calling lawyers: GDL study patterns and family?

[legalwannabe]

Posted this message on 'further education' but have had no response.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/further_education/906533-GDL-study-patterns-how-much-work-i s-involved

Basically, has anyone done GDL and LPC full time? What was your timetable like? Did you still have time for a young family? Did you have a social life?

Thanks

I haven't attempted either course myself with a young family but I do teach on both. We do have mums (and dads!) on both courses. General observations are that they tend to be the most focussed students.

Your weekly timetable for GDL and LPC will depend on the institution and mode of study (P/T versus F/T). Many institutions are moving toward more 'remote' learning with FT students cramming all their sessions into 2-3 days per week.

Both courses are manageable with a family; a few of our students have had babies mid-course, but you will need to be very organised. Will it impact on your family life? I think that is unavoidable in all honesty and perhaps you may need to think about the p/t options to ease the pressure.

Ring a few institutions of your choice and chat it through with admissions - I am sure they will be happy to answer your queries.

Good luck

I wouldn't worry about the study - it's less time consuming than the job you'll get at the end of it!

I did both courses full time (pre family) and they are, basically, full time. I had lectures in the morning, study group most afternoons, and then I guess about 2-3 hours of study per night, more around exams, much more.

The exams were pretty hardcore - 7 in 7 days!

This was the GDL, the LPC is less time consuming (but more boring!)- probably 4 full days per week.

So no worse than a full time job.

This was at the College of Law, 9 years ago, so obviously things may have changed.

Any other questions, let me know, happy to help.

Oh and I am quite a study geek, and worked hard all through the course, but around exam time even I was probably working solidly for 12 hours per day - that's only for 3-4 weeks before the actual exams though. (and I did set myself high standards!)

tattygirl and ozziegirly - thanks so much for your input. I think I can handle the workload, but finding the training contract is going to be the difficult thing as I'm early 30s now.

I intend to studying at the College of Law (moorgate)full time. It won't be a for a couple of years as I'm pregnant now and will be a home for the first year of the baby (second will be in nursery). I'll be 34 when I start the GDL and won't qualify until 38!

It's hard enough getting work experience esp as law firms are reducing the number of training contracts .

THe training contract is full on, although it depends what area of law you go into. Obviously corporate is very long hours and often incredibly boring, mind numbing work (but the money is good!).

I work in litigation - the hours are more certain and the very good thing is that it seems fairly recession proof. I work in insurance litigation, and things still get burnt down, flooded, contaminated and people still get injured whatever else is happening in the economy!

I want to go into employment/ commercial law as my background is in HR. The money isn't all too important. Would you recommend that I go for training contracts with big city firms or perhaps try a medium size local/ high street firm? I've noticed that the big city firms ensure that you take the LPC corporate route.

Agree with Ozziegirly re: GDL is more time consuming in terms of the homework/reading you're required to do. I did it pre-family and part time in the evenings over two years and had a full time job. I had very little social life and it was quite a struggle to keep motivated. The LPC is not taxing in any way and is only 9.30 -4, four days a week. If you spend your free day studying, it means you'll have most evenings and weekends free for your kids.

I no longer practice as a lawyer and think it is a very unfamily-friendly sector to work in. I do know women who have found firms that are more flexible and amenable to family life but personally I think they are few and far between so target your applications to firms that seem to have a good rep in that area. In terms of training contracts, I think your age and work/life experience will work in your favour!

Silly question, but can you work part-time as a lawyer? Say, 2-3 days per week?

Any suggestions for family-friendly law firms in London? I think lots claim to be family-friendly, but for those in the know, insider info would be greatly appreciated !

City firms are not family friendly whatever they say.
The money is good, the hours long.

You might do better in the west end...perhaps someone here knows more.

And you can do a training contract part time ( a knew a girl who did one three days per week), but most firms don't offer them. They need you qualified and earning fees asap, which means completing your contract asap.

I'm too out of the loop to recommend where to apply to! In terms of working part time, the lawyers I know negotiated their days while off on maternity leave, rather than starting work at the firm part time. I rarely see vacancies for part time positions in law but doesn't mean you wont be able to get one. I would say, however, that 2 days a week is pretty unheard of and on a practical level, because of the nature of casework, not very easy to run a caseload if you're only in for 2 days. 3.5 or 4 days is generally what most part timers I know do - but they still work fairly longish days.

I finished the GDL (FT) in 2006 and the LPC (PT, over two years) last year.

Agree with the other posters - both are pretty full on (I think the GDL more so than the LPC, as there is just so much you're having to take on every week) - they are basically a full time job. I thoroughly enjoyed the GDL, the LPC (most of it) was incredibly boring and stressful. I had exams pretty much every month from the second month of the course, which can be wearing (but you become an exam expert by the end!).

I would recommend signing up to The Lawyer (they have a website) for information about the legal industry. There's also Legal 500 which gives information on all the law firms.

City firms do have horrendous hours; my friends who went into them (depending on their seat) can end up working hours like, until 4am, back in at 7 (sometimes sleeping in the office), so maybe best to avoid with a family. Also, smaller firms can give you more attention when you're training and you can get more time working with a partner (rather than shoved in a data room for days on end).

I agree with everyone above, working for a city firm can mean doing very long hours - although in litigation mine were never terrible, but that was as an unmarried person with no family, so I thought nothing of working 8-7.

I would steer well clear of the city type firms for commercial work if you are even considering requesting to go part time though as most will expect you to build up a level of goodwill by having made a lot of money for the firm before they will consider it.

Having said that, there are lots of firms that are more flexible, especially if you look on the outskirts of London, or the West End.

I don't really know which firms are good in terms of famiy friendlyness as I didn't have a family when I worked in London.

Good luck though. My one piece of advice would be to go to EVERY lecture and study group on the GDL. Everything is important and there is a lot to learn and each lecture will build on the others and cover a great deal, so it's really easy to fall behind. Don't think "oh, I"ll pick that up later" - if you don't understand something; go back over it until you do, because there just won't be time to re-learn things later.

Hi
I started in the city and then once I wanted children moved to the Government Legal Service and then in house. I now work for a very family friendly company which suits my lifestyle (3 children ages 10, 4 and 23 months). I work 3 days at home and 2 in the office. The downside is the pay but I have regular hours and flexibility. I would not recommend the city or even west end firms with a family unless you are very ambitious and organized and perhaps a partner who will stay at home and look after the kids

Best Wishes

richmond