Should DS do LPC to secure a TC?

[YouBigChump]

DS has graduated with a 2:1 (RG uni if that counts) in Law.
He's got quite a lot of bits of work experience but never managed to secure a vac scheme.

His plan is to try and get a paralegal/ legal admin role for a couple of years, carry on applying for vac schemes and hopefully a TC.
But, despite so many applications he can't find a job. So many want previous experience and/or LPC.

We are in the position that we could fund his LPC as an interest free loan but I'm not sure it's a good idea. If we thought it would 100% lead to a TC but it seems risky.

Any advice to a clueless parent would be welcome.

Has he spoken to the university careers advice service? Any feedback on past applications, what stage in the recruitment process is he getting to?

There are so many Law grads and they are not just competing wth other law grads for vac schemes and jobs. Plenty of other grads go into Law as well.

It is high stakes to pay for the LPC. He still will not have much work experience.

My DD is a barrister. She studied MFL at university. She did 2 weeks work experience at a solicitors whilst at university. She volunteered for the National Trust in her holidays.

Whilst doing the GDL, she volunteered at the CAB. They were brilliant and gave her a lot of responsibility. She also volunteered for a women's advice service. She did pro bono and various other unpaid roles. Many of her friends without pupilages did Para legal work after the BPTC but they had the BPTC qualification (others have the LPC as you say) and he may be applying too early.

So - work at what he can get that is vaguely suitable and volunteer. Volunteering is better than nothing and make sure it is useful. He does not seem to have a great CV and getting it better must be a priority. Think about how he can do that. Unfortunately he needs to stand out and a 2:1 from RG does not always do that on its own. What else can he do to stand out?

I would take it through ith him because it may just be more money spent with little to show for it unless he has a plan. Has he looked at working for a standard local solicitor?

talk it through with him....

Generally, no. How many TC applications has he done?

I'm a partner in a law firm in Manchester. We take on heaps of law grads (with and without experience) and many do lpc whilst working in a paralegal role and then go straight into tc once they've proven themselves. What kind of area of law is he trying to get in to and where in the country?

He’d be better off doing an LLM if he wants a TC. If he’s not fussed about going into law there are a lot of other grad jobs out there which accept law degrees.

Thanks all.
IMO his CV seems quite ok; fluent in French (masters in EU law), president of his uni's law society, several weeks WE.
He hasn't applied for TC's yet, he was told that he had to get paid work experience and that's the tricky bit. His masters was very full on and he really didn't have time to apply for this years summer schemes (big mistake)
We don't live in a big city but he's very keen to live in London or Bristol.
He's tried local solicitors and Citizens Advice but there are no vacancies at present.

@mlr1uk thanks, I'd love to message you
@Brianna83 IP is his ideal choice

He's been badly advised then. He needs to start next year's TC applications as soon as they open. Lots and lots of people get a TC without a vac scheme/paid work experience. That's nice to have but it's by no means compulsory. When he starts applying for TC he needs to do a LOT of applications.

I wouldn't spend this money speculatively when he hasn't started the process yet. If he is aiming at big firms, he will have 2 years to wait before he starts and he would have LPC funding, so you could find that you've spent a lot unnecessarily

IP in London (can I ask why Bristol, seems a random choice along side the capital?) is going to be extremely competitive and his CV is simply not going to cut it there.

He should apply to any and every legal job he can find within travelling distance of wherever he lives now with a view to bolstering his cv (I would hire someone with any legal experience over someone with none) and deciding what he actually wants to do. He does not have to accept anything he is offered!

He thinks he likes IP based (I presume) on a small elective during a theoretical based degree, back when I was there I wanted to work in family law and where I am now could not be any further afield!

He needs to be exposed to as many areas of law as he can be to see what he enjoys (and is suited to) in practice. Tell him to look at high street/multidisciplinary firms to start with. It will also let him figure out if law is really what he wants to do, too many grads come to me expecting it to be like Suits or Boston Legal and get a very rude awakening!

Once he has some experience he can decide if the LPC is for him and his cv will be much better placed to take him somewhere he wants to go.

@HugoSpritz A* A A
Just had the conversation and he's getting cross that I'm interfering, he's under the impression that he can't apply for training contracts and vac schemes at the same place at the same time.

That's definitely not true! Lots of places won't offer any vacation schemes anyway.

Applying alongside a demanding course is quite normal. Unless you're really lucky, TC applications are like another part time job. It is time consuming for sure but he needs to balance things.

I would suggest applying for TCs asap. The firm I work at take on lots of paralegals so suggest that along with attending as many student open days at law firms as possible.

Yea that's definitely not true! I work in commercial property but in-house for the government atm. I think I would suggest at least a year of work exp before even considering paying for the lpc at this stage, there's really no rush and he'll be a far stronger candidate

Apply for training contracts NOW!

The big firms will fund the LPC, and given the number of LPC graduates who don't get a training contract I would think carefully about doing the LPC self funded.

Thank you, I'm listening.
So apply for training contracts without paralegal or indeed any paid legal work experience?
The two years isn't mandatory?

Are you sure he's being completely honest with you? It's difficult to believe that someone who has done his degree and Masters has no idea of the application process. What are his friends from uni doing now?

@MrsMaiselsMuff they're all applying for paralegal jobs and vac schemes.
It sounds like he's got it badly wrong.

There must be (many) people from his course who graduated with training contracts secured, surely?

Training contracts are competitive, it's not unusual to graduate without securing one, though that is the aim. You start applying in the summer before your third year of your undergraduate degree, any law student knows that.

Sorry, I don't think he's being honest.

Surely a good proportion of his classmates graduated with TC offers in place?

No there is nothing mandatory about getting work experience.

I'd be really worried about this stuff he's been told. Was this by the careers service at his university. I'm sure you don't want to make a fuss but he has been given some really bad (and bizarre) advice