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Original poster

calling legal professionals!! i did an LLB 13 years ago. can i still get back into law?

19 replies

madeindevon2 · 07/04/2008 19:03

ok got a 2:1 in law and languages LLB but ended up working in the city (reuters 2 years and for an inter-dealer broker the last 10.) what would i have to do to become a solicitor now? would my degree still count? would i do LPC then have to find training contract (i think thats how it worked back then....)
what about paralegal? how does that work?
would solicitors be interested in someone in my situation? what would be starting salary? Im not going back to the city as they insist on 7am til 6pm 5 days a week and i need to see my son a bit! would 8-5 4 days a week be reasonable in a legal role?

OP posts:

FloridaKbear · 07/04/2008 22:35

Yes, LPC then training contract is still the way to go I believe.

You can just apply to any law firm for paralegal roles, we employ loads at ours and the hours are pretty much 9-5 unless something major happens. The trainees cop the late hours rather than the paralegals. Part-time more common in the City now, I work with girls that work 4 days and 1 day a week respectively.

Original poster

madeindevon2 · 08/04/2008 07:58

Hi. thanks for that.
where can i find out more about being a paralegal?

OP posts:

FloridaKbear · 08/04/2008 08:23

Just apply to lots of firms, paralegals leave all the time as it is not often a career, more a stop gap position.

fairylights · 08/04/2008 08:32

FWIW, i think you could do your LPC part time whilst being a paralegal, if you could face lots of study in the evenings and weekends. I am doing the GDL (the bit before the LPC if you haven't got a law degree) on a distance learning course at De Monfort Uni in Leicester, i think the LPC is quite well regarded. You Get teaching blocks at weekends every month - 6 weeks or so and then you do all the rest of your study at home. There are quite a few paralegals doing my course who will go onto to do the LPC aiming to become solicitors in their firms - who are often paying their fees, lucky them!

fairylights · 08/04/2008 08:33

ps i was also "made in devon" !

fairylights · 08/04/2008 08:34

sorry, me again - have just re-read my post: what i was trying to say was that de Monfort also do an LPC distance learning course which i think is well regarded! Not sure if that was clear..

thefunkypea · 08/04/2008 08:44

The better option would be to try to get some practical legal experience eg as a paralegal, and then apply for a training contract. Most self respecting firms will then fund your LPC, but the country is littered with people who paid for their own LPC and then couldn't secure a training contract. Good luck

geekgirl · 08/04/2008 08:59

the bad news is that your LLB is now 'stale' (it goes stale 7 years after graduation) so you'd have to do the GDL (approx £5K, 1 yr f/t or 2 yrs p/t) before doing an LPC.

Original poster

madeindevon2 · 08/04/2008 12:25

oh thats not good news. thats what i was concerned about. not heard of GDL? thought it was CPE?

OP posts:

geekgirl · 08/04/2008 12:58

that's what it used to be called. Now it's the Graduate Diploma in Law. PITA, I agree. I was going to do it last year (also have a stale LLB) but circumstances changed... I did a lot of research into working conditions during training contracts and after, and it seems totally unworkeable for someone who actually wants to see their children. I really don't think you've got a cat in hell's chance of leaving the office at 5!!!!!
Anyway, if you still want to do it there are several providers out there, the College of Law seems very good and apparently they give you a lot of support when it comes to getting relevant experience.

fairylights · 08/04/2008 13:36

yes the GDL is the same as the CPE, as i said before i am doing it by distance learning at DMU in leicester, but there are plenty of other places offering it PT, but not necessarily by distance (and therefore requiring you to be in lectures during the week).
I have to say that i am increasingly worried aboout what geekgirl says - even if i do manage to get a training contract one day then will i ever see my kids...??
Hmmmm.. my course costs £2750 per year for 2 years, and then the LPC is a bit more expensive than that, so its a lot of outlay if you aren't sure of the end result

MonkeyandBabyBoo · 08/04/2008 13:46

Have you thought about doing ILEX? It may take a bit longer but you would be able to work as a paralegal while you study part time and most law firms will cover the cost of the course. Once you are a fellow you can then do the LPC if you wanted and qualify as a solicitor without having to do a training contract.

fairylights · 08/04/2008 13:50

there are quite a few people on my GDL course who have done ILEX exams to get to this point (i already had a degree so didn't have to), and actually i think ILEX runs my course, even though its at DMU. Confusingly.
Most of these people are working in law firms who are paying for them to do the course and guarantee a job at the end which is the ideal scenario in my opinion.

Original poster

madeindevon2 · 08/04/2008 13:55

thanks i will look into ILEX. thats the legal exec route? sounds interesting.

its all quite worrying to be honest. because im leaving the city so i can see my child (7am til 7pm and nights out seeing clients i just cant do now im a mummy....)
i was hoping to be able to work 9 to 5 or at least 8 til 5. am i kidding myself?

also how much do paralegals get paid?

OP posts:

MonkeyandBabyBoo · 08/04/2008 13:59

I have an LLB but decided to take the ILEX route as I knew I wanted a family. As my LLB is still active I have been exempt from the law papers of the course so have only had to sit 3 practice papers, 2 at level 3 and just about to sit my level 6 practice in June. In this time I have taken a career break from practice but now I am back in the practice I left and will be qualified as a Fellow in 2 years. I have done it the long way but it has fit in well with my family and long term plans.

MonkeyandBabyBoo · 08/04/2008 14:02

I work 8-5, 4 days a week. Its perfect as far as I'm concerned. Fridays off are perfect for spending time with my kids and makes a nice long weekend.

Pay will depend on where you are working. Sounds like you are in/near London. I am up north so pay will differ quite alot from up here I presume.

fairylights · 08/04/2008 15:21

madeindevon - sorry this really will be my last post, but i started a thread the other day in "employment issues" asking about the work/home balance of solicitors and barristers, maybe have a look at that to see what some others have to say about the reality for them - pretty much what geekgirl says though!

legalalien · 08/04/2008 16:10

paralegals do not get paid very well (at least compared to city trainees, who are outrageously overpaid imho), and I suspect that going the whole trainee route will be a lot of work (not trying to be discouraging, just trying to think of alternatives that would lead to regular hours / reasonable salary in the short term). can you say what kind of thing you were doing in your last couple of jobs? Are there skills that you could transfer, for example, into a compliance role or some sort of contract management role, based on the knowledge you already have (both of these types of job would have more regular hours)?

Original poster

madeindevon2 · 13/04/2008 09:02

i was doing my last job for 10 years. Inter-dealer broker in the energy sector. quite specialised. sales? client management?

OP posts:

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