider and I would suggest that they take full advantage of this. If they have a personal tutor they should also contact them to discuss.
Your DC could try contacting local firms for paralegal work but, having come this far with the SQE, may want to concentrate on passing resits for the moment.
Hope this helps!

No I’m not suggesting that all all. Thanks.

Thank you. That’s really useful. I’m just not sure of what timescale is reasonable in terms of resits. But at the same time they’ve worked really hard alongside working to part fund themselves. I want to continue to support but also have other DC going to university soon.

In the nicest possible way, your DC needs to be the one doing the legwork, not you. The fact they don't seem to understand the routes to being a qualified solicitor and haven't planned the requisite next steps is a concern. I think you need to step back and let them sort out their career. My parents wouldn't have had the first idea about qualifying as a solicitor and I did all my applications without any input from them whatsoever.

I just want to clarify, I’m not doing any legwork, or emailing anybody. I’m asking for information about the process so that I can understand it better and support DC better. I’m not interested in comments on DCs character, history , or motivations and have deliberately kept details vague. I am grateful for the up to date information about the practical aspects of training and have found that information useful.

Thanks. If that was considered to be the best option then that’s what I would encourage. Most of DCs law graduate friends are on gap years or working as paralegals with a couple working in administrator roles. All still want to be solicitors-I’m still really confused as to the best support to give but it seems that focusing on the SQE is actually still the best option at the minute.

You might get some answers here https://www.sra.org.uk/become-solicitor/sqe/

The SQE didn't exist in my prehistoric day but from looking at how it now works I think applicants need to concentrate on getting both the SQE 1 and 2, because without it they won't be able to qualify at all. Then they need to look for suitable "qualifying work" which could include working as a paralegal. However I'd be cautious about unscrupulous firms recruiting people on the promise of offering qualifying work which ultimately doesn't count - does your DC know what area of law is of interest yet?

Thanks Wiggypig- great advice. They had a great work placement experience with a criminal law solicitor so have always wanted to pursue criminal law but have also developed a real interest in human rights law.

Thanks Wiggypig- great advice. They had a great work placement experience with a criminal law solicitor so have always wanted to pursue criminal law but have also developed a real interest in human rights law.

Are you close to London, because firms offering trainees human rights experience are very few and far between and mostly in London.

Nooooo advise them against criminal law unless it's white collar. There is no money in crime (with few niche exceptions).

Hi op, I am in a related education field. The way that lawyers are trained has changed recently.

All that is needed to qualify as a solicitor is 2 years qualifying work experience (QWE) which they can get before, during or after doing SQE 1 and 2. Often people get QWE by working as a paralegal.

Once a candidate has two years QWE and has passed both SQE 1 and 2 they let the regulatory body (the SRA) know and they qualify. That of course doesn’t guarantee a job employed as a solicitor.

The prestigious bigger firms are hard to get into and good academics are needed and usually they recruit 1-2 years before SQE for what is often still called a ‘training contract’, which takes two years. The trainees do the SQE 1 and 2 first, then the two years work at the firm. If there is a newly qualified job available at the end of the two years they are taken on as a solicitor. In these firms their paralegals may not often get a route to a newly qualified job.

In other firms working as a paralegal is a route to a training contract/qualified job.

We’ve already had that conversation multiple times 🙄

Than you so much-this provides so much clarity for me. Much appreciated 😊

Hi, I’m a trainee solicitor and currently studying for SQE 2 after passing SQE 1 earlier this year. I got my role with very little previous experience and I admit I’m very lucky in this respect, but what I did to before was volunteering for CAB, and I volunteered with a pro bono criminal appeals clinic online. I got my role in a small high street firm, so I’d suggest volunteering in the places I said, then applying to small firms once they have passed SQE 1. I hope this helps. Reach out if I can help more. The SQE process is extremely difficult and the standard is a lot higher than the LPC.

Thank you so much-they’re doing some volunteering with a local advocacy charity and I’ll pass on the info about the appeals. It’s great to read about your experiences-it makes it seem
much less daunting.

When was it decided that the SQE standard was a lot higher than the LPC? Could it be the university where the LPC was taken (just as degrees at some universities are regarded as tougher to get than at other universities?). I took the LPC at a well regarded institution and the standard of work and exams was extremely high.

@Odin2018 it’s pretty well accepted SQE is much harder. The failure rate in SQE is very high for one thing - only 44% pass rate for the last SQE 1 exam. It is a much tricker assessment, not least because the exam papers are not shared with or set by the teaching institutions, so they can’t teach to the test. All they have is a very broad syllabus.

As someone who has taught both, I can tell you the SQE is harder and most universities now do open book exams for the LPC, which are ridiculous.