DD keeps getting rejected from vacation schemes?

[owlnoise]

Hi there,

My dd is a first year and is applying for law vacation schemes. She spends hours and hours on the applications but keeps getting "thanks, but no thanks". This is after attending events put on by the firm and networking with them etc. She is a straight A/A* girl, and studies at the LSE.

Is there any advice? What kind of person are they actually looking for then? It's awfully disheartening for her.

Many City law firms have insight schemes lasting a day or a couple of days and aimed specifically at first year students. The longer Easter or summer schemes are usually clear about first years not being eligible.

Do you live outside London? For her first year I would suggest she writes to regional firms asking for work experience rather than formal admittance onto a scheme. Or volunteer at a Law Centre/CAB etc.

Yes, that's what I did. In summer holiday after year 1 did informal work experience for 2 weeks at local solicitors firm. I also did work (from years 2 and 3 on a law degree) in the local law centre - just about every week for 2 years although you certainly don't need to do that to applyfor and get a place on a vacation scheme in your second year.

My DC are not doing law, but all their law student friends who have secured good placements have had lawyer parents and lots of work experience acquired before university in their parent's firm.

Well not every law student or GDL student has a parent working in a law firm. My DD certainly didn’t. She didn’t study law at university but you can enhance your CV by asking locally if a firm can take you. Especially in y1. We have friends who have DCs who are city lawyers and they don’t come from law trained parents either. There are opportunities out there but you have to look at a broader spectrum in first year.

And I didn't have a lawyer parent either. If you can get some kind of informal work experience in year 1 that's a good idea - someone contacts me every month of the year asking for it but I can't work with anyone around so turn everyone down even my very best clients. I am an equal opportunities rejecter.

Then concentrate within the right timetable - year 2 - for the formal paid vacation schemes and even if you don't do those apply for training contracts on time and remember there is a set formal time table and firms recruit years ahead. One of mine who was sponsored by a firm at law school had a gap year working abroad not in law (their only gap year - which was quite nice to have after 5 years of studying rather than at age 18 perhaps?) after 3 years university and 2 years of law school and then came back for their training contract

Well neither DH or I are lawyers nor barristers. DS has found vac schemes ( is that the right term? ) and ended up with a bursary for the GDL. He applied for lots of things he didn't get. I think ( and I do not know) unless brilliant / lucky it just takes perseverance . But that is one opinion from one person - others will be better advisors. I would say take what you can get at the time , and certainly in first year. 2nd year onwards certainly there seem to be more prescribed application dates for various things. With best luck

Didn't make that clear - in 1st year - just take whatever work experience , shadowing etc etc you can get , because it may be good on CV but if nothing else if you just help out wherever you can it may inform your choice of what kind of law you may wish to practise.

www.ratemyplacement.co.uk/search?duration=8&show=jobs

Some of the placements here are insight schemes for 1st years!

Yes, that's the systerm if you want a sponsored GDL and LPC. You apply in year 2 of your degree for a vacation placement. Some people get sponsorship without a paid vac scheme by applying (again making sure they do it in time - dates are on all the relevant firm websites) for a training contract.
EG for training contracts not vac schemes:
www.aograduate.com/what-we-offer/ao-training-contract
Students currently in their penultimate year of law and finalists and graduates of all degree disciplines

Dates

Training Contract 2020

(March and September intakes)

Training Contract 2021

(March and September intakes)

Application window

1 October – 31 December 2018

Training Contract 2020 & 2021

Students & Graduates

London - Bishops Square

Job description

Penultimate year students, finalists and graduates of all degree disciplines are eligible to apply for this role. Please be aware that A&O has only one application period for training contracts each year. You can apply in this application period regardless of what you studied at university but you must be able to commence employment with us in either March/September 2020 or March/September 2021.

Please note you can only apply once in any 12 month period for either a training contract or vacation scheme. You must include a modular breakdown for each year at university, making sure to include the mark you received in each module. Please note that we will be interviewing on a first come first serve basis in this application window and so early applications are strongly advised. "

My DD was hitting a brick wall with first year workshops and spring board type schemes so she applied for a social mobility pilot programme with City Solicitors Horizons - sadly it looks as if that scheme has ended now but we literally stumbled across it when googling law access schemes on the internet.

Great advice to get any type of experience in the first year as the main applications for vac schemes are aimed at 2nd years. Does she know what area of law she is interested in? Is she involved in her university law society or is she interested in doing some pro bono work through her university? www.lse.ac.uk/law/probono

Beginning of second year DD applied for 8 vac schemes and got offered 3. Applications are arduous and long winded, after the initial application there can also be can watson glazer type tests, face to face or skype interviews with an Avatar that records your answers to set questions. Some firms also have selection workshops were you spend the day doing team tasks, individual interviews and tests.

DD got a TC offer from one of her vac schemes and is currently sponsored and is completing her combined LPC and MSc in Law business and Management before starting her TC in September.

Good luck to your daughter!