Law at which?

[stubiff]

Any recommendations for Law from (only) these.
They all have the same tariff, that's why they are grouped.
City/campus doesn't matter.

University of Nottingham
University of York
University of Sheffield
University of Exeter
Cardiff University
University of Birmingham
Newcastle University
University of Southampton
University of Liverpool

Thanks, in advance.

I assume though, that HR (or someone, maybe you?) is doing some filtering first.
Are 'they' using Uni, grade, other things.

I can see the not caring in the final stages of the process, but you/all have got to filter somehow to start.

@stubiff Uni blind might be used though! So uni can matter or not. I think you can read on this thread a “tick list” for the cv. Self starters usually get on well in life anyway.

As I have said before, what students engage in at uni and in the holidays, matters. The actual uni could be hidden but educational results probably not. It’s therefore important your DS engages with everything he needs to because none of the unis you are looking at are going to avoid huge competition for jobs! So he’s got to do the hard yards himself. Visiting loads of unis barely helps. One uni won’t give an advantage over another in the RG set up. Other than employers employ more from Durham and Manchester in the regions! So once these are out, choose a few he likes.

We didn’t deep dive into MFL courses. DD just chose the best unis for MFL, DD did the legwork on which law conversion course and bar school. She did all the applications for scholarships, mini pupillages and pupillage herself. DH and me did absolutely nothing. Yes, a couple of blips but overall her friends have been the same and are self starters and analyse what they need to do and get on with it themselves. I think employers want this so encourage DS to engage fully and don’t do all this legwork for him.

Queens pay £100 travel to open day and £3000 scholarship to all GB students yr 1 if affordability is a factor. It’s NI so a qualifying law degree for England and Wales (lots don’t seem to realise that)
Mine did EPQ yr12 on a legal topic which was useful for the ‘why law’ on Personal statement. Neither firm or insurance choice dropped at grade for EPQ but both indicated they would take into consideration if she dropped a grade. I wouldn’t risk grades for EPQ better to focus on getting the grades if they are borderline.
I’d narrow your list and visit as many as you can. Do think of practicalities of travel and accommodation costs. Mine had a strong preference of big city and not too near home.
Good luck. Was nice to spend time together visiting all the unis.

@TizerorFizz
Repeat, am not doing it for him.
If people can't ask, then there'd be no threads on here!

I’m a solicitor who recruits to my team (from advertising role to appointment) and we don’t filter by A levels or Uni attended just need to meet essential criteria. Not blind recruitment.

I think there is asking and digging too deeply into loads of unis. It feels an insatiable desire to find “the one”. I think the employers are saying this isn’t possible. It’s difficult to know what your DS is like. You haven’t sad what he’s doing to help with this lengthy search!

@Cakeandusername
How high up, if at all, does degree grade come in that criteria?

I can understand wanting to narrow down a list and then decide with dc which to visit.
Most we visited were her choice but one was my suggestion as I was concerned she hadn’t looked at any below AAA (she hated it but worth a visit)

@TizerorFizz
Which bit is saying that it's looking for 'the one'? I have asked about two groups of Unis.

You have responded with your knowledge, which I appreciate, so there is no need to keep responding on every post I make (just because you think I'm digging or doing it for DS).
It's a forum, I'm (as well as anyone else) allowed to ask anything.

I think you/DD have been in a fortunate position that she is a self-starter, and prob was looking at the top 10 Unis. It's a MN obsession. Not everyone is in that position.

My 3 paralegals all have firsts (from none RG as it happens)
One of main things I look for is have they had a real paid customer service job. I was shocked how many yp with law degrees/some with masters had never had a job.

@Cakeandusername
Thanks very much for the insight

My DC have all had paid jobs while still at school. These jobs brought value of their own but I can't see that they helped improve my DCs' legal thinking skills in any way at all. So I'm surprised it's 'the main thing'.

My DC were also brought up in a rural area with negligible public transport communications (they almost all worked at the one local cafe which they could walk to - but that wasn't big enough to employ all the young people in the village). So, while laudable to award masses of brownie points for 'proper jobs', don't forget that it's just not possible for some.

Sent you a message

But not to work at uni - term time or hols? Or postgraduate?
I’m talking age 21 plus without a paid job. We deal with members of the public so they need customer service skills.

That would be very unusual at 21 I agree.

For really good lawyers, thinking skills are the priority, even so.

@Cakeandusername Paid employment is quite difficult in rural areas. I agree with @AsTearsGoBy It is not an indication of a good lawyer. I would expect something on the cv but my DD had not had a paid job. Volunteering mini pupillages, work shadowing and getting her skills up in other ways seemed to work. Volunteering was customer facing though - NT and CAB.

I tend to agree it’s how you think and I don’t know anyone in the past who aimed for paralegal. How times change. It’s a bit like an extended apprenticeship and then you become the chosen one to train further. Or not! Plus you are judged on what paid work you have done but not your brain and suitability for training as a solicitor. I’m not sure this is universal. Of course some solicitors don’t meet the public that often so I guess that’s the difference between regional and city commercial. That’s a guess though!

I’m not city law so no online tests/assessment centres. We cut by who meets essential criteria. Then left with lots of often similar applications, 2.1 law or above, various law prizes, volunteer and work experience etc. What stood out most recently was only a few had paid work. The yp I recruited last has been amazing (1st in law from none RG)
Your daughter is probably not uncommon at bar @TizerorFizz never having had a paid job - private school, uni then self employment.
It’s a very different for Solicitors especially with SQE.

@Cakeandusername I do think SQE has changed everything. Unless you are scoring paid employment (at presumably basic wages) on your desirable attributes for recruitment, it should not make a huge difference. If you do score it, is it a deciding factor above a whole host of other things you could look at? For me, probably not because there’s a very tenuous link between that and a first class legal employee.

I'm not at all clear why you think aspiring barristers are only moderately likely to have had a paid job at school or uni Cakeandusername. That's a random suggestion! (I'm translating 'not uncommon' never to have had a paid job as 'only moderately likely').

Re I don’t know anyone in the past who aimed for paralegal

Coincidentally, I spoke with 2 mums last week whose DS are both paralegaling (?) at the moment.

Both got Law 1sts at Durham last year but failed to get a training contract.

Consequently, they've been doing paralegal roles in the interim whilst continuing to apply - one of them received a training offer just before Christmas.

You don’t need a training contract now under SQE just 2 years qualifying work experience.
So self fund SQE1&2, work as a paralegal and you qualify. SQE has totally transformed things.

So self fund SQE1&2, work as a paralegal and you qualify. SQE has totally transformed things

Is it going to alter who actually gets the sought after jobs?

Also, how much do you need to self fund SQE1&2?

SQE1 & 2 exam fees are around £5000 for both. Various ways to prep for SQE 1 and 2 options including as part of an LLM which attracts student finance or stand alone prep course. Majority of Solicitors do self fund cost of all or part of their training.

As for after qualification SQE market is very new, it remains to bed seen how things develop and whether NQ roles are harder to obtain. Depends what you mean by sought after. There’s a whole legal world outside city law especially if wanting work life balance.

Bar is still heavily dominated by private school entrants. Given scarcity of pupillages I quite understand throwing everything at mini pupillages, competitions etc but that does require parental financial support. It’s a totally different skill set to a Solicitor. For Solicitors working in areas of law where they will have contact with members of the public having customer service has been a plus in my experience of recruiting (I’m 25 years PQE) Obviously a whole list of essential criteria, most recent three in team have 1st class law degrees.